2000 Dodge Grand Caravan need advice

[Jack12345]

I went to the dealer a month ago to change oil, and do some inspection of my van.
I got a list of problems:
1. water pump to be replaced
2. Trans cooler lines to be replaced
3. solenoid pack to be replaced

Looks like all are trany related problems, how can you tell that solenoid pack have to be replaced, you getting any error code for it or this is just try and see what happend method of fixing problems?
Is ther a way to check water pomp, cooler lines or solenoid pack are good or bad?
I now that I got a tranny fluid leak, but I am checking the fluid level every week and so far it is OK.
I was reading about tranny problems in Dodge vans and looks like I am very close to have my vans tranny gone (116000 km now).
Any advice wiil be appreciated

[neon_rt]

If the van is not overheating and the water pump is not leaking, I would leave it alone. I've had the leaking trans coolant line problem before. Replaced the clamps with better ones and solved that. The transmission can be easily ruined by topping the fluid off with the wrong kind of fluid (dextron/mercron). If you are not using ATF+4 then you are ruining the trans, that may be why the dealer said you need a new soleniod pack. If you put Dextron/Mercron fluid in the trans, it will cause the trans to start coming apart inside and metal flakes will start clogging up everything. One of the first signs is solenoid pack problems. ATF+4 is a synthetic fluid and is usually a dealer only item. The fluid life is rated for 100K miles. If you can't get to a dealer and you desperatly need fluid you can top it off with ATF+3 (most automotive stores have it). It is the predesessor to ATF+4 and is a non-synthetic version of the fluid. The fluid life is rated only 30K miles. If you use ATF+3 you will need to make sure you do a fluid/filter changes within 30K miles of first use.

[Jack12345]

Thanks for reply. So replacing the trans cooler lines and flushing the transmission can solve the solenoid pack problem?

[neon_rt]

If you put Dextron/Mercron fluid in it and now there is a solenoid problem, you may get lucky and fix it with a couple of fluid/filter changes.
I've heard a lot of bad stories of transmissions that totally failed after a flush. It appears that these tranmissions don't like being flushed.
A simple drop the pan, replace the filter and refill with the correct fluid seems to be the best of the inexpensive fixes. I have a '00 GCaravan that had the wrong fluid put in it and was slipping when I got it (used). I had to do fluid/filter twice to get it working right. I used AMSOIL ATF. AMSOIL claims ATF+4 compatibility but is not certified ATF+4. I have been very please with the results in both of my Grand Caravan using AMSOIL ATF, since it is not approved by Dodge/Chrysler you use it at your own risk.
My first '00 CG got fluid (Amsoil) and filter change at 30K and 100K miles. At 130K miles the van was killed by a drunk driver. The second '00 CG (with slipping problems) started with 85K, now has 150K miles and works great.

[RIP]

More . I own a 96 GC with the 3.8 ltr and 41TE transmission and I just past 190,000 miles. The only problem I had with the transmission was a leaking forward pump seal. Cost $720 to fix last year. Other than that , the tranny hasn't so much as hickuped. I had that leak 4 years. It went from leaking half a quart a month to a quart a week in that time. My point? Yes, it's not a problem topping off the leak as long as you do it religiously and use the correct fluid. Second, inspite of what you read on this forum about tranny problems, there are thousands of high mileage T&Cs, GCs, and GVs out there having no problems at all. Keep in mind people usually only post on a forum when they are having a problem.

As for the solenoid pack - they want to change it (just the gasket?) because it's either leaking or you must be getting driveability issues. Is it shifting correctly? Are you getting a "Check Engine" light on the dash indicating a fail code was generated by a failing pack. If they saw a code you should have seen the CE Light. If none of this is happening you need to clarify with them why they want to change the pack.

As for the waterpump - there are only a few reasons to change a pump. > If the internal bearing seal has sprung a leak. That's indicated by coolant leaking out the weep whole on the bottom of the pump. Were you seeing a puddle on the ground? > If there is obvious noise from the pump. > If the pump pully wobbles indicating bearing failure. > Lastly, if there is no coolant flow observed at the radiator cap port. You'll have overheating problems then.

A word to the wise. If you don't do your own maintenance do your best to find a reputable repair shop and stay away from the dealer. I won't get into all the reasons but suffice to say, most dealers don't have your best interests in mind.

Neon RT is right on the money. (He's got me thinking about AMSOIL again) Take care of the tranny (and the rest of the car) and it will take care of you...usually.