2004 Chrysler Town & Country Electrical System Problems

I went to turn on my headlights, and they didn't come on. All the other lights work. Parking, dash, tail, and the high beam indicator. But no headlights. Also l read that people complained about windshield washer' not working. I tried mine and they also didn't work. I see there is a recall on same problem with the 2005 - 2007 Chrysler town and country limited and they are under a recall. Mine is a 2004 T & Country limited.it My mechanic has checked all the fuses and relay's and can't find anything wrong except for the lights and wind washers not working. I called my Chrysler dealership and they acted like they never heard of the problem. But that's O K with them because they don't have to drive a car without headlights.

THIS TIME I WAS HEADING DOWN WITH MY FAMILY FROM ONE OF THE HIGHEST SPOTS AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 45 MPH AND TWO LANE ROAD WITH LOT OF TURNS. NO OTHER TRAFFIC IN FRONT OR BEHIND ME. I TURNED HIGH BEAMS ON AND THERE WE GO, HEADLIGHTS GONE. I PULLED QUICKLY FOG LIGHTS ON TO HAVE SOME LIGHTS. NO OTHER OPTIONS THAN CONTINUE TO THE NEXT PLACE WHERE I COULD PULL CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN STOPPED I CHECKED IF KNOCKING ECM WORKS BUT IT DIDN'T, NORMALLY IT DOES. I RELEASED FOUR SCREWS AND PULLED ECM OUT. INSTALLED MY SPARE ECM, NO LIGHTS. I INSTALLED THE OLD ECM MODULE BACK AND WIGGLED IT AND LIGHTS CAME ON. I DIDN'T CHECK ON THE SPOT THAT WOULD I HAVE HIGH BEAMS. 1 HOUR LATER WHEN WE GOT TO COTTAGE WE RENTED I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPEN THIS TIME WHEN TURNING HIGH BEAMS ON. LIGHTS GONE AGAIN. THIS TIME KNOCKING ECM MODULE HELPED. I TESTED HIGH BEAM AND LOW BEAMS MULTIPLE TIMES AND NO ISSUES. LOOSING HEAD LIGHT HAVE HAPPEN WITH THIS VEHICLE BEFORE HOWEVER THE ISSUE IS THAT IT IS INTERMITTENT. I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY LOGIC HOW TO REPEAT IT WHAT MAKES IT SCARY / UNCOMFORTABLE.

AUTOMATIC.

DRIVING 65 MPH AT HIGHWAY. TURNED HIGH BEAM LIGHTS ON AND HEADLIGHTS STOP WORKING. TURNED FOG LIGHTS ON TO SEE SIDE OF THE ROAD. REDUCED SPEED TO STOP VEHICLE. OPENED HOOD AND CHECKED ECM / FCM BY WIGGLING IT. STARTED VEHICLE AND HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK.

TAKATA RECALL THE FULE RAIL WIRING HARNESS MELTED DOWN.THE WIRING HARNES IS INSTALLED RIGHT ABOVE THE EXHAUST FROM THE FACTORY. THE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST OVER TIME MELTED A 4 INCH SECTION OF THE INSULATION OFF OF THE WIRING HARNESS CAUSING THEM TO SORT OUT. THE VAN HAD 130000 MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IT LEFT ME AND MY FAMILY STRANDED ON THE FREEWAY, IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE TO HAVE THE ENGINE STALL OUT ON THE FREEWAY. CLEARLY THERE SHOULD BE MORE THAN 2 INCHES BETWEEN THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. I HAD THE VAN TOWED TO MY MECHANIC $150. THEN THEY REPLACED THE OLD HARNESS $400 PARTS $435 LABOR TOTAL $985 DOLLARS!

