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2011 Chrysler Town & Country Limited Transmission Problems

170K views 172 replies 46 participants last post by  Joabor 
#1 ·
Is anyone else experiencing transmission problems while in economy mode shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. Transmission clunks into 2nd gear. Brought to dealer once and they replaced valve body. Just recently brought back to the dealer on Tuesday and they are tearing the transmission apart again. 2nd day with loaner car.
 
#2 ·
It's my understanding that the economy mode instructs the trans to shift from 1st to 3rd gear. I quit using the econo mode in my 2011 because I didn't like the driveability sacrifice resulting from econo mode in stop and go traffic.

Strange that the dealer is tearing into the transmission for that.
 
#169 ·
Reflash works!!! 2013 TandC with 75000 miles - shifting is smooth as butter now



Reflash worked for me! Took it into the dealer, they reflashed it back to factory, and now my shifting is smooth. I had a lot of these same symptoms: shuttery shifting, clunky 1-2 shift, sometimes clunky 2-1 shift. After the reflash, it is MUCH MUCH smoother.

2013 Town and Country
75,000 miles
 
#4 ·
It seems like you have a really aggressive service department.
The last recall flash on ours seems to have fixed the "Econ issue". We have actually been leaving it in Econ much of the time since the recall flash was performed.
I hope they aren't doing a bunch of "repairs" for nothing.
 
#6 ·
Hi guys, I'm having exact the same symptoms when on ECON mode on my 2012 TC. Brought it to the dealership and mentioned about a reflash and info I've gathered from forums like this one. What I'm getting though is the reverse of what has been discussed here.

According to them, if I feel the tug/clunk in non-econ mode, then there is no problem and no need for a re-flash. Snce it's happening only on econ mode, it's "normal" just need to drive slowly. i'm really getting frustrated here :angry1: Seems like I have to "drive like my grand mother" to avoid the clunking (sorry no dis-respect to seniors, just using a phrase I heard so many times).

UN4GTBL, kindly post your experience, whether yours got a re-flash or not. If you did, how is the drive when on ECON mode.

Thanks!
 
#9 ·
In non-econ mode it should be smooth...

But yeah, you can't keep it in econ mode and drive around like a mad man, its not meant for that.

I'm going to see if there is a re-flash for ours on the next oil change.

They told me there were no transmission flashes for mine when it was in. It did have the recall flash done. It has shifted without the 1-3 clunk since then though.
If you have a heavy foot, Econ mode is pretty worthless. Having it off will improve your shifting.
I like having it on to keep the converter locked up and in top gear at slower speeds.
Exactly.
 
#8 ·
They told me there were no transmission flashes for mine when it was in. It did have the recall flash done. It has shifted without the 1-3 clunk since then though.
If you have a heavy foot, Econ mode is pretty worthless. Having it off will improve your shifting.
I like having it on to keep the converter locked up and in top gear at slower speeds.
 
#10 ·
As mentioned Econ mode will be clunky, mainly due to the 1 to 3 skip-shift. It has to cut power to the engine for a longer time while the transmission shifts. Also, the torque converter locks up much more quickly, making feel like it's shifting rough.

The shifting problems that I had were cured with the recall flash --- mainly slamming into drive gear after backing up, so much so that you could see the front tires lurch ahead when shifting from reverse to drive. (yes, I come to a complete stop before shifting) --- the recall flash fixed that, so I'm assuming there was an updated computer program for the transmission as well.

My favorite use for Econ mode is driving on the highway - it stops it from "hunting" for gears or downshifting on every little hill. I lose a few mph, but to me that's better than the shifting.
 
#18 ·
I tell all my customer's to not drive in ECON mode because due to the nature of the terrain in this area, it just does not work properly. I have no idea why the OP's dealership is rebuilding the transmisison. That will not fix the issue. Turning the ECON button off will.

And I'm sure some of you remember the customer that I had that I advised to turn the ECON button off. He was worried about less MPG. He's getting .5 to 1 MPG better with the ECON button off than he was with it on. Just because he don't stand on it so much to make it go. Makes sense to me.
 
#19 ·
And I'm sure some of you remember the customer that I had that I advised to turn the ECON button off. He was worried about less MPG. He's getting .5 to 1 MPG better with the ECON button off than he was with it on. Just because he don't stand on it so much to make it go. Makes sense to me.
In commuting to work, we've done a couple of tanks with the Econ mode on (during which time my wife repeatedly thought the transmission was going out due to the rough 1-3 shift) and then a few tanks with it off. The difference in mileage is maybe 0.5 to 1 mpg at best --- and that could be contributed to a difference in traffic on that tank.

We've averaged 19.9 mpg overall, best tank of 24.5 mpg all highway, worst tank of 16.5 mpg all in town shuttling relatives around in traffic.
 
#20 ·
Sounds like the engine can get lugged down and depends on torque in ECON mode. Please tell me they aren't using 5W-20 in the 3.6L engine.

Even Ford's new "economy" ecoboost engines are specifying 5W-30 oil. I though Ford was all about using 5W-20. Go figure on this "economy" stuff when it comes to the oil to be used.
 
