13 problems related to wiring have been reported for the 2002 Chrysler Town & Country. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
The fuel injection wiring harness length is apparently too long and it can drop down near the exhaust manifold where the heat will melt the insulation on the wires causing them to short together causing severe misfire and possible damage to the catalytic converter. The vehicle had run fine a couple of days previously and on starting the vehicle it seemed to idle a little rough. Driving on the road it ran very rough and was randomly misfiring on multiple cylinders. The mil light began to flash on and off on acceleration. On investigation the wires in the fuel injection wiring harness were found to be melted and shorting together. I suspect in the ensuing two days that the temperature changes exacerbated the problem and temperature change induced movement caused the wires to short together. From researching this problem it affects many vehicles. I'm surprised that a recall has not yet been issued for it.
The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler town and country. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, smoke emitted from under the hood. The contact inspected the vehicle and found the wiring harness was on fire. The contact was able to extinguish the fire and the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileage was 171,528.
Given the news (may 14/15 2013) of the federal prop for notice of recall for Chrysler vehicles problems cutting off while driving with no warning or indication of any problem I request other vehicles (ie Chrysler vans) for this particular issue be seriously considered and submit the following: (note: I can provide all exact dates/miles documentation as the vehicle was serviced by Chrysler, woodbridge, va. I'm original owner of the vehicle. ) I was driving my 2002 Chrysler Town & Country (VIN can be provided on request) approximately 50 miles an hour on route 50 about 20 miles east of winchester, va and my vehicle just shut off. No indications, no warning light, no other unusual noices. It just shut off. Luckily there was little traffic and I coasted to the shoulder. I attempted to start the vehicle several occassion and it would not turn on. All vehicle lights (interior/exterior) radio, fans etc were operational. I recall the roads were clear, weather cool and it was almost noon. Ultimately I had my vehicle towed and serviced by a Chrysler dealer service center in woodbridge, va. I did report that the vehicle just shut off and gave further information. After leaving the vehicle, it took the service center close to approximately a week or more to determine what the problem could be. Ultimately the engine computer module (ecm) was replaced and some electrical wiring harnesses. I also recall the Chrysler rep saying they needed their electrician to come and look at the vehicle as their mechanics could not find the problem. I can provide futher comments and records. I do beleive the ecm in my vehicle was changed out once before by Chrysler (possible previous recall (?). I may have a picture/info on the older ecm with serial number/date (possible 2005). Van is running fine since new ecm and other items that replaced. . So far.
Contact states that fuel injection wiring harness failed at 127,800 miles due to melting and disintegration of insulation inside injector wiring harness. Vehicle lost power and driver was forced to seek assistance. Property damage to vehicle due to misfiring and engine overheating resulted in repair bills over $2,200 for new head gasket installation, replacement of fuel injection wiring harness and ecm. Repairs corrected electrical problems. Seeking recall on Chrysler injector wiring harness at fault on many of these vehicles.
Van started running rough and smoking heavy blue/white smoke out the exhaust pipe. The smoke was from raw unburned fuel that was pouring into the engine and unable to be burned off at any rpm below 3000. The van was fine when last parked at our residence. Next day wife was going to the store and van immediately had the problem. Cool engine, had been sitting overnight. She drove about half a mile thinking the van would run smoother before seeing and smelling the gas and smoke. She immediately returned the van to the house. I checked the diagnostic code which indicated p0201: #1 fuel injector open circuit. I am fairly handy with vehicle repairs and decided to take the top half of the intake off to check the #1 injector and inspect the other 5 as well while there. All injectors coil resistance checked fine at 12. 5 ohms, no open circuit as indicated. Decided to check the fuel rail wiring harness for a short circuit and sure enough the #1 cylinder wiring indicated a short circuit. With the meter on the injected plug, wiggled the harness and the short went away. So I removed the entire injected wiring harness for inspection, this involved removing all the factory wire wrap and protective sleeve. Discovered that all the wires inside the harness had all the insulation missing at one section next to the main harness connector. The harness was protected and not touching any part of the engine yet failed. I contacted local Chrysler parts dept. And inquired about a replacement harness, response was new harness over $200 and had to be ordered. Was also told that this particular harness which fits 2001 - 2003 Chrysler vans, is ordered by Chrysler garages at 53 units a week. This is where the problem lies. This is a factory flaw and needs to be recalled before a fire starts or toxic fumes from the exhaust injures a passenger. There is no heat shield at this connectors location which I believe caused the harness failure. I repaired the harness and engine runs.
