The link is back up now. (web host was changed)

Good to know the article still helps folks.

 

Thanks for all the documentation and photos.

I have a 97 Grand Caravan with rear air and the main A/C evap core is bad (went out suddenly overnight).

Is there a comprehensive list of parts/materials to acquire listed somewhere? Such as:

- Factory manual (where do I get?)
- I saw mentioned somewhere to replace some seals
- Weatherstripping
- Replace dash light bulbs - some are out now.

etc.

Also, for a 97 that I bought new and have tried to take care of, 172,000 miles, what do you think the wisdom of trying to do this is?

thanks.

 

Some of the instructions left by others is also very helpful. It seems like fellas keep finding ways to do this job better. Be sure to read all the posts.

You will need new evaporator core and o-rings for the fittings. Be sure to buy the right type and size for the job - you don't want to have to do this again.

AS for keeping the 97 ? Well, unless you are blessed with money for a car payment, you can keep fixing it. There are lots of issues with Grand Caravans. Just read some forums. The transmissions go bad around 100k, the a/c evap goes bad, the metal rear coolant lines rot under the pass side, the brake lines go bad under the driver side, the rear vent window and door window motors go bad. Mine is a 2000 (180k miles) and I have done all the above with the addition of rear wheel bearings, coolant fans, trans lines leakinging, and to this very day, no matter what I do, the van lets rain water in bad on the pass front side (known issue - no seam sealer on firewall) - my floors will rot soon. The rocker panel is already rusting through due to this.

Long story short, about 200,000 miles you have certainly got the life out of a Dodge. You have either fixed a lot already or your are a lucky one.
Only by the grace of God and the strength from Jesus Christ have I been able to keep our van running. ...and I need to keep it running for another 2 years at least. I drive by faith these days.

 

We never really have had too many problems with the van; changed trans fluid every 60,000 to try to avoid that problem. A 97 is apparently a better year for a trans. It does shift just a little harder at times than I would prefer, but...

The other issue we had two summers in a row was overheating. I think we finally found/fixed the problem last year when we changed the relay for the cooling fans.

Body is still in good shape and the leather seats are awesome; MUCH better than they have on the new ones for the last few years (the new seats are narrower, too - not that we are fat, but the new seats just aren't near as comfortable).

thanks.

 

My 1999 caravan is currently at 198K miles give or take a couple of hundred miles.

We have replaced a sensor in the tranny, the cross-over tube from the front 3 cylinders to the rear, several items in the front suspension (a couple of them more than once), repaired the rusted out shock strut tower on the driver's side, a starter, two water pumps, and the A/C evaporator last summer. The van still seems very solid for its age; the engine feels as powerful today as the day we bought it 9 years ago. Hopefully it will keep going for at least 2 more years...

I still marvel at the fact that even with these repairs it cost me less than the Toyota that my wife wanted to buy at the time. The Toyota had 110K on it whereas the Dodge only had 58K on it when we bought it. I do not know if the Toyota would have lasted this long but I do know that any repairs to a Toyota would have cost a lot more and the original price was thousands more...

 

Soooo many people still don't get that. Most never will because the propaganda has been beaten into their heads with a 20 pound sledge.

 

I have a 1996 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE, 3.3L V6. Dealer said it needs new evaporator core under the dash, and a rear evaporator (?) as well. I'm not a mechanic, and new at DIY work, so I may not be using the right terms.

I'm assuming the procedures listed here will work for a Grand Voyager 'coz Voyagers, Caravans and Town & Country's are essentially triplets. Please confirm.

How can I tell if the rear evaporator also needs replacement? I saw it because I changed the passenger side rear quarter vent windows motor recently. To get to the motor as everyone knows, you have to remove that ac duct (?) blocking access to the vent motor windows.

And thank you all for the awesome help and knowledge posted in this very informative thread!!

 

To decide which evaporator to replace on our 2000 DGC, I added dye trace into the system (the shop even added some) It is a bright yellow green. After a few days of use, I opened up the back panels to see the rear core and did not see any dye trace.

After much prayer and a leap of faith, I tore into the dash. Sure enough the front core was most certainly slimed with bright green dye. That stuff don't lie !

Be sure to check all fittings and visible componets before tearing into it. The issue could be an outside part. (lines, fittings, dryer, ect)

A really good shop will have a device that actually "sniffs" for leaks. Be sure to have this done to confirm.

 

I need additional help with removing the expansin valve. I removed the nut but I cannot get the expansion plate to budge. Also do the lines come off with the expansion plate once the nut is removed.? Please help me as this is the last thing I need to do so I can complete the job of replacing my evaporator and heater core! I have 12 hours invested and this is the only thing I cannot figure out. There are not many details on this on the web. Thank you for all your help! KM

 

It has been over a year since I did this job but if I recall correctly there were two nuts holding the expansion valve plate in place. Check for a second nut under the lines but I could be remembering wrong. Once everything was disconnected I believe the lines just popped right out of the expansion valve...