Not on a regular basis. My wife does take the van from time to time but I drive it 95% of the time. Even so, she doesn't drive that differently from me, at least in my opinion not enough to cause a vehicle to have such problems.
I don't think I am being excessively worried about the tranni, the bucking I am experiencing is rather pronounced at times, nothing that someone could consider "normal" for a vehicle. I've driven several other vehicles with automatic transmissions and I can't say I've ever had any one of them do the same thing.
Yes, I know Chrysler has had some history with it's trannis, but I don't think this has anything to do with their past history. I can live with a little roughness in shifting, but this sometimes goes beyond that.
I bought the vehicle in Jan 9th of 03, then had to bring it back 2 weeks later because of a tranni fluid leak from the power steering hose, then back the following month because the main serpentine belt veered off the pullies, then back again in March because of the TSB for the tranni kick down problem, and all of this at the same time as my tranni shifting rough. Knowing this would you say I'm still being excessively worried?
I'm just trying to find out the why. I like my van and want her to be happy as well.
Thanks for all the help anyone can offer.
Stefan
Hello Everyone,
>
> I've been battling a small tranni issue with my 03 Grand Caravan ever
> since I bought it. I've already had the tranny fluid changed out of
> it since purchased and had a TSB (or so my dealer says it was a TSB)
> done concerning a 2nd to 1st downshift knock. However, when going
> from 1st to 2nd the tranni will 60% to 70% of the time shift hard. >
> It's a symptom that can happen regardless of how I drive the van,
> regardless of the weather temp/conditions or if the van is cold or has
> been driven all day. Sometimes the tranni will even seem to have a
> hard time engaging into 2nd until I let off the gas (not under hard > accel either).
>
> One of my co-workers says it's the electrical control module for the
> tranni that is to blame as he suposedly has a similar problem with his
> 99 LHS. He says that every once in a while he forces the tranni to
> shift at higher RPMs to have the unit relearn to shift at a higher RPM
> and less close to 2K RPM and that corrects the problem until the next > time.
>
> My wife also somewhat confirmed the tranni control module theory via
> one of her co-workers (who has an 04 GC) who's sister supposedly works
> for Dodge. Her friend said she waited until the 04 were out because
> Chrysler supposedly took corrected the tranni control module problems
> with a module taken from Mercedes. I have no clue if any of this is
> true or not, just looking for clarification.
>
> Every time I see my dealer (for oil change or other) I ask him to look
> into my tranny problem and he comes back to me saying the tranni codes
> (CVI I think?) are all normal and nothing is wrong with the van,
> however I just don't accept this because the van can work days at a
> time where I can't even tell when it's shifting it's so smooth, but
> other times its simply too obvious as my seat gets bucked around. >
> Would anyone have some insight into all this?
>
> Thank you in advance for your help.
>
> Stefan