I wanted to buy a used handicap van for my elderly mother. I found a 2009 Town and Country (BraunAbility) that was well-maintained (great service records) and only had 84,000 miles. I took it to a large, professional auto maintenance shop and paid to have a fuill inspection. They charged $120 and told me that the engine looked great but the transmission had to be replaced and so did the front brakes. I negotiated the price down with the seller because of the transmission and purchased the car based on the inspection. I brought it right back to the shop and paid them $6,150 for a rebuilt transmission. I drove the car 2 times and had noticed that I could hear a faint noise. But the wheelchair ramp bangs a lot and thought it was probably that. But I wanted to be sure so I arranged to take it back to have them look. On the way there the engine locked up and I was stranded in the middle of a blind curve in 20 degree weather. I had it towed back to them to see what the issue was. They called to report that the engine had completely failed. But they said that there was no way that when they replaced the transmission they could have damaged the engine. He said it was just a misfortunate coincidence.
I did a bit of reading and it seems that I am reading that if the torque converter was not installed properly it could cause severe engine damage. Is this that case?
It may cause severe damage but likely not the type you experienced. Hopefully our forum transmission guy @davesmopar can chime in on this.
Unfortunately I think the mechanic was correct with this…
Chrysler products, especially 16 year old ones, even with low miles are not very reliable. I am sorry for your predicament.
Why exactly did the shop think a new transmission was necessary?
It was shifting hard. Really hard on down shift. but just occassionally like when I would slow down to go up a steep driveway.
If the torque converter wasn’t installed correctly, (left loose), there would be a noise from it.
Tester
It would be difficult to hear that over the rattling metal wheelchair ramp that is mounted to just inside the right slide door.
Even sitting at a stop light/sign idling?
Tester
Yes, if the engine is on it makes a vibration and the ramp really rattles quite a bit. I was not very familiar with the car because I only drove it the couple of times. It may have been that what I thought was the ramp was really something else.
About the only way installing a transmission wrong would destroy an engine would be if it was too tight, meaning the gap between the torque converter installed and pushed all the way back and the flex plate (crankshaft) while pushed all the way forward, did not have enough of a gap (spacing)…
I don’t know the exact specs, but as an old rule of thumb, it was about between 3/16" and a 1/4", anymore than a 1/4" but less than say, 1/2" and you added equal weight spacers between the two (flat washers) to make sure you still had the 3/16" gap without pulling the converter out of the front pump, anymore than lets just say 1/2" gap and you pull it to far forward and take a chance on pulling the converter out of the front pump, or too close to the edge and you can break the front pump gears and damage other internal components…
Now if it is less than the 3/16" gap, then with the thrust movement of the crank and the converter expansion it could be too tight and push the crank forward and wear out the thrust bearings causing internal engine damage… But 3/16" was the gap goal…
To be clear, a torque converter is built neutral balanced, meaning it is balanced, then if the engine calls for it, the company will add weight(s) to offset balance the externally balanced engine, but it starts off as a converter for an internally (neutral) balanced engine…
The other possibility would be installing the wrong torque converter, or an out of balance converter (defective), if the engine calls for a neutral balance (no weight) converter and the converter is weighted for an externally balanced engine or just an out of balance converter, or if the engine calls for a weighted converter and a neutral balanced converter is install, anyone of those bad combos and the now badly out of balance engine will eat up the main (crankshaft) bearings and the engine will self destruct…
So I would like to know what the failure of the engine was, cause it is rare these days for a any of that to happen…
BTW, what engine does it have in it?? 3.3L, 3.8L or 4.0L and was it the 4 speed automatic or the 6 speed auto??
It is a 2009 Chrysler Town & Country 2WD (6 Cylinders X 4.0L FI SOHC 241 CID)
Idling, there shouldn’t be much vibration at all. Especially to cause whatever else to vibrate and rattle. Seems there may have been an engine problem that went undiagnosed. A bit surprising…
My dads Chrysler minivan had a leaky oil cooler. I’m not sure the issue results in coolant in vee of motor affecting oil/coolant mixing but it is a pain. $1k for a new cooler. Could it lead to engine failure? Don’t know.