1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager

RANDOMLY A SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAS DEVELOPED IN THE 1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE DASH BOARD REMAINS ILLUMINATED BUT THE GAUGES DO NOT FUNCTION(SPEED, RPM, GEAR, TEMP,ETC) AND THE VEHICLE DOSES NOT COMMUNICATE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT INTO OVERDRIVE GEAR. THE BRAKES AND AIRBAG WILL ILLUMINATE ON DASH. THE COMPUTER CODES AND READS ECM FAILURE. TWICE TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP DON DRENNAN HOOVER AL. *TR

I OWN A 1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER SE. MY GAUGES (GAS, TEMP, RPM, AND GEAR INDICATOR) ARE ALL OUT. IN READING ONLINE, THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL. I HAVE TO USE A GPS TO BE ABLE TO TELL HOW FAST I'M GOING. I'VE TWICE RAN OUT OF GAS WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE I CAN'T TELL HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE REMAINING. *TR

MY VAN IS A LEMON. ALL KINDS OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS - DEFOGGER SOMETIMES WORK AND SOMETIMES NOT, WINDOWS WON'T ROLL DOWN, STEREO SPEAKERS SOMETIMES WORKS, INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON, DIM YELLOW HEADLIGHTS, ETC. FOUND PIN HOLE IN HEAD...DEFECT IN METAL. VAN OVER HEATED AND GAUGE DID NOT SAY IT WAS HOT. FAN WENT OUT. NOW SOMETHING GOING WRONG WITH FRONT END. OCCASIONALLY SMELL GAS. THE LIFTER HEAD GASKET NOW LEAKS OIL. VAN SOMETIMES JUMPS IN PARK AND ROLLS. I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS STUFF... BAIL ME OUT NOT CHRYSLER.... *TR

I HAVE A 98 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER, FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, THE DASHBOARD KEEPS GOING OUT WHILE I'M DRIVING-I HAVE PUNCHED THE DASHBOARD WHILE I'M DRIVING AND SOMETIMES THAT HAVE MADE EVERYTHING LIGHT BACK UP, I HAVE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT AND ALMOST GOT INTO A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM; IT EVEN HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS OFF, WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE CAR STARTS AND THAN SHUTS RIGHT BACK OFF, THAN THE CAR DOESN'T START AT ALL, I HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER,IGNITION BOX,ALTERNATOR AND OTHER THINGS. MY CAR IS NOW STRANDED IN A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD THAN MINE. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THE FANBELT KEEPS COMING OFF, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR IN THE RAIN AND IT HAS FALLING OFF, ANOTHER TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS GOING OVER A TRAIN BRIDGE DOWN A HILL WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR AND I HAD TO FORCE THE CAR INTO A NEAR BYE SCHOOL PARKING LOT. I HAVE WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A KIT SUPPLIED BY CHRYSLER TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, PLEASE HELP ME! *TR

1998 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER SE. KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST. ON FRIDAY, 02 JANUARY 2009, WE HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE TO A DESTINATION AND THEN UPON TRYING TO GET IN AND START IT, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. WE TRIED TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO RELEASE ANY PRESSURE, WIGGLED THE STEERING WHEEL, ETC UNTIL FINALLY, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOCKED. AT THAT POINT, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WE COULD DO WITH THE VEHICLE. WE WERE BLOCKING THE DRIVE INTO A GLASS REPAIR SHOP SUCH THAT NO OTHER VEHICLES COULD BE MOVED IN OR OUT OF THE BUSINESS, NOT TO MENTION THE WEATHER WAS VERY COLD. WE HAD TO HAVE A TOW COMPANY COME AND RELEASE A LINKAGE UNDERNEATH THE VAN IN ORDER TO GET IT INTO NEUTRAL JUST TO PUSH IT BACK OUT OF THE WAY. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A DODGE DEALER IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE RESULT WAS A FAULTY IGNITION CYLINDER. THE DEALER REPLACED IT AT A COST OF NEARLY $300. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ONLINE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM ACROSS THE ENTIRE CHRYSLER PRODUCT LINE. THIS FAULT PUTS A PERSON AT RISK OF BEING STRANDED. CHRYSLER SHOULD ANSWER FOR THIS, AS THIS SEEMS TO BE VERY WIDESPREAD. *TR

CHRYSLER DESIGNED THE POWER DISTRIBUTION BLOCK COVER TO HOLD WATER AND RETAIN MOISTURE. THIS CAUSES THE CONNECTIONS TO CORRODE AND FAIL LEADING TO FAILURE OF CRITICAL, ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED, SAFETY SYSTEMS INCLUDING THE AIRBAG SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM. CHRYSLER HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE ERROR AND REDESIGNED THE POWER DISTRIBUTION BOX. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT RECALL AND OFFER TO REPLACE THE FAILED COMPONENT. *TR

HEADLIGHTS, INTERIOR AND OTHER LIGHTS, COME ON AND GO OFF AUTOMATICALLY. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN VEHICLE IS RUNNING (LIGHTS FLASHING) AND THIS HAPPENS EVEN WHEN ENGINE AND IGNITION IS OFF. EVENTUALLY BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DRAINED. MECHANICS ARE UNABLE TO PROPERLY DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. SOME MECHANICS SAY IT COULD BE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY BCM, BUT NOT SURE. READING THROUGH EDMUNDS.COM AND OTHER BLOGS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY PLYMOUTH/DODGE/CHRYSLER MINI VAN OWNERS, WITH NO REAL SOLUTION. FLASHING LIGHTS WHEN DRIVING CAN DISTRACT OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. A DEAD BATTERY AT ANY TIME AND ESPECIALLY IN THE WRONG PLACE CAN CAUSE ALL KINDS OF DIFFICULTIES. HEADLIGHTS GOING OFF DURING NIGHT DRIVING CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND ROOT CAUSE, BUT SUGGESTED COULD BE FAULTY BCM (DIAGNOSTICS COST $150). TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CHRYSLER DEALER WHO RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND SAID COULD BE BECAUSE OF AN AFTER MARKET ALARM. RECOMMENDED REMOVING THE ALARM (COST $400 FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REMOVING ALARM). PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED AND NOW SAYS CAUSED BY FAULTY BCM (WHICH THEY SAY COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ALARM), SUGGESTED REPLACING BCM. COST OF NEW BCM QUOTED IS $700+ LABOR. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY INOPERABLE (DEAD BATTERY). IS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH PLYMOUTH/ DODGE/CHRYSLER MINIVAN'S? *TR

DT: CONTACT STATED WHEN DRIVING AT 35-40 MPH ALL PANEL LIGHTS WENT OUT, AND THERE WAS NOT INDICATION OF SPEED. CURRENTLY, THE PANEL LIGHTS NO LONGER CAME BACK ON . HOWEVER THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WERE STILL WORKING. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW THE NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES BECAUSE THERE WERE TOO MANY. *AK UPDATED 12/27/2005 - *NM