Transmission Question

[Coach James]

I thought this question had been posted a few weeks ago but I can't find it using the search feature. My 2005 Grand Caravan seems to repeatedly jerk slightly at about 1500 rpm. I think it does so at some other rates also, but 1500 is where I feel it mostly. Any ideas as to a simple fix or is this a job for a transmission shop? Or is it most likely not a tranny problem?

I hate the idea of paying for a rebuild.

Thanks

Coach

[Mike83]

Aren't dodge, plymouth and chrysler vans know for bad transmissions? I wouldn't rule out a rebuild...

[Coach James]

DON'T SAY THAT!!!!:shocking::shocking::shocking:

Kidding of course.

If I have to pay for a rebuild after just 65,000 miles I'm going to have a stroke.

Coach

[Tarheelgarage]

Coach, could be an engine control issue,not the tranny.
Always have to rule out any engine issues that can affect the shifting of the trans since the tranny takes it shift points from the engine.

Have you have it checked for tranny codes? Trans codes will not normally turn on the MIL light but could very well be stored in the PCM/TCM ready to be retrieved with a trans capable scanner.

Don't expect one of those cheapo scanners at the parts stores to retrieve the trans codes...:shocking:

[nate379]

Convertor shudder? What ATF are you running? Dextron/Mercon can sometimes cause that. (Reason ATF +3 came out)

[porschedude996TT]

My bet is that the transmission needs to be rebuilt. They have a long history of being very light duty transmissions in the Caravan. My wife had a 1991 Grand Caravan and it would not shift into second gear. It happened at 68,000 miles and the warranty was 7 year or 70,000 miles. They made me pay for new trans fluid and that was it. I had several other things that went wrong that were not normal wear and tear. Like the gas strut mounts that lift the rear door. Normal wear and tear in my opinion would be a failure after 5 years. Well these things failed at 1-1/2 years and then at 2-1/2 years and then the metal structure around the strut mount on the body tore loose and the strut fired into the head liner. I glad no one was in the rear seat when it happened. Another thing that was real odd was when the vehicle was loaded with people the door ajar light would come on and it was because the body flexed to the point that the plunger that controls the light opened and the light came on when I hit a small bump. Never again would I buy a Dodge, Chrysler product. They are just too light duty. Dodge trucks are ok, but they are butt ugly.

ATF+3 should have been the original fill for this year...sould it not?

[Art From De Leon]

"Dodge trucks are ok, but they are butt ugly."

I don't know about that, the first of the new body styles that I ever saw had cracked the full width of the back of the cab from repeated body flex, (but it belonged to a dairy farmer, and they could tear up an anvil with a rubber hammer) and the 1/2 ton Dodges that the meter readers for the electric company used were notorious for the door hinges cracking and pulling away from the door post.
And as far as 'ugly', they still look better than the slanty eyed look of the last generation of GM pickups, (designed that way to honor all the chicrap content in them), or the new GM's that have the HUGE rear fender well, that the tire only fills about 10% of the area.
I always said that the Dodge powertrain would be running long after the body fell off, but I drive Fords, and what I have said about GM is unprintable.

[Charles (in GA)]

You NEED to get someone to pull the codes. It could easily be a speed sensor in the tranny or any one of a dozen other things, easy to fix. I have a '99 Ply Breeze. I drove it home to Georgia from Wisconsin (was on vacation) virtually non stop. The car sat for about three days after that, then when I went to drive it, it shifted funny, or would not shift at all. Shut off the car, restart and the "reboot" of the computer would sometimes make it drive OK for a distance. Pulled pan, fluid was OK, put in new screen, refilled, still bad. Finally went to the dealer. $250 and about an hour later it was fixed, both input and output transmission speed sensors were bad. Best money I ever spent at a dealer (first money I had spent in a service department in many many years.)

Charles

[jay50]

Coach, get the codes pulled...
and stay away from scammco.

[BB26]

+1 on checking the speed sensor. A bad one can wreak havoc on shift quality.

[billymade]

My brothers shop has been maintaining a small fleet of Voyagers/Caravans for a medical transport company; we have had a number of transmissions rebuilt, external sensors replaced and some valve body related sensors changed as well. These particular cars seem to have known issues related to the transmissions.... a quick google reveals a ton of hits with different possible solutions. If you can pull a specific code; a transmission shop should recognize the code and know the fix... ours knew the problem/fix from experience rebuilding/repairing so many of these cars. Googling the specific code online will probably give you some info as well!
http://www.google.com/search?q=plymouth+caravan+transmission+repair&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&start=10&sa=N

[SpiderGearsMan]

the 08 shatters planetaries