DODGE CARAVAN MANUALS ERRORS

DODGE CARAVAN MANUALS ERRORS

In Bad design 94 Caravan 3.3L engine installation I describe sloppy design of the installation of accessories, wiring bundles, and plumbing to the engine. That adds substantial cost to operation of the vehicle.

Then there’s the wiring diagrams and service manuals, which use different terms for the same thing even within the wiring diagrams. (E.G. contact 20 of the ECM is variously called “voltage regulator” and “GEN” (being the low side of the alternator’s commutator, by which the ECM varies field current to maintain voltage). Contact 57 is variously “inj sense” and “voltage sense”, a voltage off of the ignition switch that is probably used both as feedback of alternator output to the field current varying function, and to vary injector pulse width if running off the battery only thus voltage is lower.)

And they have errors:

- Body:
> Hood latch release cable:
o Missing from figure 6 showing cable routing under hood is that there is a clip near the PDC, easier to detach it if you move the battery, loosening PDC bolts might help a bit as well.
o A useful tool to remove the plastic shield is a "crow-bar" tool intended for taking wood housing apart, as it has wide ends and one is forked. Or you may be able to squeeze the blind tip of each fastener and push it out, if you can get at it.
o You may or may not be able to avoid breaking the push-fasteners, they are available from auto parts stores.
o Inside the driver area:
* You'll need to remove bolts holding the latch assembly to push it over to get hand on.
* The end fitting of the cable housing is rubbery, takes force to pop it out of the latch bracket.
* The cable routes outside of the parking brake lever bracket, hopefully there's enough space to pass the end fitting through. (If the bracket has been replaced the cable may have been mis-routed.)
* The cable routes inboard of the spring housing area of the body, then across the front of it to go forward on the outboard side of the PDC (you'll probably need a pull-through wire to get it forward, such as a coat hanger with small loop on end).
* Then somehow it gets into the cross-member that holds the latch plate.
o The cable looks very much like a bicycle brake/shifter cable, with small crosswise end at lever, but I have not checked dimensions exactly (I purchased a complete assembly as the lever had broken as well).
> Fuel filler door release cable
o Step 2 of removal instructions in Service Manual refers to "hood" release handle, an obvious copy and paste but forget to edit error.
o The Service Manual is glib, removing the mechanism at the normal release handle looks awkward due to power seat mechanisms.
o Owners guide says the backup release pull loop is under the rear carpet with the spare tire winch nut that is beneath a flap cut in the carper, but I found it way to the left under carpet without a notch.
> Liftgate release mechanism & lock - 1994 SM 8P incorrectly says the remote release switch is on the steering column cover, it is in the lower dash cover to the left of the steering column (in 1993 it was in the centre dash cover).
- IPC figures 23A-15000 and 23D-100 plus SM 8P are not near adequate to guide dissassembly of the lock and cam mechanism, being too small and incomplete.
> Roof rack
The illustration in the 1994 SM is for an older configuration of mounting rails, with channels on the inside of the rails (likely before 1991) rather than a rail projecting up from the roof.
The 1993 IPC shows the correct configuration, but appears to incorrectly identify the 'T-Groove' security nut as being under the roof sheet metal for each screw rather than on top in one position on each rail. It takes a special tapered driver, but you may be able to use lockjaw pliers on it.
(The main screws are Torx head, there is an blind nut insert in roof sheet metal (you may have to remove ceiling panelling to grab it as some are not fully set on installation).
(I forget what the security nut fastens to, perhaps it is actually a screw too thus a blind insert nut.)
Of interest is an anti-rattle pad at each end of the cross-bars, and that the p/n of the crossbars was changed in 1992.
> Body Plate
1994 service manual page 3 incorrectly shows blank line on body plate? Not on 93 vehicle.

> Instrument panel and HVAC distribution duct removal illustration, chapter 24 of SM.
o 1994 manual does not show correct top configuration for vehicle with passenger air bag, illustration appears to be same as 1993 SM except windshield defrost air outlets on top are omitted.
The whole illustration seems wrong, especially in the 93 SM, as the instrument panel contour shown does not contain the windshield defrost air outlets, and there must be two separate sets of duct passages as the windshield ones and aft-facing ones can be opened separately. Though perhaps the windshield ducts take off from the duct shown,though they emerge from a different piece. (There's a third set of outlets for foot areas,some quite low.)
The IPC for 1993 models has more detail, showing a separate duct for the windshield but is not clear on howit attaches. Unclear is how things fit together (it seems as though the windshield duct screws to the back of the main duct and each is fed separately from below, with hoses feeding slender ducts to the ends of the dash to demist side windows to see outside mirrors).
However, the right side of 93 and 94 may be different due to addition of passenger air bag.
o In the unlikely event you want to remove the RH lower dash, you need to find one screw in the area of the right side of the rectangular air duct and HVAC control module.
The manual says it is through the duct into the dash plastic piece, that’s doubtful as the duct is thin plastic only loosely attached.
Oh! There are tWo longitudinally oriented screws visible below the duct, visible if you lift the duct up as much as you can, reachable with a long screwdriver, medium size Phillips. The manual is completely misleading.

