Electrical operation

There is a service bulletin concerning hard shifts where the dealership will need to flash new software into the PCM. Here is a link to it: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2012/SB-10069304-0335.pdf

So if it has not been taken care of, you should get that done. Hopefully it will solve your issue. Other than that, I cannot seem to find any real common issues concerning shifting.

That code has nothing to do with how charged the battery is. In my sad story about the water pump and tower, lets say the water pump is capable of developing one hundred pounds of pressure, but a pressure-relief valve limits it to fifty five pounds. Pressure in the tower when it is almost full is fifty pounds. The pressure from the pump needs to be a little higher than what's in the tower if it is to convince that water to flow up into the tower. If the pressure-relief valve becomes plugged, it cannot do its job, and pressure will go up to one hundred pounds. That will fill the tower too fast and blow the top off if it does not explode a pipe first.

On your van, iti s the job of the voltage regulator to maintain charging system voltage between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. Remember that any generator needs a coil of wire, a magnet, and movement between them to generate a voltage. It is not possible to change the number of loops of wire in the coil to adjust the generator's output. It is not practical to raise engine speed when more output is needed, and lower engine speed when the electrical system needs less current. The only practical and easy way to adjust output is to vary the strength of the electromagnet. When charging wide open at the highest possible rate, the current going through the electromagnet field winding is a mere three amps. Under most normal conditions, that field current is around one amp or less. That is a real small current and is easy for the voltage regulator to control. If system voltage goes up, the voltage regulator detects that, then becomes a higher resistance to reduce field current flow. That reduces the strength of the electromagnetic field, and therefore, output current and voltage.

To get the fault code you listed, the voltage regulator is shorted or the wire going to it grounded. In fact, grounding that control wire is a test called the "full-field" test, and is done when the symptom is no charging, or a failure to charge. This test determines if it is the voltage regulator or the generator that is at fault, but it is only done for a couple of seconds. When a defect results in that full-fielding, it will cause too much current to flow through the battery, which will overheat the plates and lead to an early battery failure, and it will cause system voltage to go higher than the maximum 14.75 volts that is allowed. That can lead to blown light bulbs, and possibly damaged computers. The engine computer sees system voltage go too high, and sets the fault code you listed.

To solve the fault code, you have to start by measuring the actual battery voltage while the problem is occurring, to verify it is too high. Next would be to inspect the wiring harness to see if perhaps a wire rubbed through on the sharp edge of a metal bracket. A continuity test will show if that wire is grounded. That is much more common than a shorted voltage regulator because those cause very little trouble.

The voltage regulator resides inside the engine computer on Chrysler vehicles. Regardless if it is there, inside the generator on many brands, or mounted on the firewall on older cars, it has to have a wire connected to the rest of the electrical system for it to know system voltage. If that wire breaks, the regulator is going to "see" some random value that will be less than 13.75 volts. In response, the regulator will think system voltage needs to be bumped up a little, and it will increase field current to do that. Since it still will not see the increase in voltage due to that broken wire, it keeps trying harder and harder to raise system voltage, but it will never see the results. The system voltage would rise to dangerous levels, but Chrysler solves that by using that system voltage sensing wire for additional circuits. That might include the power source for the voltage regulator itself, so if that sensing wire is broken, the regulator will turn off and stop the generator from working. A bad charging system will result in the battery running down in less than an hour of driving, but it will not cause damage to the battery, computers, or other parts.

Not from what I can see. You have a true disc brake system on the back wheels, including for your parking brake. If you had a drum brake system (old school brakes) then you would be able to adjust them like that.

If you are hearing a slight squeal coming from the rear brakes, it may be that a film of gunk has gotten on them, causing that noise. To try and clear it, put your left foot on the brakes and apply some pressure, and drive it like that for maybe three hundred feet. If you can do it in reverse, it will help that much more, in a shorter distance (maybe thirty feet). If the noise does not go away, the it is probably just time to change the pads.

No, not unless there is a leak. I would try and have the transmission serviced at a dealer by 60,000 miles. New fluid and filter will protect your transmission from heat and wear.

Have it serviced at a dealer. I cannot say it will get rid of your hard shifting but the right fluid level is the best place to start. When serviced the technician should check the pan and lines for leaks.

Yeah you did ask in that long thread we had going last week. There is a service bulletin put out by Chrysler that addresses hard shifting. It states that the dealership will need to update your transmission computers software to address it.

Happens to me all the time man. Something to do with getting roughly 6 hours of sleep for months on end.