#23 · (Edited)
That's pretty low rpm. I lug my Jeep's engine down to that, and slightly lower (900+ rpm), lots or times (standard transmission), but should be shifting at 1000 rpm or higher to ease the stress on the engine. Gotta love that low end torque though. I think using ECON mode would be harder on the engine and maybe transmission (more stress/wear) than regular mode.
 
#24 ·
Its odd, because the local dodge dealers in my area have very good customer service, however their knowledge of their own vehicles is down right scary.

As for the thumping, i get that too when i use the econ button. Its not all the time, but certain situations that it will slam into first gear when coming to a stop.
I also experienced a very loud bang/thump noise when in reverse. Im still not sure what that was, but it happened twice since owning the van not even 6 months ago.
 
#25 ·
I also experienced a very loud bang/thump noise when in reverse. Im still not sure what that was, but it happened twice since owning the van not even 6 months ago.
Have the dealer check your motor mounts, pretty sure there is a TSB for it. A few Routan guys noticed this only in reverse when accelerating. It was the motor mount needing to be re-torqued.
 
#26 ·
Thanks all for your very helpful inputs. It just confirms what i suspected in the first place.

My next move would be, as suggested, is go to another dealer and have my van looked at. Or maybe do a test drive. The only problem is, I only have one car and that's the new van :)

Either way, I'll get an answer.
 
#27 ·
Wow, I thought I was the only one having these problems.

I purchased a 2011, since it hit about 1200 miles I have had nothing but fits with the car. I get almost no response to accelerate at times unless I am flooring the pedal. Other times, I will just be applying moderate pressure and be squealing tires to turn a corner. We can feel the car slam/hard shift a lot. The car will not rev up the rpms if I just barely place my foot the pedal, but I can not even get through an intersection before the light turns yellow. If I do anything further, the engine just starts reving up to 6,000 rpms. The worst time is when I am trying to accelerate up a hill...I have to floor it to get it to 20 mph from a stop.

No one seems to be able to figure the problem out locally. I drove about 3-5 miles today, and my DTE mileage dropped about 20 miles. My highway driving gets awesome gas mileage...but anything in town and I am lucky to get about 6 mpg. I can drive that same 3-5 mile stretch and watch my average mpg's drop up to .5 (with about 7500 miles on the car).

I can also at times just feel the whole vehicle slam with the efforts of it shifting gear....

Vehicle was purchased at the end of January 2012, new.

I never had this issue with my 07 T&C. We purchased another one after the great performance and safety after a nasty car accident we were in...but at this point, I am ready to get rid of this piece of junk and go back to Toyota or try Honda!
 
#28 ·
It sounds as though you are having problems that are all related to computer controls/programming. FWIW - since we bought ours in February it has had 3 computer re-flashes/updates.

I had shifting issues - slamming into drive after backing up, harsh shifting, etc. - fixed with a reflash. A couple of times it wouldn't start - there's a reflash for that. Also, make sure you aren't driving in ECON mode - the nature of ECON will make shifting feel funky.

EVIC was re-setting to 18.7 mpg - fixed with a reflash under TSB see this link for more info: http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php/23860-Warranty-question?p=230424#post230424

If your local Chrysler/Dodge dealer is unable to perform these re-flashes for free under warranty, it's time to head for another dealer. My local service department has been helpful and friendly, even though I didn't buy the van from their dealership. Dealer service can make or break your ownership experience.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the advice. We generally do not drive with Econ on. Hubby did it the other day, but he was only driving highway (which is when the dealer told us to use it--- on the highway).

For example....our MPG's after his trip Monday was around 22 mpgs. Since then, with less than 300 miles added to the vehicle, we have now dropped down to 17. We are getting crap for city miles. I am thinking we are lucky to get about 7-8 mpg in the city and that is what I mostly due. My 2007 (again mostly city) was averaging constantly at 18.5.

We also noticed that on about maybe 10-15 miles of driving today, or DTE's dropped about 60 miles.

I really miss my 2007 and want it back!!!! I thought we would love this car, but it is a headache with this problem.

I have tried 2 dealerships...1 couldn't get it to repeat itself, but yet the minute I drove it off the lot a 1/4 mile later it is acting up (they drove it about 20 miles with no issues)....1 basically said without the car throwing a code there was nothing they could do. The two next closest dealerships are at least 20-30 minutes away.
 
#31 ·
The dealer you are visiting is obviously incompetent.

Mine hasn't thrown a code yet - but since it's under warranty they have taken it in and hooked it up to the computer to see if there are any updates and/or re-flashes for the programming.

Again, find a dealer that will do all the updates and re-flashes to the computer systems!
 
#32 ·
I have a '10 T&C limited with the 3.8L that was bought last april with 26,000 miles. We have noticed that it would clunk into gear when giving it gas to accelerate at a stop sign when the van was still slightly moving (we didnt come to a complete stop). I see in this thread that the ECO mode could be to blame due to shifts from 1-3 and converter lockup. My question is how do you disable the ECO mode. I understand if you tilt the shifter to the left while in drive that will prevent the the van from shifting to the next higher gear. This is when the gear number indicator would appear in the info center. Is this disabling ECO mode? The manual does a very poor job of explaining this. I would appreciate any info on this because we are leaving for a 9hr road trip this holiday weekend. Thanks.
 
