New Driveline for 2000 AWD LX T & C 3.8lt

[jolleyi]

I have a driveline problem. The driveshaft giving the problem is the one going from the transmission to the rear axle. Seems there are 2 part to this. The part i need has flanges at either end and connects directly to the driveshaft, comng out of the rear of the transmission.
The bearing at the front end is rattling about and i'm afraid it might drop and cause the van to do a pole vault.
I got a quote of $1400 for the driveshaft from the local Chrysler dealer. Has anyone had experience of this part failing and any knowledge of a cheaper source?
Thanks
Ian

[Cntrysthbst]

from what i have searched, even with good service these awd's systems dont last much above 120,000 miles. most complain of center bearing failing, and most that have drive shaft problems end up having a damaged transfer case as well. some say this is why they got rid of the awd systems in these minivans but i think it was for the sto and go...maybe both...

anyways, the parts are going to be expensive and the dealer is mainly the option cause the system is out of service.

the best advice in searching from what other people said having the same problems is to scrap it, its not worth fixing it cause it would cost more than the minvans worth itself....or go to a junk yard, lots of junk yards are online now if you dont have any luck near you. was hoping for better news, sorry...

[jolleyi]

Thanks for the reply.
I did get a driveshaft from a wreckers (more correctly he propshaft I think) and replaced it. Turns out the replacement was no better than the original, so in frustration i removed it and am now driving a FWD only van. I am looking for another propshaft and will see if I can get a better one off a vehicle not so "miled up" as mine. I too was wondering if there might be any other components downwind of the propshaft that might be compromised too.
I have the summer to mess with it before we get the snows again and will need the AWD van back again.
Ian

[Cntrysthbst]

i did read about someone else running with only front wheel drive to but didnt want to suggest that..lol, anyways if i come across anything, parts/ect., i will let you know...

[jolleyi]

Here's the latest on my driveline saga.
I had driven the van without incident with the propshaft removed for 4 months, but with winter approaching and the thought of the many feet of snow we get, i got busy looking for a propshaft. As luck would have it, the local Pick and Pull had an AWD van on their lot from early Nov (I had signed up for their Row 52 service).
$44 later I had a propshaft in my hand, and having installed it all seems to be well.
Not sure if i am just lucky, but i do not have any out-of-balance vibration from this unbalanced combination (i read somewhere that the propshaft is balanced with the viscous clutch and all the other stuff down stream of the propshaft).
So for the time being all is well!

[Bill Grissom]

Excellent result. I have a 2002 AWD. Seemed like a nice feature when we bought it used 4 yrs ago, especially for those winter trips to Lake Tahoe (near you). When I saw that the little bolt-on transfer case costs $1700, I thought "future problem".

Since you have the drive-shaft out, perhaps you can try changing just the bearing. There is usually a provision for pressing one out. In my experience, bearings are fairly easy to get. Just measure the ID, OD, and thickness in mm and look it up, or search the PN on the side. Most are standard sizes all in mm, which goes back to Germany in the 1930's. Some are expressed in inches, but come out as even mm when converted. I needed a bearing for the internals of my 1996 minivan tranny and saw >$100 and 1 week wait at the dealer, looked it up and found a name brand one for $5 at a trailer supply in stock (even 4 PN's to choose). Let us know if that proves out.

[Bill Grissom]

Excellent result. I have a 2002 AWD. Seemed like a nice feature when we bought it used 4 yrs ago, especially for those winter trips to Lake Tahoe (near you). When I saw that the little bolt-on transfer case costs $1700, I thought "future problem".

Since you have the drive-shaft out, perhaps you can try changing just the bearing. There is usually a provision for pressing one out. In my experience, bearings are fairly easy to get. Just measure the ID, OD, and thickness in mm and look it up, or search the PN on the side. Most are standard sizes all in mm, which goes back to Germany in the 1930's. Some are expressed in inches, but come out as even mm when converted. I needed a bearing for the internals of my 1996 minivan tranny and saw >$100 and 1 week wait at the dealer, looked it up and found a name brand one for $5 at a trailer supply in stock (even 4 PN's to choose). Let us know if that proves out.

