'02 GC Sport - Just Bought - General questions/concerns/advice

[WorldBuilder]

Hello all,

Looks like a great forum you have here! OK, let me get to it. I just bought (yesterday) a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.8L engine and AWD. 81K miles. My wife and I pondered it for a month, but in the end, we got a great deal and took the plunge. I had researched the model and have found that they tend to have sway bar and transmission problems.

Now it seems to run great, smooth as hell on the highway, and a great overall feel. But I have a few questions/concerns.

Now I am an IT Professional, & jack-of-all-trades, but automotive is my weakest knowledge area.

1. It shifts farily well, but it did *clunk* at me once while I was rounding a corner and kind of in gear limbo. It also seems like it might be a tad bit sluggish at low speeds, in low gears. I would like to drain and replace the transmission fluid (not a power flush, just a drain n' fill). I figure it can't hurt. I've heard that the '02 Grand Caravans require a certain tranny fluid type, but i don't know what it is. I guess not all transmission fluids are created equal? I have a functioning brain stem and would like to do this myself if possible. Tranny fliud and filter change...

2. That brings me to not having a good owner's manual. I checked Dodge's website and I can only download an owner's manuals back to 2004. Anyone know where I can get one? Mine's in bad shape, barely readable.

3. The engine compartment overall seems to get hotter than normal. I see or smell no leaks anywhere on the vehicle, but after driving it for only a short period of time, it just seems to be hotter than normal. Any general ideas?

4. Overall "new purchase checkup"... What would you guys think I should do/check just as a nice "once over" of the vehicle? I was thinking:

• Oil & filter change
• Replace air filter
• Transmission fluid & filter change
• Check belts/hoses and replace if worn
• Check battery
• New spark plugs

Anything else to add or perhaps even something to not worry about?

Many thanks, everyone!

Chris

[WorldBuilder]

I did find one interesting piece of information from a past post...

Transmission problems have faded away on these vehicles as chrysler addressed pretty much all the problems with the 604a

Does this sound reasonably accurate, and what is 604a?

Thanks!

Chris

[Stretch58]

Originally Posted by WorldBuilder

Hello all,

Looks like a great forum you have here! OK, let me get to it. I just bought (yesterday) a 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport with the 3.8L engine and AWD. 81K miles. My wife and I pondered it for a month, but in the end, we got a great deal and took the plunge. I had researched the model and have found that they tend to have sway bar and transmission problems.

Now it seems to run great, smooth as hell on the highway, and a great overall feel. But I have a few questions/concerns.

Now I am an IT Professional, & jack-of-all-trades, but automotive is my weakest knowledge area.

1. It shifts farily well, but it did *clunk* at me once while I was rounding a corner and kind of in gear limbo. It also seems like it might be a tad bit sluggish at low speeds, in low gears. I would like to drain and replace the transmission fluid (not a power flush, just a drain n' fill). I figure it can't hurt. I've heard that the '02 Grand Caravans require a certain tranny fluid type, but i don't know what it is. I guess not all transmission fluids are created equal? I have a functioning brain stem and would like to do this myself if possible. Tranny fliud and filter change...

2. That brings me to not having a good owner's manual. I checked Dodge's website and I can only download an owner's manuals back to 2004. Anyone know where I can get one? Mine's in bad shape, barely readable.

3. The engine compartment overall seems to get hotter than normal. I see or smell no leaks anywhere on the vehicle, but after driving it for only a short period of time, it just seems to be hotter than normal. Any general ideas?

4. Overall "new purchase checkup"... What would you guys think I should do/check just as a nice "once over" of the vehicle? I was thinking:

• Oil & filter change
• Replace air filter
• Transmission fluid & filter change
• Check belts/hoses and replace if worn
• Check battery
• New spark plugs

Anything else to add or perhaps even something to not worry about?

Many thanks, everyone!

Chris

Chris--Here is a link to a Chrysler site to order an Owner's Manual from.
I would get either a Chilton or Haynes maintenance manual also at your local Auto Parts store. I would buy your trannie fluid at the dealer.
https://techauthority.gltghosting.co...atalogId=10051

[WorldBuilder]

Thanks a million, Stretch!

Would you have anything to add regarding what I should look at when I take some real time this weekend? Also, I've come to find out the trannie fliud required is ATF-4. Sound right? And one more really dumb question... How much of this will I need to drain and replace? I don't even know what volume the vehicle will need...

Chris

[RIP]

You likely have the 41TE 4 speed tranny, the follow on to the 604. ATF-4 is the correct fluid. Total capacity is about 9 quarts but, you'll only be able to drain 3 maybe 4 quarts max. The rest is trapped in the torque converter. I use a pump to pump it out when I don't plan on changing the filter. I've heard some siphon it out the old fashion way. There is an option of pumping all the fluid out the cooler lines with the engine running. Just have to make damn sure you keep the new fluid flowing in and not let it run dry.

When you check the battery measure the voltage at the battery with the engine running. Should see at least 13.5 vdc. This indicates the alternator is supplying a good charge. Make sure the coonections are shinny clean. Coat the connections with grease to keep corrosion at bay.

A couple checks for your list:
> Pull the wheels off and inspect the brakes. Look at brake pad/shoe thickness, leaks, general condition. Replace cracked brake flex lines. While there, inspect the constant velocity joint and steering gear boots. Need to replace ripped boots asap.
> If you have rear A/C heat inspect the coolant lines running under the van along the passenger side. They are known to corrode easily. Same for the front strut towers.

[WorldBuilder]

Thank you very much for the info, RIP!

How can I tell which tranny I have, and is the 41TE you mention newer or older than the 604? Which one should I hope I have?

I hope to play around with the van this weekend with my brother-in-law, who is far better than me at all this. I will report back to all of you with more questions, concerns, and/or general information.

Best,

Chris