Dodge caravan -buzzing

[fisher83]

My 2005 Caravan has a wierd buzzing noise upon acceleration. The noise comes and goes and the sound stops when I stop the vehicle then starts back up when I accelerate. It sounds like it is coming from under the dash or under the hood, roughly where the fuse box is. A couple of days ago I started the van and it fired right up, but all the gauges stopped working- including the odometer. I checked for any blown fuses and didn't find any. After disconnecting the battery for a bit and reconnecting it everything works again. The van has 105000 miles on it. The alternator is original but I replaced the battery and the serpentine belt a year and a half ago. I have read on some other forums that often times wierd electrical issues happen on these vans when the alternators get weak. I plan to get the alternator tested today. Anyone with experience on these? Does this sound like an alternator issue?

 

[supton]

Buzzing is usually the heat shield on the catalytic convertor.

How old is the battery?

 

[fisher83]

Battery is just under 2 years old. Just got back from Oreilly's and the battery and alternator tested good.

 

[NHGUY]

Body control modules do strange things when they start to go wonky.I have heard of minivans with wipers coming on by themselves and horns honking with the vehicles parked.By disconnecting the battery,you re set the BCM (re boot).But this may be only a temporary thing.That buzzing sounds like some relay of sorts,or turn signal module getting a backfeed of current somehow.And Chrysler clusters have been known to have bad solder joints.Maybe its a bad ground within the cluster?

 

[fisher83]

Sounds like this vehicle could turn out to be a real PITA. Not sure I want to spend time chasing electrical gremlins.

 

[NHGUY]

Well,the good thing about these is that they all at one time or another will have the same issues.And they are well documented.Buy a Kia Sedona and go it alone...
I suggest signing up over on the chryslerminivan forum...lots of info there.

 

[GSCJR]

Sounds like it could be the BCM to me. Have it checked out.

 

[fisher83]

I'm considering just replacing it with another Elantra. We bought it for taking vacations but its just the wife and I and 2 small kids. The van isn't really a necessity. We took the Elantra to KC a month ago and it was comfortable enough and cheap on gas.