I FOUND LAST NIGHT WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE FROM HOME FOR SOME HOME DEPOT SHOPPING THAT MY HEADLIGHTS DIDN'T TURN ON. THIS IS LOW AND HIGH BEAMS. FOG LIGHTS, CORNER LIGHTS AND INDICATORS WORK JUST NORMALLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING AT 5 MPH AFTER REFUELING THE VEHICLE, IT STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THE LAST FAILURE RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE BEING UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 144,963.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WARNING LIGHTS AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING ON AND OFF. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF IT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHERE THE ALTERNATOR, IGNITION SWITCH, AND THE STARTER WERE REPLACED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 135,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN SOMEONE INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SMOKE WAS EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOOR BUT IT WOULD NOT OPEN AND THE ALARM DID NOT FUNCTION. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND THE AS THE FIREMEN BROKE THE WINDOW TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AND THE MAIN CABLE CUT TO PREVENT ANY FUTURE FIRES. THE FIRE MARSHALL STATED THAT "THE FIRE WAS LOCATED BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT IN THE B-POST WHERE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT FAILED CAUSING THE FIRE". THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THE DOOR PANEL, SEAT BELTS, AND DRIVER SEAT WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS ELECTRICAL BUT THE DEALER SWITCHED EVERYTHING TO MANUAL AFTER THE FIRE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 122,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 127,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING IDLE WITH THE ENGINE OFF. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND DETERMINED THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM UNDER THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR PANEL. THE DEALER CAME OUT TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE HOWEVER; THE CONTACT WAS UNSATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE REPAIRS. THE MAJORITY OF THE VEHICLE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE NO LONGER OPERABLE, SUCH AS THE POWER LOCKS AND WINDOWS, AND THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000. UPDATED 8/4/10 *CN UPDATED 08/09/10*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PANEL TO THE DOOR AND THE DRIVER'S POWER SEAT. THE DOOR AND DRIVER SEAT WERE ONLY ABLE TO BE OPERATED MANUALLY AND NOT AUTOMATIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF FILLING THE FUEL TANK, THE ENGINE WILL STALLS. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED FROM 0-50 MPH. THE ENGINE WILL STALL ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME AFTER FUELLING. *TR

THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2004 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MINIVAN HAS FAILED FOUR TIMES. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED EACH TIME.

WE EXPERIENCED A RECURRENCE OF THE VEHICLE NOT STARTING AGAIN. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. THIS INTERMITTENT PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED AND STOPPED WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VAN, THE ENGINE TURNS OVER AND STARTS BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY STOPS. IT IS AS IF AN ANTI THEFT SWITCH IS ENGAGED OR THE REMOTE STARTER MECHANISM MALFUNCTIONS AND STOPS THE ENGINE. AFTER LETTING THE VEHICLE SIT FOR AN HOUR, IT WAS ABLE START UP AND REMAIN RUNNING. THE VAN WAS DRIVEN THE NEXT DAY AND A POWERFUL ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL WAS NOTICEABLE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. A FAINT CLICKING/SQUEAKING NOISE WAS ALSO HEARD IN THE VICINITY OF THE ALTERNATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO FOR THE SAME SITUATION, BUT THE VEHICLE STARTED THE NEXT DAY AND SERVICE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. *TR

I HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIR ON TWO OCCASIONS DUE TO TURN SIGNALS MALFUNCTIONING, POWER WINDOWS MALFUNCTIONING, AND BACK SLIDING DOORS MALFUNCTIONING. ON THE FIRST OCCASION MALFUNCTIONS COULD NOT BE ENACTED. ON SECOND OCCASION, A SWITCH WAS REPLACED. ON JUNE 28, 2006 VAN WAS HIT IN REAR PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR AND THROWN INTO AN 18 WHEELER TRAVELING 60 MILES PER HOUR AND NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *JB

IF YOU EVEN VACUUM OUT THE VAN, IT WILL NOT START AGAIN. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS VEHICLE STALLED. THEN, VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD CAME ON. DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE MAIN COMPUTER TWICE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME FAILURE.*AK

CHRYSLER HAS DISCONTINUED BACKLIGHTING OF DOOR LIGHT SWITCHES,POWER DOOR SWITCH,POWER MIRROR SWITCH,HEADLAMP SWITCH,AND LOW LINE WINDOW SWITCHES. DURING NIGHT TIME DRIVING, IT'S VERY HARD TO LOCATE THESE SWITCHES WITHOUT DISTRACTING YOUR DRIVING ABILITY. TOOK THE VAN INTO DEALER TO HAVE THE LIGHTS RE-ACTIVATED (THEY ARE THERE), BUT SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULDN'T ENABLE THEM. (CHRYSLER HAS A BULLETIN ON THIS, #08-018-02.*AK