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Chrysler Town and Country Car Repair Questions and Answers

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Question: 1997 Chrysler Town & Country 3.1 mileage: 125,000. I have a great auto mechanic that I've used for 20 years and I trust him completely. However, I seem to have a problem that he cannot fix. My serpentine belt has been replaced about four times over the past six months (the tensioner has been replaced at least twice) and keeps breaking. It's not a matter of money... my mechanic is standing by his repair work and does not charge me... but the belt issue is very annoying. It seems any new belt we put on starts squealing after about three weeks on the car, and then about two weeks later it comes off and leaves me stranded. Any help you can provide here will be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Have all the components (alternator, water pump, etc) checked that are driven by the serpentine belt. You may find that one of the components is starting to fail causing extra drag on the belt. Also, check the air-conditioning system because if an expansion valve is faulty, it will cause excessive pressure at the compressor which in turn puts an extra load on the belt.

Question: 1998 Chrysler Town and Country mileage: 45,000. In most cars/vans, the air filter is the easiest item to change. Unfortunately, I didn't find it that easy on the 1998 Town & Country van. Short of taking a hammer to the casing how do I open the casing to change the filter? I looked on-line for a manual that I could reference but wasn't successful finding one. Any help you can provide for this embarrassing question would be appreciated.

Answer: Replacing the air filter in your van is not easy. Unfortunately, you cannot change the filter with the housing (casing) still in the car. The entire assembly must be removed and disassembled to replace the air filter.

Answer: With a volt meter, check for 12-volt power supply and ground connections.

Answer: In California, the quote for an inspection must also include the price to reassemble.  Talk with friends and neighbors to locate a professional auto mechanic that specializes in transmission repair and explain your situation.  If you find someone you feel comfortable with, you could have your van towed with all the pieces to the new mechanic.  Be sure you have an understanding of just how much it will cost to repair.  In addition, you should know that it has been our experience that other Chrysler owners with the approximately the same mileage as you have, have experienced transmission failure.

Question: 1996 Chrysler Town & Country mileage: 54,000.  Bought car from dealer at 37,000.  Front struts had already been replaced.  After 15,000 miles, developed a front end "clunk" at low speeds (10 - 15 mph) when passing over "dip" in pavement, or pulling up driveway apron (not as obvious when passing over a "bump").  Dealer checked and said sway bar links were worn and replaced same.  Noise still there.  Dealer then replaced front struts again.  "Clunk" still there!  Dealer acknowledges there's a clunk, but says he does not know what the problem is.  Now the steering feels a little "squirrelly" when pavement is wet.  Can this be a tie-rod going bad?  Dealer claims everything is "safe"; they said they even checked floor pan to see if it was a drumming noise.  I KNOW the clunking noise is there, and it wasn't there when the car was new (to me), or I wouldn't have bought it!

Answer:  Sounds like the lower control-arm bushings may be faulty. Go to this page: Car front suspension noise ticking popping bumping and rattling Let us know how it goes.

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