2003 Town & Country Limited Problem

I recently purchased a 2003 T&C Limited and noticed a few days from
purchase that when in drive and at a stop when I go to take off gently
it feels like the tranny is slipping like 3-4 little jerks and then all
is fine. If I take of a little bit faster it does not jerk and takes
off fine. Just seems to do this on a slow and gentle take off from a
stand still about 5 Mph or so. Please help and let me know any
suggestions on what I can do to correct this issue. I also am getting
the service message to retrain my tires can someone tell me how that
gets accomplished?

Thanks for your time,
Jason

"Jason" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I recently purchased a 2003 T&C Limited and noticed a few days from
> purchase that when in drive and at a stop when I go to take off gently
> it feels like the tranny is slipping like 3-4 little jerks and then all
> is fine. If I take of a little bit faster it does not jerk and takes
> off fine. Just seems to do this on a slow and gentle take off from a
> stand still about 5 Mph or so. Please help and let me know any
> suggestions on what I can do to correct this issue.

There isn't any, they all do this.

The trans computer is seeing that your taking off slow, and to give you
the maximum fuel economy, is shifting into a higher gear. The computer
figures that since your not gassing it, upshifting early isn't going to lug
the
engine.

When you take off a bit faster the trans delays the upshift.

If it bothers you, you can take the van to the dealer and ask them to
check the firmware version, perhaps there's a flash update for it.

Read everything on this page to learn more about this transmission:

http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html

And finally, NEVER USE ANY OTHER KIND OF TRANSMISSION
FLUID THAN ATF +4

> I also am getting
> the service message to retrain my tires can someone tell me how that
> gets accomplished?
>

Read the owners manual.

Ted

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> "Jason" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > I recently purchased a 2003 T&C Limited and noticed a few days from
> > purchase that when in drive and at a stop when I go to take off
gently
> > it feels like the tranny is slipping like 3-4 little jerks and then
all
> > is fine. If I take of a little bit faster it does not jerk and
takes
> > off fine. Just seems to do this on a slow and gentle take off from
a
> > stand still about 5 Mph or so. Please help and let me know any
> > suggestions on what I can do to correct this issue.
>
> There isn't any, they all do this.
>
> The trans computer is seeing that your taking off slow, and to give
you
> the maximum fuel economy, is shifting into a higher gear. The
computer
> figures that since your not gassing it, upshifting early isn't going
to lug
> the
> engine.
>
> When you take off a bit faster the trans delays the upshift.
>
> If it bothers you, you can take the van to the dealer and ask them to
> check the firmware version, perhaps there's a flash update for it.
>
> Read everything on this page to learn more about this transmission:
>
> http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html
>
> And finally, NEVER USE ANY OTHER KIND OF TRANSMISSION
> FLUID THAN ATF +4
>
> > I also am getting
> > the service message to retrain my tires can someone tell me how
that
> > gets accomplished?
> >
>
> Read the owners manual.
>
> Ted

Thanks for the information Ted I guess I question though as to when I
did the test drive I did not notice the problem with the sifting? As
for reading the owners manual I did and it says very little about
retraining the tire sensors.

Jason

"Jason" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>

>
> Thanks for the information Ted I guess I question though as to when I
> did the test drive I did not notice the problem with the sifting?

These trannys have a memory and adapt themselves over time to the driver's
driving
habits. If I get into our 95 T&C after my wife has been driving it for a
week, during the
first 20 minutes or so the van chirps the tires when I start off. Part of
this is because
the pedal travel is so much less than on the car I drive mostly, but I think
part of it is that
the trans almost immediately engages. After a while driving, the trans
learns my habits
and I notice that engagement is more delayed - I am a much heavier foot on
the petal
when starting off, though, as I am very impatient with waiting for traffic
lights.

In any case since it's bothering you you should definitely take it in and
get it scanned.
The tranneys used in these have very sophisticated brains and a scan tool
can tell
lots of data about what is going on in the tranny. You can also find out
from them if
the wheels were perhaps replaced by the previous owner with ones that are a
different
size, perhaps the brain doesen't know that.

> As
> for reading the owners manual I did and it says very little about
> retraining the tire sensors.
>

I found this on thecarconnection.com:

"To retrain, step through the displays on your driver information center (on
the overhead console) until you get to the page for retraining. When one of
the wheels is illuminated, place the special magnet over the valve stem for
that wheel. You will hear a beep when the retraining is complete. Repeat for
the remaining three wheels. Make sure each wheel has the correct air
pressure before you start."

Very strange that this isn't mentioned in the owners manual since it sounds
like it's supposed to be a driver
done procedure. Are you sure you have a complete set of owners manuals and
that the previous owner
didn't throw some of them out?

Ted

i have the same problem with my transmission. I even replaced it but it did
nothing. so i just live with it.

However, i do have the "retrain tires" thingy going on as well. I read
that i need to get a "special" magnet and run it over the valve stem while
have put it in the retrain mode...What special magnet, can i get one and do
it myself? Or even have my husband help me?

Thanks to anyone that can help.

Kim

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