[jolleyi]

I thought about replacing the bearing, however, the bigger issue is the rubber boot which I could not source. Without a new one of these (the existing one was ripped) not much point.
Ian

[Bill Grissom]

I run into the "boot problem" on many of my cars. If hard to find and/or $$$, I usually try a "universal CV boot" or buy a new one on ebay (~$12) that might fit. You can find dimensions for many on-line. For smaller boots, many people try the rear driveshaft boots for VW Bugs. You can also get 2-piece ones to install in-place. Polyurethane is probably the most rugged material. Silicone stretches easy and survives high temperature. As example, my 65 Newport needed torsion bar rear boots that are expensive if you can even find them, so I cut a CV boot at the right diameter to fit the anchor groove, works fine and almost looks original. To repair cars affordably requires some creativity, at which hot rodders excel (see HAMB website).

[jolleyi]

Bill, I note you have responded to a few people with transmission problems on Chrysler T & C vans.
Seems i now have one.
Today on my way back up the hill from Reno i noticed a little stuttering almost like the brakes were dragging, then i lost drive, and of course the engine revved up a little. I coasted to the shoulder and the transmission kicked back in, but it seemed only to be in 2nd gear, which allowed me to get home. The check engine light is on and on reflection I should probably have gone to Autozone to get their OBD on it. However, it was really cold and I did not want to get stuck on Mt Rose so i drove on, reached home, still with light on. Stopped and restarted and it did seem to have all gears back (reverse too) but light is still on.
Mine is the 3.8l AWD 2000 T & C with the 4 speed Auto transmission. I have always used the recommended transmission fluid ATF+4 and last changed it and the filter at 150k mile. The van now has 184kmiles. Fluid is very clean, no burnt smell and at the correct level.
I read that this could be a bad earth to the tranny but am not sure where I should be looking. It's dripping lots of salty meltwater at present as we just had a big snowfall, so I don't really want to get under to look without some good idea of where to start.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ian

[jolleyi]

Little more info. Drove the car again, no problem, then after about 2 miles same issue. Would seem to be electrical?

[Bill Grissom]

Definitely sounds electrical. Don't let anyone sell you on needing the transmission rebuilt. When clutch plates wear out, they don't un-wear. The "stuck in 2nd" is probably just the drivetrain controller noticing a problem and going to "limp home" mode. A common problem with the 3.8L (and 3.3L?) is degraded insulation on the fuel injector wires above the exhaust cross-over. Search for posts w/ photos. That happened to me and mine looked just like other's photos. Fairly easy to repair. In my case, I never experienced "limp home". The engine would just miss sporadically and sometimes stop altogether. I haven't dealt with the ground wire that others talk about.

Another thing that could cause similar is a bad crank signal. That often doesn't set the trouble light. Most commonly, it is because the 8 V power is lost due to problems in the harness. That wire is shared with the cam sensor, and in my 2002 AWD also appeared to go to a box under the front, left fender (ABS controller?) I had to pull my engine harness down, unwrap the loom, and go thru all the wires. Has run great since, w/ no more mis-fires (207k miles now). Good luck.

[Mbriggs]

Figure out what code is causing the check engine light and hope that it's a speed sensor. Limp mode "generally" means a mechanical issue with the tranny, and I've had speed sensors cause this. Is your speedometer acting funky?

FYI: I bought THIS code reader on Amazon and it can't believe that I waited so long to get one. It not only gives the error codes, but also tells what the codes mean. Saved me lots of $, and I bring it when looking at used cars as it can tell if someone has erased or reset the codes recently.

Good luck!!

[jolleyi]

Speedo not out of sorts, and have checked the codes
See my new (more appropriately titled) posting
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul....php?t=1112553

Thanks for all comments