intermittent start problem '98 Caravan Sport

[yokoko]

By everyones comments, it sounds as if you have found the solution to our mutual problems... A couple quick questions - Are you still problem free 6 months later, and where would one go to begin looking for a business that could test and repair the part?

Thanks!

[diamondroad]

Our "start/die" symptom has not happened once since the instrument cluster circuit board replacement was done six months ago. We went through the BCM route and various other repairs over the course of a year before getting to the right diagnosis. This was all done at a Dealer. That being said, unless you know a good mechanic familiar with this car, I'd go to a Dodge/Chrysler Dealer with the information from this thread and have them start their diagnosis with the instrument cluster.

Others in this thread had their circuit board repaired. Perhaps they could report how long they have been trouble-free since the repair.

[pentabob]

Hi Yokoko,
I fixed mine myself back in July, absolutely no problems since, if you dont feel comfortable soldering on printed circuit boards i would suggest having someone else do it for you, the fix is a cracked / cold solder joint on the instrument cluster main plug solder connections to the pc board, it is one of the two ground pins (sorry i dont remember which one) in fact when i repaired mine i resoldered both to be sure.
The total time to remove, repair, reinstall and test the cluster was somewhere around an hour and a half.
Best of luck,
Bob White

[HeadlessHorseman]

Do the OBD Dance... get your error code(s). I had a very similar problem and it turned out to be the crankshaft positioning sensor. I had my dealer replace it... for $225.

[asotovx]

I finally got rid of my van , it was stolen(thank god the insurance company take care of this), a week before that I went to a car dismantler or yonk and bought a BCM computer p/n 04686256F and a instrument cluster The one with the RPM meter. so didnot have time to installed it, At this time I am offer it to sale for the same amout I paid 95.00 for both , If some one is interested let me know, those parts for a grand caravan 1996- 2000.
asotovx

[1thunder]

Yes you are right if the printed circuit board goes down it can pull the bus circuit down also and as you said then you loose your starter and that is because your factory alarm needs the bus circuit to dis arm and allow vehicle to start the allarm program is to eventually shut down starter after repeated attemps to start vehicle without alarm system telling pcm to allow engine operation

[stevencalapp]

Thank you everyone for this insight!

I wish I would have known the Dash Smash remedy a week ago!

I have replaced the PCM, the Junction Box (under the dash) and now, my van is currently at the Dealership for a new BCM!
They are sending out the BCM for overhaul,(?) (because they can't get a new one anymore)
They borrowed a BCM from another van and said everything worked with it installed. Whatever!
Maybe the instrument cluster circuit board has been the problem all along? This means my troubles are still not over...

I only wish there were a more effective troubleshooting procedure.
The Dealership seems to just throw parts at the problem and eventually/hopefully fix it.
That is a very poor maintenance practice.

Wishing everyone better luck than me....Thanks, Steve

[marconey]

Originally Posted by P Petruzzi

Well everyone I am glad to hear that my little dash bashing is getting everyone going again. I took my cluster out of the car in April and had it repaired. There were two problems first two bad diodes and the second was a conection at the plug. It has been almost four months and have not had a problem since. removing the cluster is fairly easy I think for most it will be harder to find someone to test and repair. I repaired it instead of replacement because it didn't want to change another unneeded part and not know if there was something wrong with it. The test and repair cost 150.00 I was told the dealer could change it at around 600.00 with labor. If my car had alot of miles I would have sold the car by at 6 years old I only had 50000 miles , I thought it was worth a try and repair it. Good luck to all.

It works for me too!! Man you are a savior! I'll be going on a long trip (Sacramento to Palm Springs, CA) and will be taking the Van. Although I can put up with the dash-banging, get it started while parked, I am concerned does this problem extent to shutting off while driving on the Highway (or even on city roads for that matter)? Have you or anyone on this board had the van stall while driving (vs. not being able to start while parked)? Also Petruzzi; has the problem recurred? (beyond four months?).

Thanks again,
Kenneth

[maxrpm16]

same problem here..i will give the banging routine a try.

[joedangerus]

Originally Posted by diamondroad

Hi All,
We have a 99 T&C and had similar ordeals to the ones mentioned above. A variety of repairs attempted with dealers. Long story, short, the instrument cluster circuit board was eventually replaced and the car has been fine with zero symptoms going on six months now. This seems to be the root cause of most if not all of these situations.

I have had the same problems described. I just spent $685 ay the dealer to have the BCM rplaced with no success in eliminating the problem. Did you have the circuit board replaced at the dealer? If so, how much was the charge. If you did the work yourself, is the circuit board inside the cluster? Also, where did you purchase the circuit board. Thanks.

[petwaitress]

I'm also having the same problems almost to a T (97 Caravan Sport 120k miles). Dash controls have only gone out once while driving and I smacked the dash real hard and instantly they came back to life Only thing was this time the CE light came on. So I had a friend read the codes for me and we came up a bad o2 sensor and 1698 (no ccd from tcm).
I was just wondering could a bad or damaged instrument cluster cause the tcm code? I know that many things could be the cause of this code and I'm just speculating can't afford to go back to the dealership since I just spent 1500 bucks 2 months ago on a complete tune up and BCm replacement.

I swear if I ever get this thing paid off I'm trading it in I spend at least 3k a year in repairs.
help me /cry

[tsyzer]

This is all very helpful. Unfortunately I just went out and banged as hard as I could on the dash and it still wouldn't start (I'll get my husband to try when he gets home). It DID however cause the oil light and brake light to come on and stay on (when the key was turned to RUN) and for a half-second powered up the lights on one of the AC controls.

The main difference I see between our van and the other posts is that we also have a weird clicking coming from the steering column (I guess it's from there). It started after the first accessory failure and then went away after a few seconds. Well, this morning when I went to try and turn it on, nothing happened, so I turned the key to off and it went back to doing the crazy clicking thing. Well, it's now 12 hours later and it's STILL clicking like crazy. (I've tried to start it about 4 times throughout the day and it's been clicking the entire time.)

I hate this van. It's been nothing but expensive trouble the whole two months we've had it, but our 200,000 Jeep has no AC and I'd like to keep the van at least through August just for the AC!!!! Then the Anacostia River can HAVE it.

Any thoughts, suggestions would be most appreciated. (again! ) Do you think it would start with a good dash-whack if I could stop the clicking somehow? Also, what is an "R and R shutdown relay"? The mechanic I took it to a few days ago (who was useless) decided to replace that.

Also, there is some screw dancing around the dash. That's a new development I think. (It's a 98 Grand Voyager with 162,000)

Thank you, thank you.

[vipergg]

As others have speculated this is caused most times by cracks in the solder trails on the cluster board and this affects all the things you have described and is a fairly common problem on that era 96-2000 van . Have not heard of any problems on the newer 2001 on up vans .

[renaye]

I have a Dodge Caravan 94 3.0 Ltr van, and I have a similar problem. In the morning I try to start the car and it clicks but nothing happens then I keep on turning key after about 15 times it finally kicks in and the damn thing starts, Then there are days when I try on thr first time and it starts right away. I have checked starter, it's ok tried battery, it's ok checked fuses there ok. what the heck is going on? Any Ideas?. Thanks

[RIP]

What? Are we all that bored that we have to open 2 year old threads? If it's over two months old post a new thread.