Hi Folks,
I'm new to this forum and new to Dodge minivans. I recently purchased a 1994 Dodge Caravan with a 3.0 Liter V6. It sounded fine when I test drove it but today, I get a high pitched ringing sound (like an old telephone) when I accelerate. Anyone know what that is? Hope its not the trans. Not slipping and the fluid is clean...but I know the trans is an issue with these vehicles. I also have an O/D switch which I turned off. I don't have the owner's manual but I assume O/D is only used at highway speeds going straight?

I've only owned Chevys. This is my first Mopar van and I'm clueless. Please help.

 

First, leave the OD on unless you are towing something heavy, and you shouldn't do that with a front drive van anyway.

I'm clueless as to what the ringing is. My Ford E-350 Jayco RV does the exact same thing. Just like a telephone. It's done that for the 19k miles I've owned it without harming anything. I can only assume it must be a couple of metal parts banging together. I don't think its the tranny. It may have had the tranny replaced already as many were done under warranty. Luckily, I don't have the OD tranny so I've not had problems with it. Good luck locating the ringer.

You didn't say what your mileage is but just a suggestion, if it has more than 70k miles on it and the timing belt hasn't been changed, GET R DONE! It will go out soon. I see this a lot when I stop to help out stranded Caravan owners. Luckily the 3.0 Mitsubishi engine's pistons don't whack the valves when this happens, unlike many Japanese engines.

Also, these engines are very notorious for valve guides cracking. If you get any blue smoke while letting it idle for 5 minutes or more, get them replaced quick. If you wait too long the guides drop down some and then the heads must be pulled. I think I only paid around $250 because mine hadn't dropped yet. It's way over $500 if the heads must be pulled. Make sure the mechanic knows how to do the valve guides from the top as many of them don't know this procedure. They'll just say the heads need pulled and they don't need pulled, most of the time.

 

Thanks so much for the quick response. The van has 120,000 on it. Off the lot here is what I did:
1. Had all the belts inspected. They checked out.
2. Replaced the battery
3. Flushed and replaced tranny fluid
4. Changed oil and added Lucas oil stablizer and sealer
5. Flushed coolant
6. Fuel injection service
7. New Platinum spark plugs
8. Inspected cap and rotor...OK
9. Recharged AC

I'm glad you don't think it's the trans...I was starting to worry. We are taking the van on a 200 mile trip this weekend. Hope it gets us there.

Oh, as for the O/D...my wife said it was shifting too much...and did not accelerate well....so I turned off the O/D and it made all the difference.

Thanks again.

 

Yes, if it's hunting then I would turn of the OD. I wonder about the OD working correctly though. Did the ringing go away with the OD off?
Can you get it to ring while sitting in park. I know mine won't.

About the belts, if it was done by someone else, I still would question the timing belt. I don't think there's an easy way to inspect the belt without pulling the covers, and that's requires removal of the front motor mount. I would absolutely have it replaced now if it hasn't been already. They rarely last that long which makes be believe it's already been done before.

 

Yes, it continues to ring with or without overdrive. It does not ring in park. Only rings when accelerating. Could it be the AC? When we test drove it the AC was inoperative and there was no ringing. We bought the thing on condition that the seller fixes the AC. I'll try to run without the AC tomorrow morning.

Thanks

 

my guess would be the AC, you hear these vans do that alot with the AC on, but normally you don't notice it when accellerating (me normally cuz of my exhaust, lol) but mine had a little ring when i did run the AC

-greg

 

I'll test and let you guys know...thanks for the help. I just ope I didn't make a big mistake getting this thing. We do love the room and versatility of the van.

 

Update: Drove the van to Baltimore from northern NJ (180 miles). Van did not ring with AC off so I assume ringing is AC related. AC blowing ice cold. The van performed flawlessly we got there in comfort. Gas mileage was terrible used up all but 6 gallons. Reason is we kept O/D off.

So on our return trip, we use the O/D. Again van performs flawlessly...gas mileage much much better. Still over 1/2 tank when we get back to NJ. I'm lounging in the back seat, wife is driving enjoying herself. "I say...this is the life!" Then I even suggest we trade in one of our Chevys for another Mopar minivan. After saying this....wife gets really serious and says "Uh...Fred...." So I make my way to the front of the van as my wife points to the check gauges light that just came on. I look at the temp gauge and it's reading RED HOT all the way to Red. I tell her to lift off the gas (doing 75-80 up a hill) and immediate cool down back to normal for about 10-15 minutes. The it happens again...this time temp does not return to normal. So thank God I see an Exit with a Walmart and Cracker Barrell we pull into there, I tell my wife and son to get some dinner ang go shopping while I check into the problem. I open the hood and radiator and you know what I see......Nothing!!!! No coolant...not one drop. I check for busted hoses...no hoses busted. So I go to Walmart buy coolant...put a gallon in (5 gallons to top off right?)...and van is OK. We drive home.....park it...no leaks no nothing. Will it leak if I fill it to capacity??

What happened? What should I do?

Thanks

 

Got to the bottom of the overheatig problem. Small rip in water pump bypass hose. Problem solved.

New Problem....rear heater core is shot...and lines corroded


Good news: Wife still loves the van