Does anyone elses 2011 idle at 1,500-1,700 rpms when they start up? Mine takes about 45 seconds to idle down to 700rpms.

 

skers,

Its very normal for the engine to have higher RPMs at start up with the 3.6L V6 VVT Pentastar engine. If the idle drops after 45 sec I wouldn't be concerned.

 

Is it hard on the transmission to put it in gear when the idle is so high or should I sit and wait a minute for the rpms to drop to a safe level?

 

You don't have to worry about that. It's normal for the computer to keep an engines idle speed high for a short time after a cold start, and the auto makers know that many people are going to put the car into gear and drive off quickly. To ease the strain on the transmission, the computer will cut the engine power by one of several means, even though you may not be aware of it.

The engine computer will also do this during transmission gear shifts to ease the strain on the internal parts of the transmission. It's one of the ways they have been able to cut back on the weight of transmissions without sacrificing longevity. Less weight means better fuel economy. It used to be that transmissions had to be built to handle the full power of an engine even while shifting. Now, the computer can control the engine power to keep it within the capability of the transmission whether the shift occurs during leisurely driving or during a full-throttle shift.

That's one of the really good thing about modern engines is how well the computer manages the engine operation. I'm old enough to remember driving cars that had manual chokes on the carburetter, (When was the last time you drove a car with one of those?). Starting a car that had been sitting out in sub-zero temperatures for a week or could be quite a chore back when I was in college in central Wisconsin! Almost everyone kept a spray-can of ether in the trunk to spray into the air intake if you couldn't get it to start. Many carried a set of jumper cables in the trunk also.

In the almost fifty years that I've been driving, I had the chance to drive a 1918 Model T Ford. It had three pedals on the floor..., and none of them were the gas pedal. The throttle and spark advance control levers were on the steering wheel! You controlled the spark advance and throttle settings by moving the levers on the steering wheel as you were driving. You also had to start the engine by turning a crank on the front of the car. They had no oil pump and no fuel pump. Lubrication was by the oil splashing around in the crankcase and the fuel fed by gravity to the carburetter. I'll take a modern computer controlled car anytime over that!

 

Funny you should mention the Model T, I have a 1926 T coupe, all original with the manual choke and spark advance and the neutral/1st gear pedal, brake pedal and reverse pedal.

Thank you for the info on the T&C tranny and the high idle. We traded a 2001 Odyssey with 147,000 miles on it for this van and never had a problem with the Odyssey (did replace a front wheel bearing last summer).
So I am hoping we didn't make a mistake with the T&C as this is our first Chrysler product in 23 years....

 

skers,

I think you made an excellent choice for a new minivan. The 2011 Chrysler Town & Country was the highest ranked minivan in initial quality by J.D. Power & Associates and was named a Consumers Digest Best Buy. It has more standard features on the base model than Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna base models and also has more innovative seating and storage than Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna

All Town & Country trim levels include a standard package of 42 technologically-advanced and intuitive safety and security features, including Rain-Sensing Windshield Wipers, SmartBeamTM Intelligent Headlamps, ParkSense® Rear Park Assist4, Rear Cross-Path Detection4, ParkView® Back-up Camera4, Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)5, and Tire Pressure Monitoring.

Looking for these features on another minivan? Keep looking. Rear Cross-Path Detection is a class-exclusive feature found on no other vehicle in its class. And Rain-Sensing Windshield Wipers, Blind Spot Monitoring and SmartBeam Intelligent Headlamps are only found on one Town & Country competitor.

The 2011 Town & Country applies some of the most advanced automotive engine technology available today for an exceptional blend of high torque, fuel efficiency, low emissions, and first-rate noise, vibration, and harshness control. In fact, Town & Country’s remarkable engine churns out more horsepower and torque than any other vehicle in the premium minivan segment. No wonder this powerplant has been named one of Ward’s 10 Best Engines for 2011.

Hope you enjoy your 2011 Town & Country for many pleasurable miles.

 

Your lucky if you only have to wait 45 seconds.I have to sit there first cold start of the day for minimum of 5 minutes..If I try to "force " it reverse goes in fine but when I put into drive sounds as if the trans just fell out of car..Rest of day is ok.Ive tried to give it gas to force it to come down..Nope.I dont believe in that theory about t/c having all these standard options either.I have a '11 touring -l and its optioned pretty good but i dont have blind spot or rear detector or cross path detection..if they were standard...Id have them.I believe you can "option" it with those if you like.Another thing mine has a hitch on it thats supposed to have beefed up stuff.alternator,cooling,trans,cooling...dont believe it.I love the van and would still have bought it over a overrated oddyssey as Ive not seen one yet that didnt have transmission issues(just call a transmission shop).I have a sticker on mine that said my transmission was (reprogrammed) when it was new..Im second owner.I cant even find a wiring harness for my hitch..any ideas?