> Airbag removalinstructions in SM are wrong.
o Text refers to figure showing top cover of passenger air bag for removal of four screws holding module.
But in fact they are the ones shown in figure 8 around the prying slot, with hex heads.
(The module does indeed come out with prying hard and fully up, perhaps with a gentle tug on the cover once its edges are accessible tofingers.)
o The driver airbag instructions aren't clear on the number of bolts/screws. The two screws for the speed control bar are separate from the four nuts holding the airbag (10mm deep socket needed).
* Note that unlatching of the various connectors can be tricky.

- Transmission:
> troubleshooting chart for abnormal noise of the 41TE transmission has a floating "replace torque converter" action box, probably should be connected to the "converter has loud buzz or whine" symptom box, but the first action should be to ensure filter is not clogged.
> code for transmission type on Body Plate is wrong in the manual, both 93 and 94 with 4s AT have B as the third letter on the actual body plates. (Note the 94 manual has two lines for 3s, the second one should say 4s and the next line deleted.)

- Engine
> illustration of engine cooling for 2.5L engine incorrectly plumbs the AC cutoff valve, showing a common cavity for the valve with all hoses connected to it. Likely the return hose goes directly from the heater, and the input from the engine goes to the valve then to the heater.
> Instructions for removing oil pan do not show need to remove the 4S transmission dust shield, which requires undoing a brace (end of oil pan is above glange of dust shield) > instructions for removal of engine mounts are poor. In particular figure 5 of the 41TE Transaxle and Power Transfer Unit section does not show the upper attachment of the shaded bracket, which is difficult to get at. Fortunately figure 3 of the engine section gives more detail.
> instructions for removal and re-installation of intake manifold are not labelled as to lower and upper manifold, so there are two illustrations labelled for manifold with ???
> instruction to remove inner fender liner for access to water pump of 3.3L engine is wrong.
> illustrations of EGR valve are inadequate, not clear where flow passages are (should be hose/tube from valve to control "transducer"/solenoid combination (vacuum) and from somewhere to transducer (exhaust backpressure inlet on bottom of transducer). Exhaust comes via a pipe up to the manifold, presumably vacuum-operated EGR valve then controls it going into manifold.
> section on re-installing TPS is glib, you have to ensure throttle shaft tab is in correct position to move TPS.

ELECTRICAL
- Alternator:
> the reference to figure 7 in removal instructions for the alternator of 3.3/3.8 litre engines should be to figure 8 (reference page 8B-10
> Figure 8 omits the top bolt of the "generator support bracket"
> Figure 8 omits the spacer on the lower generator mount bolt !
> Figure 8 does not correctly show the forward upper side bolt of the "generator support bracket" going through a bracket at the aft end of the engine mount.
In general the SM's coverage is disgustingly glib.

- Relays
> Page 17 of diagnostic manual does not identify applicability of the lower "Front of relay block" illustration, it probably is 1994-1995 because power locks are in the centre "micros relay centre", IOW that illustration should have been on second line.
> Before the mess of relays around the engine compartment are not fully identified, most can be found by crawling through the SM's various sections. I've identified some by p/n, someday will publish a list.

- Brakes
> illustration in IPC of brake switch activated by pedal does not show mounting of the switch (on a bracket that attaches to a rib left of the pedal), nor tab on breake pedal that actuates it, but does show an inaccurate illustration of the switch as a breakout. It does list a bracket, with no illustration, and a clip to hold the switch but that's integral to the switch on at least some vehicles.
> the illustration in IPC of the brake switch includes a breakout showing a parking brake switch, of same shape as main brake swith, but the page for the parking brake lever shows a very different swtich shape though the part number is the same.
> the Index to the service manual does not list a brake pedal, nor does section 5 show one, but both cover the parking brake pedal.

These are easy mistakes to make but should be caught by checking.
Checkers should think through what they are reading, and trace circuits and flow, so they catch logical errors. Checkers must understand functions and use that knowledge.

The errors were carried for at least two model years, despite additions of engine displacement and functions to the diagrams.
Perhaps there is a correction list somewhere though it would be long.
Mistakes really slow the user, costing them money. It is important to know all the connections of a particular wire – for example, to test continuity of the fuel pump from the relay socket you must first disconnect the O2 sensor heater. It is important to understand what you'll have to remove to get access.

Apparently the Caravan model introduced circa 2012 and sold into circa 2020 is far more reliable than earlier "generations", let's hope the service information is of better quality as well (I'm told it is).

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