Chrysler Town & Country multiple problems
 

Hello, just joined forum today. I have acquired a 2001 town & country limited that was in a flood. I have gotten the vehicle running after changing all fluids & filters in engine, transmission, brakes, steering. The engine runs great, but the problems I have now are the windshield wipers, head lights, horn, will operate at their own will. I have no control over them. The sliding doors, power windows, will sometimes work and sometimes not. A/C is on heat at all times. Vehicle will not shift out of low gear. I have bought the Haynes Manual and have decided that it is probably the transmission control module, and the body control module. The battery was connected at the time of the flood. I have stripped the inside of the van of all dash panels, door panels, seats, carpeting, etc. in order to have good access to all electrical connectors which I have inspected and re-lubricated. I thought I would ask for opinions from someone more familiar with chrysler than I. I am more of a farm tractor/diesel mechanic. Thanks in advance for the help.

Update: I went to a salvage yard today and purchased a used BCM from the same model van. I realized that it may have to be programmed, but I installed it to see if my symptoms would change at all. They did not. It is exactly the same. So, FCM? Can these modules be tested. If so, if someone could tell me the procedure that would be great. I can handle a volt/ohm meter and am capable of troubleshooting if I had the procedure to do so. Thanks

I see that the pcm and the tcm are sealed well. I have an electronic degree and also realize that water is a great conductor, so even though these modules are sealed, the wiring could have been shorted by the water. My speedo was not working but my tach was. I would really appreciate some help. After 30 years of being self employed in the farm & heavy equipment business, we had to close the doors. We lost about everything we had. This van was given to me and I am trying to get it going so that we can have at least one nice looking vehicle to drive. To recap: Van stays in low gear. power windows, power sliding doors, windshield wipers, headlights, are either not working or intermittent. Could the speedo and staying in low be related? The a/c was only blowing out the defrost and it was hot air even with it in the a/c mode. I know it is a lot of problems, but with a little help I can solve them. I just can't go and buy every electronic module it has on it without being fairly certain it needs it. A troubleshooting procedure or a link to one would be great. Thanks <><

I hate to say it but u are screwed on help there is nothing that U can do but trial and error on finding each and every little thing. There is not any procedure for having a car flooded and what would need to be fixed. Simply buy a manual and go through each system and wire one by one.

Thanks chrysler tech, I like a man who just tells it like it is! I have a hayne's manual, so I will just start checking. I knew that there wasn't actually a procedure for a flood damaged vehicle, but hopefully there was a troubleshooting procedure for the different problems. I was working on a komatsu excavator recently and had to acquire their 837 page service and troubleshooting manual to track down all of the electrical problems this thing had with the digital readout, fail safe shutdowns, electric throttle circuit etc. Someone had been trying to bypass all of that and made a complete mess of it. I got it done though after a few days. I have a feeling that there is one problem that is causing a number of these symptoms. No proof, just a feeling. I wish I was building a diesel engine, that would be a lot simpler. One more question though and I will try not to bother you for a while. The modules such as the bcm, tcm, fcm, etc. Which ones or do all have to be programmed to my vin # if I buy used ones at the salvage yard. Also, Can a dealer somehow bench test each module? Again, thanks so much for replying. I will let you know later what all it took to get it back on the road. :)

pcm bcm are vin coded if U do end up getting junk yard ones make sure they are the same part number as the circuits inside will be different. DO u have a gray key?
if u do then U cant replace the PCM it would haft to be new and programed to the car itself there is a secret code that has to go back and forth from the SKIM and the PCM.
Modules cant be bench tested at the dealer we are not provided with the inside circuits of any module only the company that makes and service them.

Yes sir, I have the gray key. I think my pcm is going to be o.k. as it is running well, unless something unusual is going on and it is affecting the transmission shift. I noticed this afternoon that after the battery being connected for only a few minutes the fcm is abnormally hot. So hot you can't touch it. Sounds as if there is a transistor or diode shorted in it. Also, the bcm that I purchased from the salvage yard is a different number. The first part of the number is the same but the last three bold numbers are different. Mine is 21AH and the one I purchased is 21AJ. I think I remember reading in these forums that this is a software code? But anyway, more troubleshooting tomorrow and maybe purchase an fcm. Thanks

AH and AJ are the revision of software the 8 number need to be the same in order to work

O.K. so I narrowed the problems down to the forward control module. After looking for one in local salvage yards I had no luck. I found one on ebay and after replacing it most all of my problems were cured. My headlights, horn, wipers, power doors, locks, etc. are now working properly. The ONLY problem I have now is that the a/c is not working properly. I have the automatic temperature control. Air will only come out of the defroster vents no matter where I have the control set. It is always hot air. My compressor seems normal, will stay engaged for long periods and does not seem to me like it is low on freon. I did however go ahead and put the gauges on and it was right on the money. I pulled the cabin air filter back out and the air right there seems cold. It seems that I have a vent actuator problem? If it were the old fords that I am used to I would say I have a stuck water shut off valve. Have you seen this before. If so you might save me a lot of time. Thanks again!

Just an update, took the dash pad, and panels back out to take a look at the actuators and vent doors. Absolutely nothing is happening at the actuators. No matter where you set the controls on the front panel, no action at the actuators. Hope this helps. Thanks.