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My 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan has also recently begun having problems with the key not turning in the ignition. In addition my interior dash lights and aguges will flicker and in extreme instances the ABS warning light will come on and the gauges (speedometer, tach) will go flat. Has anyone else experienced a similiar situation. Thanks  

just had the same problem shut off van restarted and it was fine. maybe onboard computer is going bad?  

low battery, dirty or loose battery clamps  

You have two familiar problems with your Caravan.  The lock cylinders fail quite often in these and similar MOPAR vehicles.  You will need to replace the ignition lock cylinder before it compeltely locks up on you (if it hasn't already).  The electrical problem is just that...a poor ground connection to the body.  Check around the battery for a small battery cable that connects to the negative side of the battery.  That's your ground cable.  Clean and reconnect it to the body.

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Found out on my 99 grand caravan that the wires controlling the zone a/c, defrost, rear defrost, and rear wiper has a short. When disconnected the dash lights, speedometer, fuel, gear selector all work and function properly. I also, had to change the ECM, and tried to change the TCC for shifting abnormalities.  Instead, changed the shifter mechanism in the trans. for this situation.  Now the vehicle shifts when it wants to and the engine now overheats due to electric fans not working.  The big money pit stay away, stay away.   Garry clark  

wow gary.. you had a lot of problems with yours...


most of the other posts on this thread was the Key when inserted into the ignition lock cylinder not doing anything..  just fixed solid like there was no key in it and you tried to turn it...


there are two or three different threads going about this problem... and usually almost completely inserting the key...  then the final little bit is driven in with the head of a screw driver or a shoe heel... while exerting a tiny amount of twist on the wings of the lock cylinder..  other people have knocked on the top of the column.. with a rubber mallet...


there are burrs that happen on the wafers in the lock cylinder that cause it to hang up and not operate with the key...

there is on most chryslers... an access hole in the lower column housing cover to insert a long tool while the key is in the run position and the lock cylinder can then be pulled out..   carefully taken apart...  each wafer filed to remove the burrs... and reinstalled..  this cures the problem..

dorman products has a replacement lock cylinder in many parts stores... that comes in pieces... with enough new wafers to make it work with any existing key...

dorman products also has a video online of how to do this..

if you would like help with your cooling fans problem .. just ask...   i surf this forum a few times a day...

99;s are also OBD2.. so a decent scan tool will pull any of almost 2000 possible codes and each of those aim you at the proper pages for trouble shooting..   transmission trouble codes are usually in the P0700 to P0799 range... but others can effect it...

there have also been problems where people have changed the valve bodies on the front of the transmission...  only to not know to blow the area out behind it first... this drops sand and dirt into the passages...

just ask...   or log in... pull down the menu bar to the proper forum and post.. it will show up on that forum and the active posts forum... thats where i look...  saves digging out 4 and 5 year old dead threads....  

hi,
MY 2005 dodge stratus giving my problem with mileage, what are possible problems in it..  

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my 99 grand caravan sport i have been haveing problems with the dash. all the dash will stop working and the gages will not work and than the abs light comes on only when the dash stops working. and i am not able to see the miles on the van or what gear i am in when this happens. what could be a cause for that problem after all the fuses and everything were checked out and are in good condition???  

plug in a real scan tool...  not one of the consumer units...  see if you can get any codes for the instrument cluster...

what is probably happening is there is a failure in the CAN system.. controller area network...


but a few tests first... scan tool.. to access not just the Pxxxx codes... but the C and the B codes..  write them down first.. there will also be ABS codes...    if your ABS light comes on.. and you are NOT standing on the brake pedal trying to stop the van.. its seen a problem..

next.. you will need a Digital volt meter...  verify the grounds...   start engine... turn headlights on..   set digital volt meter to 20 volts DC scale...

1.  test between the positive battery post to the negative post..   14.1 to 14.7 volts...

you may have to turn your volt meter to 2 volts DC scale to get a reading on these tests..

2.  test between the negative battery post and the engine block...    0.04 volts...

3.. test between the negative battery post and the body........0.02 volts..

4.  test between the engine block and the firewall..   ........0.02 volts...

if you get more than the 0.04 or 0.02 volts.. you have a problem with that part of the circuit.. and that has to be corrected first..

if you come back and answer this post...  i will dig into my wiring diagrams i think i have for that model..

there could be ground problems.. verify that first...  there could also be power side problems.. bad ignition switch. bad relay...

when it fails..  see what else does not work..  if you can...   write all the stuff that does not work down.. as that can pin point where they are connected together and look at that area..  

My 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan is having transmission shifting problems between the 3rd and 4th gear.  It shift down from 4th to 3rd with a slight gas acceleration.  It use to do the same when I but only when I wanted to accelerate to pass another car which is normal as it shifts down to accelerate (passing gear)
Why is this starting to happen.  It has 107,000 miles the tranmission has been serviced as recommended.  

plug in an OBD2 scan tool..

set it to engine data stream..

access the trouble codes..  write the codes down..

look at the live data stream... see if the vehicle speed matches what you are going..

go all the way back on the scan tool to where is ask you engine or transmission data.. set it to transmission data ..

you will want to have the front wheels in the air..  

see if the transmission input speed sensor shows a different speed than the transmission output speed sensor.. then a different speed than the vehicle speed sensor...

you might have to clear the codes..    if the input speed sensor or output speed sensor failed.. the ECM will substitute a replacement speed.. that will match one of the other sensors.. so the transmission might continue to shift..

if you don't have a scan tool... and you are going to need one..

replace the 2 speed sensors on the front of the transmission..      you have to pull the air cleaner.. the battery tray.. then the radiator cooling fan assembly to get to it from the top..  

the sensors are cheep at chain parts stores.. usually about 20 bucks each..  they DO fail.. and cause all kinds of problems..







takes i seem to recall .. a 15/16 deep socket to remove and install them.. could be 7/8 i am fuzzy on it right now..