We are trying to keep a '97 Plymouth Voyager going in order to occasionally haul the extended family around. It’s at 140,000 miles. The electronics are doing weird things-locking the car at odd times both when the engine is running and when it’s not; sometimes showing the instrument cluster; sometimes radio and heater and fan etc.on, sometimes not… Basic questions are any ideas on what to check, and how much money might we have to put in this old buggy to find/repair these glitches?
We had a caravan do this do us. It was the body control module. About a $350 part from the dealer and it’s behind the dash and a PITA to get at. We had an independent shop do the change, and it was significantly cheaper than the dealer labor was.
140k is not too high for these vans. Our current 97 has 170k and is still going strong. We got rid of a 91 van last summer with 230k and it was still running strong…but I hit a deer with it:)
Thanks for your response…the local mechanic I found agrees that it’s probably the body control module.
Now I have to decide if we can keep it going long enough to justify the cost of replacing the bcm. Leaning toward doing it, especially since this guy seems to know what he’s doing. Thanks!
Before replacing the BCM, make sure proper voltage is getting to all parts of the electrical system. Low voltage will cause strange symptoms, including what you are experiencing. The battery and alternator have to be in good shape, and all power leads and grounds must be clean and tight. Often overlooked are the two positive leads going into the power distribution center under the hood.