Caravan Transmission Options

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeremiah McNeal
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J

Jeremiah McNeal

Hello... I currently own a 96' Caravan Sport and am looking to upgrade to a
Grand Caravan or Grand Voyager. I have read a ton about issues with
Chrysler trasmission problems... specifically the 41TE, formerly known as
the A604 ultramatic. I have heard however, that the three speed
transmission offered in the Chrysler line of vehicles is actually a
Mitsubishi make and is alot more reliable. Does anyone have any input on
this?? Is that faulty information? Any input is very appreciative.

Jeremiah
 
Hello... I currently own a 96' Caravan Sport and am looking to upgrade
to a Grand Caravan or Grand Voyager. I have read a ton about issues
with Chrysler trasmission problems... specifically the 41TE, formerly
known as the A604 ultramatic. I have heard however, that the three
speed transmission offered in the Chrysler line of vehicles is actually
a Mitsubishi make and is alot more reliable. Does anyone have any input
on this?? Is that faulty information? Any input is very appreciative.
Click to expand...

Looks as if you'd better take a break from reading for awhile, you've got
your information all crossed up. First off, the A604 was the "UltraDrive",
not the "Ultramatic". Secondly, all of the transmissions are
Chrysler-built, none is Mitsubishi-built. The 3.0 litre V6 *ENGINE* is a
Mitsubishi-built unit. The (Chrysler-built) 3-speed automatic, which may
or may not still be available in vans with smaller engines but is NOT
available in any Grand minivan, has a better reliability record than the
4-speed overdrive unit.

DS
 
Jeremiah McNeal said:
Hello... I currently own a 96' Caravan Sport and am looking to upgrade to a
Grand Caravan or Grand Voyager. I have read a ton about issues with
Chrysler trasmission problems... specifically the 41TE, formerly known as
the A604 ultramatic. I have heard however, that the three speed
transmission offered in the Chrysler line of vehicles is actually a
Mitsubishi make and is alot more reliable.
Click to expand...

The A413 3-speed hydro-mechanical trans is a Chrysler make, and is very
reliable. Unfortunately, I don't think it was offered with anything other
than the 3.0L Mitsubishi engine, which is a bad choice for a Grand (if even
available.) In a short wheelbase van ('92-'95 is what I'm familiar with)
the 3.0L/3 speed is adequate, but the engine is prone to top-end problems,
e.g. cylinder head gasket leaks, etc.

--Geoff
 
Lots of input mostly poor. 41TE is a good unit now, (actually was probably
never as bad as it's rep but that's another story). There were 2 engines
offered in the vans made by mitsu the smaller a 4 banger was an awful
contrivance. Total rube goldberg. IMO the 3.0 V6 wasn't a whole lot better.
Had more trouble personally with the 3 spd transmissions also. Your present
vehicle has the 41TE and probably a 3.3. This or the 3.8 best engines I"ve
ever had and the transmissions should be fine IF you take care of them
properly.
Larry
 
| Lots of input mostly poor. 41TE is a good unit now, (actually was probably
| never as bad as it's rep but that's another story). There were 2 engines
| offered in the vans made by mitsu the smaller a 4 banger was an awful
| contrivance. Total rube goldberg. IMO the 3.0 V6 wasn't a whole lot
better.
| Had more trouble personally with the 3 spd transmissions also. Your
present
| vehicle has the 41TE and probably a 3.3. This or the 3.8 best engines I"ve
| ever had and the transmissions should be fine IF you take care of them
| properly.
| Larry

I've a spanking new GC with the OD transmission and 3.8L engine. What is
the recommended steps to take care of them properly?
 
Follow the severe service schedule, use ONLY Mopar +4 fluid in the trans,
oil & filt with recomended viscosity and quality filter at 3 mo or 3k
intervals (whichever comes first), you'll have a very nice runner for many
many miles.
Larry
 
Jeremiah said:
I have heard however, that the three speed
transmission offered in the Chrysler line of vehicles is actually a
Mitsubishi make and is alot more reliable.
Click to expand...

In the first place, the 3-speed is NOT a Mitsubishi, its a Chrysler and
is heavily based on the old rear-drive A-904. Yes, its reliable. In the
second place, the biggest PROBLEM with the 3-speed is that it was
usually only available behind the Mitsubishi 3.0 v6, which (being a
Mitsubishi) was a pile of oil burning junk. If you get a 3-speed behind
a Chrysler 2.5L 4-cylinder, then you have a very reliable (albeit
underpowered) van.
 