#33 ·
jjudy,

I don't believe that the 2010 model year has the "econ" button that allows for manual on/off selection. The 2011 Town & Country has the “econ” switch in the center stack of the instrument panel and a green light will indicate when the ECON mode is engaged. Pressing this button enables or disables the ECON feature.

When the Fuel Economy (ECON) Mode is engaged, the vehicle control systems will be able to change the following:
• The transmission will upshift sooner and downshift later.
• The transmission will skip select gears during shifts to allow the engine to operate at lower speeds.
• The torque converter clutch will engage sooner (lower engine rpm’s) and remain on longer.
• The engine idle speed will be lower.
• The overall driving performance will be more conservative.
 
#34 ·
Thanks for the information. I noticed last night when I was in ECO mode(highway driving-60 MPH with minimal accelerator applied) that when I tilted the shifter to the left, the ECO mode turned off. When I tilted the shifter to the left again, the ECO mode turned back on. This was repeatable. Was the '10 T&C designed to skip gears at any time?
 
#35 ·
Did you mean to say "When I tilted the shifter to the RIGHT again"? If so then that is correct (going to the left), the RPM change will knock you out of ON mode and when you go back to the right the ON will light back up. I can't remember if you paste the gas pedal to the floor if the ECO will disappear totally. I believe it is based off of speed/RPM/throttle position or perhaps even older technology by monitoring the vacuum pressure in the engine.




From the manual:
Message Display Area
When the appropriate conditions exist, the following messages will display:
ECO Fuel Saver Indicator Off
ECO-on Fuel Saver Indicator On
door Door Ajar
hood Hood Ajar
gATE Lift Gate Ajar
LoW tirE Low Tire Pressure
HOTOIL Transmission Oil Temperature Exceeds Safe Threshold
gASCAP Fuel Cap Fault
noFUSE Fuse Fault
CHAngE OIL Oil Change Required
CRUISE Cruise Control On
LoCOOL Low Coolant
LoWASH Low Washer Fluid

Also:

ECO / ECO-on (Fuel Saver Indicator) — If Equipped
The ECO-on indicator will illuminate when you are driving in a fuel efficient manner and can be used to modify driving habits in order to increase fuel economy. The ECO display will toggle between ECO and ECO-on depending on driving habits and vehicle usage. Press the Odometer / Trip Odometer / ECO (Fuel Saver Indicator) button to change the display from odometer to either of the two trip odometer settings or the “ECO” display.
 
#36 ·
Warranty

On Saturday, I traded in my dreaded 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT for a 2011 Chrysler T&C Touring L. I got it from CarMax with 37k miles. Everything seems great on the vehicle and we tried to do a lot of pre-buying research. I drive it around quite a bit before deciding to go with this model.

Sunday I decided to put it in Econo mode from start to finish instead of just putting it in that mode on the fly. I would agree that the shifting seems to be a little clunky. Non-Econo mode seems to drive great. However, I need to try the reverse on an incline thing people have mentioned here. Is there a way to see what version or flashes have been done to the vehicle?

CarMax gives 5-day return window and a 30-day warranty. Is there a Chrysler / CarMax / 3rd party warranty I can get that would give me confidence on the transmission?

Thanks!
 
#37 ·
Is there a way to see what version or flashes have been done to the vehicle?
CarMax gives 5-day return window and a 30-day warranty. Is there a Chrysler / CarMax / 3rd party warranty I can get that would give me confidence on the transmission?
There is not anyway a customer can determine what version software is on the vehicle other than looking at the module (PCM / TCM) and identifying the sticker placed on it. Usually when one is updated its recorded via the sticker.

All Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep® and Ram vehicles are eligible for NEW service contract coverage within 4 years or 48,000 miles of purchase. Your dealer can give you full details on plans and pricing. You can also visit the Mopar Vehicle Protection website at http://www.servicecontracts.chrysler.com for more information.

If you have further questions about coverages or pricing please contact Mopar Vehicle Protection Enrollment Headquarters directly at 1-800-442-2666.
 
#38 ·
Thanks for the info.

New van has been driving great. It came with a lot more features than we thought so that is good. CarMax didn't have the headsets with the car so they bought 2 brand new sets from Chrysler and sold us 2 more for $45 (total). I was surprised with their follow-up and delivery on that promise they made. They even made sure we knew how they worked in the van before my wife left.
 
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#39 ·
Well, my 2012 T&C is also having the same clunk sound and also rough shifting at times. HOWEVER I just rented a 2013 Caravan and the transmission was AS SMOOTH AS SILK and it had MUCH QUICKER off the line pickup so much so I had to look under the hood to make sure it was the same engine. Go test drive a 2013 and see for yourself. What ever is making our trannys wonky is all fixed in 2013 and then some.
 
#40 ·
Someone at work had the same comment going from a fully optioned 2011 to a fully optioned 2013 Grand Caravan. He said the transmission was much more composed and has better brakes.
 
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