A primary feature of the Dodge Grand Caravan is its availability with “Stow ‘n Go” seating, which for many families is an innovative and highly advantageous benefit. For other owners of this attractive vehicle, it could be the 3.6 liter V6 power going to the six speed automatic transmission to a front wheel drive, the standard traction and stability control and the antilock brakes. However, as with all types of computer-reliant equipment, a central processing unit is needed to perform a wide variety of functions.
The Dodge Grand Caravan PCM or Power Control Module is a form of electronic control used in the cars of today. It is a method of controlling one or more sources of vehicle electronics. It combines the processing of the Electronics Control Unit (ECU) and the Transmission Control Unit (TCU) when related to automatic transmissions. It is essential to the power and processing of the required information, which is necessary to make your car perform efficiently.
The Power Generation
From the fuel, a car will generate its power, which is transmitted to the driveshaft by way of the transmission and the ECU and TCU units, incorporated in the Power Control Module. The power is received by the driveshaft from the PCM which enables the axles to be turned and therefore the wheels. Sensors located within the Dodge Grand Caravan PCM dispatch the electrical input and output in the form of signals to the Power Control Module. They are then defined by the unit, which converts them into necessary adjustments for the performance of the car. These include engine speed and control of the various components related to the car operational efficiency.
Relative to on-board diagnostics it was determined after the production models of 1996, that Dodge manufactured vehicles used standardized OBD-ll diagnostic codes. This entails the PCM being reached with the appropriate hardware. On the codes being retrieved owners of vehicles should refer to the coding definitions supplied, for those relating directly to the Dodge Grand Caravan PCM.
The PCM Brain in a car
The Dodge Grand Caravan PCM is an automotive component that has control over more than one hundred vehicle related factors in a car or tuck and could be regarded as the brain of the engine control system. Therefore, should there be an occasion when this critical component does not function correctly; other crucial component parts are affected. These include the engine and any other control factor subject to microprocessor control, such as the charging system and transmission.
The Dodge Grand Caravan PCM controls various emissions and communications as well as various other onboard control modules. Failure of this important unit is generally for a limited number of reasons. Either voltage overloading, which could be due to a short in a solenoid or actuating circuit, or environmental issues, for example; corrosion, a thermal stress factor or vibration? If the fault is not determined by a qualified professional and repaired, then it could create the need to replace the Powertrain Control Module.