press and hold

2003_dodge_grand-caravan_passenger-minivan_el_g_oem_1_500

When I called her this Saturday to make sure that we didn’t need anything in town before I got home, Jenny told me that the minivan was messed up.

When she used the turn signal, all the gauges went dead.

Without any dash lights or speedometer, she couldn’t drive the car.

This is always kind of a panicky feeling for me when there’s something wrong with the Dodge.

It makes things pretty awkward for Jenny and the kids.

So I thought about what I was going to have to do to fix the car the rest of the drive home from work.

When I got home, I checked it out….and found that I could kill the dash lights, too.

It was easy to mess it up.

I could replicate the problem.

Now, here is the interesting part….

I “rant” sometimes about the internet….the “brave new world” and the way all this technology seems to separate us from each other….and how maybe being sort of a “luddite” might not be so bad….but….

the first thing I did was “google” the problem….and….sure enough, after about 20 minutes of searching, I found that it wasn’t uncommon….and that someone had posted a solution.

I couldn’t have done that 30 years ago….or even 20 years ago.

I couldn’t have “googled” anything all those years ago.

What am I complaining about? It’s COOL when my computer tells me what button to push to fix a problem.

THAT IS WAY COOL!!! YOU GO, COMPUTER!! WAY TO HELP ME OUT OF A JAM!!

Here’s what I found….just in case the dash lights on your 2001 Grand Caravan Sport ever get wacky….

1. Get in van, close the door.
2. Hold down the trip set button for at least 30 seconds, even after you see 5of and 2 other numbers, i.e. 01, 02, 03, 04 or 05. Then let go and do nothing else.
3. As shown in Chengny’s post, you will see about a 40 second series of tests, gauges going up and down and dash lights, warning lights etc flashing.
4. When that stops, turn off key.
5. Unplug the negative battery cable for at least 5 minutes
6. Reconnect the neg. battery cable
7. start the engine for a few seconds and turn off.
8. push the emergency flashers button and leave it on for a couple minutes
9. slowly the outside flashers got brighter and started to work as well as each turn signal
The computer had to reset I guess, everything is now working again!

 

How could I have known that?

Anyway, the car is back. The new “old/junk yard/salvage yard” starter is working well….and the dash lights do what we expect them to do.

Anytime I can press a button and fix the problem, I get kind of happy.

Usually, it’s the other way around.

Go, Computer, go !!

“let me roll it” Paul McCartney and Wings

 

About Peter Rorvig

I'm a non-practicing artist, a mailman, a husband, a father...not listed in order of importance. I believe that things can always get better....and that things are usually better than we think.

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