My 2007 Chrysler Town and Country with 31K miles started acting up last week. First it felt like I was driving over a washboard dirt road when I actually wasn’t. Just in very short bursts. Then it would buck and sputter a little when going up hills. It felt like I had water in my gas line. I took it to the Chrysler dealership and this is the “EXACT WORDING” on the service invoice. “Scanned with DRB and Monitored SHIT patterns. Checked for updates and calibrations found TSB for customer discribed concern 21-015-07. Replaced torque converter and replashed PCM with the latest calibrations.”
So I drove away from the dealership with high hopes and within 2 blocks it was doing the washboard thing again. I called the dealership from my cell phone and they said the part just needed to settle in. I needed to give it some time and drive a little longer. So I drove some more. Then it started something new. When I would come to a stop it felt like it was changing gears and would make kind of a ker plunk sound. So again I called the dealership. This time I was told the transmission had been set back to the factory defaults and was trying to relearn my driving pattern. Ok, so I am a woman, but really!? It didn’t have to learn my driving pattern when I bought it new. So when I take the car back to the dealership on Monday do I ask for a mechanic or a tutor?
It is to their credit that they found the TSB. I am not sure they did everything right, but who knows from here. I would guess the car is still under warranty. If so your only logical action is to take it back the the dealer and to check out your rights under your state’s Lemon Law.
As ridiculous as it might sound to you, they are telling you the truth. Lets start from the beginning. They scanned the computer first for codes then monitored the “SHIFT” patterns. This is good. They then checked for any TSB’s (Technicial Service Bulletins) which would fit your complaint and fit the symptoms they found. This is good too. Using the TSB, they replaced the converter and “Re-flashed” the computer with the latest software. Now, the next thing is the re-learn procedure. Yes, these transmission computers need to re-learn so what they are telling you is right. Here are MY questions though. How far have you been driving it? Stop and go driving?? Also, from what you are describing, it sounds like the computer is going into limp mode. I would drive it some more and see if the transmission is shifting through all the gears especially after you feel that downshift clunk. I would also get the computer scanned at one of your local auto parts stores to be sure.
transman
I have a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and I have had transmission problems… big ker plunk in low gears from day one that I took the vehicle home. After many, many trips into the dealership, letting them keep my vehicle for days at a time…they told me the same things you have said…they even put in a new transmission, but in the end they admitted that there is a problem with my computer not working correctly with my transmission so after one year…almost to the day…Chrysler has agreed to buy back my car. I have to say that I love my stow-n-go seats and all the non mechanical things about my van and hate to give it up but on Monday I have to surrender the vehicle so this weekend begins my search for a new car. Good luck with your situtation and my advice is the same as Joseph’s…look into your states lemon law.