Dead UConnect and no DVD sound

[KidTaxi]

Greetings all. New to the forum - longtime lurker, first time poster...

I've got a 2006 Town and Country Limited with UConnect and the factory DVD (a must have for our twin toddlers when they're screaming ). Out of the blue, we noticed that the DVD player stopped outputing sound through the speakers (radio and cd player sound fine - just the 6 disc changer lacks sound). We also appear to have lost UConnect at the same time (the mirror doesn't appear to have any power, doesn't auto dim and no lights are on).

I glanced at the fuses and didn't see anything obiously blown, but I could have missed something. I tried removing and reconnecting the three cables connecting to the back of the UConnect mirror, but no help.

I've googled to great lengths, and can't seem to find anyone posting about a similar problem. The only thing that may have been a contributing factor is that I recall lightly bumping into the DVD screen within a day or two before I noticed the problems, but the bump was so slight I can't imagine knocking anything loose.

Anyone have any ideas as to where I should start looking to try to fix the problem? The kids have gotten quite used to watching their educational DVDs, and now that they don't have any sound, the terrible twos have become a little more terrible...

Thanks in advance
KidTaxi

[atoman]

there's a bulletin out for U-connect for 05-06 vans
TSB# 08-013-05 rev.A
Subject: Uconnect hands free phone inoperative

Basically tells that if there are no DTC's, to check the "Diagnostics, Telecommunication, Voice Recognition/Phone Switch Circuit Short to Voltage"

probably, the mirror needs to be replaced if it can't be fixed..

[mrfixit454]

The DVD plugs into the Uconnect so this is probably why you don't get the sound. Have you tried to just remove the negative cable for a minute and re- attach it.... to sort of reset all the modules in the car. If you are handy, you can unplug the DVD changer from the UC module behind the console.. it is near the floor under the changer. You can then plug the changer back into the radio if you wish until you get it all fixed if you wish to have the DVD for the kids! The Uconnect and the DVD changer get power from under the changer as well. If the DVD changer is working, the UC is probably getting power but you could verify thjis as well with a volt meter. If the battery reset does not solve the problem, you could be in for a new UC module.. which could be about $500. Do you have a warranty? This is if the TSB does not solve the problem. Let us know how it turns out.

Also.. Atoman might be onto something with the mirror since the auto dim does not work either.. the auto dim portion is on a separate plug from the uconnect at the mirror.

[atoman]

if you have a multimeter, check the TSB mentioned circuit..
my logic being: Phone switch button is on the mirror..(it may have "stuck" in On-phone position) it's unlikely that the module is shorting it (but you never know..)
it's easy, if you have a wiring diagram, to unplug the mirror and test the circuit.. if it's good, plug the mirror in and test it again, if it's now shorted to +12volts, mirror is the culprit.. (not sure if mirror can be taken apart - so may need to be replaced as a unit)

for wiring see:
http://www.dodge.com/bodybuilder/200...unications.pdf
&
http://www.dodge.com/bodybuilder/200.../rs/rswdmo.pdf

PS: another test is: unplug the mirror and see if you get sound from DVD.. if yes - the mirror is switching the system to phone..

[mrfixit454]

If you unplug the mirror (mirror being the culprit) then one would think the DVD player should work. The Uconnect part on mirror is the square plug (10 pin?).. not the flat rectangular (7 pin) one. Ooops. just saw you wrote that.

[KidTaxi]

Thanks to all who replied! Sorry for the delayed response, but I don't get much "me" time on the Internet, and I didn't have a chance to look at the problem again until today (just in time for the 6 hour drive back from our Christmas trip!)

I don't have access to the troubleshooting TSB, so I couldn't try out the troubleshooting methods that were in it. I can confirm that the DVD sound still would not work even with all of the plugs unplugged from the UConnect mirror. I'm not certain I was doing it correctly, but for what it's worth, I couldn't see that I was getting any power on the connectors going into the UConnect mirror, but I'm only about 20% confident I was doing the multimeter reading properly...

Thanks to MrFixit454 who recommended the battery cable disconnect. I tried doing the key dance on/off thing to see if I could get some error codes to come up on the odometer, but I never got anything at all to come up other than the odometer reading, so I don't know if I was doing it correctly (maybe that doesn't work for the 2006 T&C?). Although I couldn't see that any error codes were thrown, I did the battery disconnect for a minute anyway, reconnected, and immediately had DVD sound again. Plugged in the UConnect mirror, and that was working again as well!

Very glad to have this back, as the wife was about to demand that we drop $140 for one of those dual screen car DVD players to attach to the headrests, but getting the factory DVD has gotten me at least a temporary reprieve

Thanks again,
KidTaxi

ps - next project - fixing the lock actuator on one of the sliding doors. Tried Wd-40 on the linkage, but it still seems to be stuck. Actuator makes a sound, but doesn't budge it. Haven't browsed the threads yet, but if any gurus have another miracle fix to point me to, I'll be very grateful, as this will be about the only time I have to work on it for another few months

pps-Merry Christmas to all!

[mrfixit454]

Glad it is working for now. Here is a link about the locks.. I just fixed my driver side slider. I could see the plunger trying to move but it would not actuate all the way.

http://forum.chryslerminivan.net/showthread.php?t=9113

Fixit