Vehicle ran poorly at times and occasionally stumbled or stalled. Sometimes we would be partly in a busy intersection. Perform diagnostics and inspection, remove exhaust for inspection of harness and repair damaged wiring and install protective heat wrap. Cost: $268. 93 could have been very dangerous in traffic.
Over a period of a few weeks I was experiencing intermittent electrical problems where the air conditioner (a/c) fan, radio, windshield wipers, and power windows would stop working for several minutes and then start working again. The problem got worse over these weeks. After 3 trips to the dealer they told me that battery acid had leaked on the wiring harness and I needed a new one. I had no problem with the battery, and Chrysler dealers had performed most on the maintenance on the car and no one had told me that battery acid was leaking on the wiring harness. The new wiring harness cost me $2,600. It seems to me to be a defect in design to run the wiring harness under the battery. Also, why can't the wiring harness be modular where one section could be replaced at a much lower cost.
The contact owns a 2002 Chrysler town and country. The contact has experienced several issues with the electrical components in his vehicle. The vehicle would jump when the accelerator pedal was depressed or accelerating at any speed. The dealer replaced all the wires, wiring harness, spark plugs, and the battery; however, the failure continued. The automatic doors also became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer and they stated that a new oxygen system was needed. The computer system and spark plugs wires were replaced, but the failure continued. The manufacturer was notified and a case was filed. They stated that the vehicle could be repaired under warranty. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000 and current mileage was over 100,000.
The wiring harness in our 2002 Chrysler Town & Country continues to fail due to the harness design/placement in the vehicle. The first failure caused the vehicle to stall and not restart at a city intersection. The second failure caused the vehicles wipers, heater blower, radio and windows to fail intermittently. Wires within the wiring harness were replaced/repaired as was the front control module; however, the same problem is happening again after about three weeks. The dealer service department recommends replacing the entire wiring harness at a cost of $3,200. 00.
Radio and clock would not turn on when car started. Then it turned into the radio and air conditioning unit would not turn on - intermittently. This began in August. 2004, but stopped in October. 2004. Then it began again in early April 2005 or on days when it was warmer and/or wet. Periodically the windshield wipers and windows will not work, also. This incident occursred when the car was running, and did not matter if it was moving or not. However, it did not occur in temperatures lower than 45 degrees, or so. Dealership kept it for two days in 2004 and could not find the problem. Tried to say it needed a new electronic wiring harness which would incur a personal cost of over $4,000 for a car that was barely 2 years old.
Problems with power steering pump on 2002 Chrysler town and country. There was a continuous problem with the consumers power steering pump. The steering pump made a noise when a right turn was made. The airbag light had come on due to a loose connector on the passenger side which was an intermittent problem. The transmission was noisy, which was possibly due to dirt.
Chrysler t&c. For no apparent reason, the sliding door opened. Also, separate issue, while stopped and in park, the sliding door would not open when the console button was pushed. I noticed that the transmission selector lights were all lighted (p, r, n, d, l). I turned off the ignition. Restarted the vehicle. Drove 10 ft. Everything was ok. Dealer could not find anything wrong.
Headlights flickered between bright and very dim. Switch to lights became very warm to touch. Dealer claimed switch had poor connection and replaced switch. Switch still gets warm but have not flickered yet. Vehicle new when bought.