Not said:
| Lots of input mostly poor. 41TE is a good unit now, (actually was probably
| never as bad as it's rep but that's another story). There were 2 engines
| offered in the vans made by mitsu the smaller a 4 banger was an awful
| contrivance. Total rube goldberg. IMO the 3.0 V6 wasn't a whole lot
better.
| Had more trouble personally with the 3 spd transmissions also. Your
present
| vehicle has the 41TE and probably a 3.3. This or the 3.8 best engines I"ve
| ever had and the transmissions should be fine IF you take care of them
| properly.
| Larry

I've a spanking new GC with the OD transmission and 3.8L engine. What is
the recommended steps to take care of them properly?
Click to expand...

-Follow the "Severe Service" fluid and filter change schedule no matter
how you use the van
-Use ONLY ATF+4 fluid, never anything else with "an additive" to "make
it the same as ATF+4" because that is impossible
-If you don't have a transmission cooler, install one
 
"jdoe"

| Follow the severe service schedule, use ONLY Mopar +4 fluid in the trans,
| oil & filt with recomended viscosity and quality filter at 3 mo or 3k
| intervals (whichever comes first), you'll have a very nice runner for many
| many miles.
| Larry
|

Change transmission fluid and filter every 3K or 3 months? That makes sense
for the engine oil but the transmission?
 
Not said:
| Lots of input mostly poor. 41TE is a good unit now, (actually was probably
| never as bad as it's rep but that's another story). There were 2 engines
| offered in the vans made by mitsu the smaller a 4 banger was an awful
| contrivance. Total rube goldberg. IMO the 3.0 V6 wasn't a whole lot
better.
| Had more trouble personally with the 3 spd transmissions also. Your
present
| vehicle has the 41TE and probably a 3.3. This or the 3.8 best engines I"ve
| ever had and the transmissions should be fine IF you take care of them
| properly.
| Larry

I've a spanking new GC with the OD transmission and 3.8L engine. What is
the recommended steps to take care of them properly?
Click to expand...

Drive it reasonably, and change the fluid and filter every 30,000 or so.
And don't tow a horse trailer with it.


Matt
 
On Tue, 03 Feb 2004 23:55:41 GMT, "Matthew S. Whiting"

....
Drive it reasonably, and change the fluid and filter every 30,000 or so.
And don't tow a horse trailer with it.
Click to expand...

Follow the severe service schedule. Hopefully you chose the trailer
tow pkg. If not, add a cooler.
 
Thanks for all the info... that is why I asked!


Steve said:
In the first place, the 3-speed is NOT a Mitsubishi, its a Chrysler and
is heavily based on the old rear-drive A-904. Yes, its reliable. In the
second place, the biggest PROBLEM with the 3-speed is that it was
usually only available behind the Mitsubishi 3.0 v6, which (being a
Mitsubishi) was a pile of oil burning junk. If you get a 3-speed behind
a Chrysler 2.5L 4-cylinder, then you have a very reliable (albeit
underpowered) van.
Click to expand...
 
"Tom Ruta"
| ...
| >> I've a spanking new GC with the OD transmission and 3.8L engine. What
is
| >> the recommended steps to take care of them properly?
| >
| >Drive it reasonably, and change the fluid and filter every 30,000 or so.
| > And don't tow a horse trailer with it.
|
| Follow the severe service schedule. Hopefully you chose the trailer
| tow pkg. If not, add a cooler.

Thanks

trailer package was not available but the cooler is a standard up grade in
our family has been for more years than I can remember.

Is there a better choice on the make/model/type of cooler I should
investigate?
 
Engine Oil every 3 months.

Trans Fluid Flush EVERY YEAR - NO EXCEPTIONS.
 
Thanks for all the info... that is why I asked!
Click to expand...


There was lots of old info posted by a lot of the posters.

Assuming that you are talking about getting a new Caravan, the 3 speed
transmission is no longer available. I'm talking about in the U.S.A.

Until the model year 2002 it was available only in the short wheelbase
Caravan with the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine. I've got a 2002 4 cyl, 3
speed Caravan built in Auguest of 2002 - an early production 2002
model. Ones that I've seen built after January 2002 all had the 4
speed transmission and it was/is no longer listed as available in the
Dodge catalogs.

Approximately mid year during the 2002 production, they dropped the 3
speed transmission and all further production used the 4 speed
overdrive transmissions regardless of engine.

Doug
 
Cloaked said:
Engine Oil every 3 months.
Click to expand...

What if you drive 10,000 miles every 3 months? Mileage is more
important than time for oil, unless you drive so little that your oil
changes would stretch beyond 6 months or so.

Trans Fluid Flush EVERY YEAR - NO EXCEPTIONS.
Click to expand...

Again, mileage is almost always more important than time in this case.


Matt
 
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