issues, not really. but i have an extremely low tolerance for dumb sht. and i definitely dont like having words put in my mouth. i never claimed to be a master mechanic, nor do i claim to 'know it all'. i learn as i go, but i have a good foundation in troubleshooting and repairing my own vehicles. i just need a few simple answers to get me pointed in the right direction. instead of being cut and dry, you keep dancing around the issue, acting as if i should just know this crap about some vehicle that i have never looked at, let alone turned wrenches on. i say that i had a neon of the same year, so i am familiar with chrysler engineering of this era, but that by no means implies that i know everything, or even a whole lot about this specific application.

plus, there is a big difference, in my book anyway, between unplugging something that obviously has to be disconnected in order to get the trans out, and knowing exactly what said plugs are used for. a person doesnt have to know what every plug and wire is for in order to swap out a major component.

as for the harness, the neon has a 2-piece harness. once it comes off the pcm, it splits into two runs. one run goes into the cab, and the other goes to sensors under the hood. the harness was melted together where it goes by the exhaust and runs to the O2 sensors, so i only had to replace the under-the-hood run... which basically amounts to unbolting it where it splits, unplugging the sensors, laying the new harness in, and hooking everything back up. pretty simple really. and again, you dont have to know what every plug and sensor is in order to do the job.

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so anyway, i've never noticed the engine revving when i tap the brake. there is no tach, so i just have to listen, but i've not noticed any revving. plus when i go to take off, there is a hesitation. i have to give it more throttle than i should have to in order to get it to start turning the wheels (when you give it gas, the engine sounds like it has a load, but the vehicle just doesnt move until you give it more gas. then it lunges forward if on pavement, or spins out a little if on grass or gravel). once moving though, it seems fine. but it seems that if i let it idle until it warms up before i take off, it seems to operate a little better. there is still a little hesitation when i take off, but i dont have to give it as much gas to get going as i would with a cold run. its not an engine problem though, you can feel that its in the trans.

so as for the solenoid, how big of a job is it to get to it? i read somewhere that on ram trucks you have to take the valve body out to get to it. does that sound right for the caravan setup as well? if so, what does removing the valve body entail? it needs fluid and filter changed in there anyway, so if i could do the solenoid at the same time, it would be great.

 

oh yeah, i did find a pic of the coolant temp sensor on the 3.0's. from the drawing, it looks like its right next to the distributor cap, and close to the radiator hose.

too bad its snowing out today, or i would go out and check it out. im wondering (i know, its a shot in the dark) if a neon CTS would work on this van. just wondering because i can still get parts from a junk car my ex has on the hill over at her place.

i mean, IF the resistance and/or voltage signal is the same, the diameter of the sensor itself is the same size, and the plug fits, it should work, right?

like i've said, im not trying to spend money on this thing if i can avoid it. the neon parts are just setting there, so i figure it would be worth looking into at least. or maybe i could go to the parts store and see if the part # is the same for the CTS on the two vehicles. that might be a little easier than going over there and pulling it off the other car for potentially no reason.

EDIT: well, that's a no-go. advance auto shows the neon cts is part # wt3028. the caravan is # wt3026. the fist noticable difference is that the neon's is a round plug, and the van is rectagonal.

 

Outstanding, you figured this one on your own. That is an awsome way to be/prove self-reliance and problem solving skills. And as stated several times, you can use a multimeter to measure the resistance of the sensor and it will read lower as the temp increases. You might be able to find the actual table to see if the values you measure are correct.

 

yeah, i'll have to look around for the chart that says what the voltage and/or resistance should be. that'll have to wait until next weekend though, because i'm heading back out of town for work tomorrow morning.... probably wont be back home until friday.