Questions and Answers

Plymouth Voyager Reverse Lights Q. Hello, We just bought a 1993 Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.3 liter engine and have had a lot of problems. I took it to the dealer on Monday and told them the reverse lights don't work, there is a back wheel wobble and the serpentine belt is loud and may need to be replaced. We checked the fuse, bulb and switch at home and told them that.

I told them to please diagnose the problem and let me know how much it will be to fix it. One hour and $78.00 later, when I went to pick up my car, they said yes the reverse lights don't work and you need to replace the tires and the serpentine belt.

WE already knew that. Anyway the guy said that it would take longer then one hour to check the wiring to find out why the reverse lights aren't working. My complaint is they didn't tell me anything I didn't already tell them and I am pretty sure it took five minutes to look and "diagnose" my problems.

I took the car that very day and replaced all four tires and the wheels still wobble. I am very frustrated since I know nothing more then I did the day I took it to the dealer and I am $78.00 less. We also noticed yesterday there is an oil pan leak.

My biggest concern is the reverse lights. I am wondering if there is any way I can diagnose the problem myself at home and fix it or can you tell me how long it would take to find the problem at the dealer. All in all I think they did a five minute visual and then took my $78.00. More or less I feel that I have been ripped off. Should I call Plymouth or a manager?

Also do you have any suggestions as why my reverse lights don't work and how much it may cost to fix? It is an electrical wiring problem. All the other lights on the car work. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

Thanks,
Michelle

A. I wasn't there and didn't see what transpired, so it is very hard for me to say whether or not you were ripped off. Most dealerships have a minimum service charge so you may have been charged for one hour for the technician to go out,bring your van into the shop, check it out and report to the service writer and return your van to the parking lot.

I think that for the one hour charge the technician could have spent a little more time diagnosing the wheel wobble problem. As for the serpentine belt, they just confirmed what you already knew.

As for the reverse lights, the most likely problem is the Transaxle Range Sensor (TRS). When you put the transmission in reverse, there is a set of contacts that turn the reverse lights on. It is common for them to go bad.

As for the wheel wobble, do all four wheels wobble or just the rears? If it is only one or two, it is possible one or more rims are bent. It is also possible the rear wheel bearings are loose or bad. What you can do is jack up each rear corner and put a sturdy jack stand under the frame. Then grab the top and bottom of the wheel and see if it moves. If it does, the wheel bearings need to be serviced or replaced.

If there is no movement spin the wheel slowly and see if the rims move in and out, indicating they are bent.