It sounds like their may be an internal (pressure) issue or perhaps some
kind of logic issue at work. Has the dealer done a line pressure test? THat
may be in order. Make sure the issue is noted too. This will help if it
should fail outside of warranty.
Larry
"Stefan" > wrote in message
om...
> 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
>
>
> ************************
> Do you change drivers? remember these have adaptive controls. I notice
> the
> same thing when my wife has driven it for a while than I do it goes
> through
> some mild fits for a while than settles down. Without feeling what
> you're
> complaining about hard to tell. Could be you're being excessively
> worried
> about nothing because of the early issues (early 90's) with them.
> Larry
> "Stefan" > wrote in message
> om...
>> 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