Dodge Caravan 2.4L

[hoosierrun]

My only complaint is that I started to fix this thing and I am into it too deep!

. It should have been junked, and would have been if I'd known how much work I was facing.

When this started out it was only to be a timing belt kit. The next thing I notice is the water pump dripping. When I get the rear timing covers off, I see all the seals have been leaking.

Since the spark plugs have over 100,000 on them, I decide to change them. I find the spark plug tubes full of oil and the wires drenched. OK, so now I need to remove the valve cover. That requires removing the wiper tray, the coil, and the entire upper air plenum. That when I see the PCV valve and its never been changed because it is hidden and requires the air plenum be removed. I've go a cracked emission hose.

I remember the noisy lifters and since I have come this far, now is the time to replace them (I found 5 frozen solid). So to get to the lifters, the cams have to come out. Since there is a pretty defined groove in the cams where the seals ride, I put repair sleeves on those and on the front crank. Then we have a leaking oil pressure sending unit and on this car it is a PITA to change.

I probably should have put a reman head on it, but no more money will be spent. Oh.... I forgot to mention that when the tensioner failed the belt rode to the back and ate thru the rear timing cover so I have to replace it. This never ends. Only my persistence continues....

Thanks for letting me vent a little.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

How many transmissions has it been through?

 

[hoosierrun]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
How many transmissions has it been through?


Fortunately this car has the 3 speed, non-electronic. It is based on the old 727 and they are pretty reliable. According to the guy we purchased it from at 100,000 miles, the vehicle was hit on the driver's side and the axle was pushed hard enough to damage the transmission. The "at fault" persons insurance paid for a new transmission at 100K. Otherwise we have had over 200K of troublefree transmission miles.

I know what your thinking about the electronic trannies. You are lucky to get 100K out of one before a major overhaul is needed. My other van (96 Grand Voyager, 3.0) also has a 3 speed in it and it went out at 160,000 miles. I put a Mopar remanufactured unit in it for about $1300. I did the work and I got a 25% discount of the unit via an online dealer who is local.

 

[Jarlaxle]

What a pile. A properly-rebuilt A604 will go 150,000+ miles. I have seen a couple wind up 200,000+ in taxicabs! (By then, the vans usually have 350+K and are rotting out.)

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Honestly...with 316,000 miles, you have nothing to complain about!


And then some...

This poor vehicle has given itself to you, there probably ain't much more left!

IME these vans have performed well for our family. We had primitive 2.2 powered 3 speed autos in the 'old daze' around here and they seemed indestructible. Our friends all seem to love their old Chrysler minivans.

Sometime we fail to remember that millions were sold and an awful lot of them served folks well and were never written up on Internet forums!

 

[hoosierrun]

Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
What a pile. A properly-rebuilt A604 will go 150,000+ miles. I have seen a couple wind up 200,000+ in taxicabs! (By then, the vans usually have 350+K and are rotting out.)


No doubt they improved. My brother was a cab driver in Las Vegas in the mid to late 90s. They were getting about 65,000 to 80,000 on the A604's. Their cabs (for his company) were all Chrysler mini-vans and they got a huge amount of in-city use. The oil was changed every 3500 miles and the transmission fluid ever 20K (with ATF+3 Chrysler spec fluid). Later they started ordering their mini's with an aux cooler and that seemed to help.

It is entirely possible to get 150,000 miles on an A604 if you live in a cooler climate. Actually, beginning in the early 2000's, Chrysler made a substantial improvement in all their electronic trannies. Still, The early problems continue to leave a bad feeling for those that got burned by the early design.

 

[hoosierrun]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Honestly...with 316,000 miles, you have nothing to complain about!


And then some...

This poor vehicle has given itself to you, there probably ain't much more left!

IME these vans have performed well for our family. We had primitive 2.2 powered 3 speed autos in the 'old daze' around here and they seemed indestructible. Our friends all seem to love their old Chrysler minivans.

Sometime we fail to remember that millions were sold and an awful lot of them served folks well and were never written up on Internet forums!


Other than the initial problems with the electronic trannies, these are great vehicles. Our first was a 1986 (the original Mom mobile) and had the 2.6 Mitsu engine in it. We actually got rid of it in 2009 in the cash for clunkers program. That vehicle had about 255,000 on it and was still a good running vehicle. The 96 we drive today is very comfortable and smooth as silk on the Interstate. For the last 2 years, we have taken it on vacation from Florida to New Hampshire and it performs awesome. My wife wants to purchase a decent 2012 or 2013, but good used Chrysler mini's with low mileage are hard to find.

 

[mene]

Hi, we bought a 2000 with the 2.4L a year ago to replace the '84 with 475+K miles on the supposedly awful and self destructing 2.6L the body is all rusted and the unibody is flexing so much it is cracking plus the cops used to follow me for miles checking and double checking plates and insurance and to see if I would make any driving errors, harassing because of the old car I guess, anyway , since I use the car for work in the city I choose the 4 cyl. with the 3 speed, it had 169K miles when we bought it, I drove 3 3.3's when we were shopping around and to be honest didn't feel that much extra power, did feel the much more heavier nose; mechanically is full of details, oil pan drain plug thread What thread?, upper radiator hose with a tiny hole, transmission never serviced; done a lot of it and the water pump started to leak, it was changed before we bought it but I'm sure they put the chinese one, I don't find it that tough to fix compared to the same 3rd. gen. V6's, those days of the slant six in the new yorker are long gone so tight engine bays are the new norm; Didn't like PYB at all, engine noisy and vibrating more, did like the chevron dino, now that is not leaking oil I put M1 0W40 that I had laying around. So far I like it it is heavier than the '84 but is smoother, it is a DOHC so power curve is peaky have to wait for engine revs. to get in the step to have power, MPG's still lower than the '84 but we put a Weber in that and jetted for two years until I got it very efficient, I'm planning to get another engine ECU send it to be re-programmed for fuel economy and try it, better tires better plugs and coil, MOS2, etc. so I should at least get to 24~25 MPG's at the end I think. Sorry for the long post, If you have other experiences or suggestions please feel free to post them, I'm all ears/eyes I know I don't know it all, actually the more I think I know the more I realize I know nothing.

 

[NateDN10]

That is one of the largest run-on sentences I have ever seen.

 

[mene]

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
That is one of the largest run-on sentences I have ever seen.


Sorry, trying to compact as much as I could, I hope it's OK

 

[MDettling]

holy thread re-surrection! We do have probs with run on sentences when we have only so much info to cram in.

Hope y'all doing alright with your Gen 1/2/3/4/etc's!

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: MDettling
holy thread re-surrection!


What was the point of raising this topic back up?