I have an issue with my 2005 T&C, the power dr locks stopped working thru both the interior buttons and the key fob. Of course did some research and found that pulling the fuse for a minute will re-set the bcm and the locks work again albiet for a day or two only so I know they do function. Also found Chrysler issued several TSBs applying to my specific problem/ year. I took it to a dealer and showed them the  TSB (only knew of one at first, misplaced it for the moment) and they were very accomadating and took the car in right there and charged me next to nothing. However they said the bcm was "up to date" because it was displaying a red light (or green, maybe my colors are mixed up..) and thus there was no option to install the patch? Meaning the TSB wasnt tryed...?. Was bummed as I was sure from everything I researched this was a dead-on fix. Anyway went home and looked around some more and found another TSB directly applying to my locks/model/yr (TSB 08-040-04) and called back the dealer to try but he just repeated that if the bcm states itself up to date it wont take a flash. I'm not doubting what he said but I just find it odd that there are TSBs for my issue but cant install.... And how would a bcm "know" if its not up to date? Any opinions welcome.

i have a "quick hit" type of database i use when i need to find something quick. just checked it, and see many techs replacing the bcm for this problem. some reported this same problem tied to radio malfunctions, and power liftgate malfunctions.

 

 hope that's at least a little helpful.

thanx for your quick hit..... my 2 TSBs are specific to the pwr locks only, the one with the liftgate applies to vehicles with pwr lgate and alarm package or just pwr locks too. Not gonna spend hundreds of $ to replace the bcm, will go back to the stone age and keep manually working the locks lol

Try another dealer. 

 

I know for the diagnostic charge (like $75 or $100) the Toyota dealer will spend an unlimited amount of time figuring out what the problem is, and then only charge you for the time to fix it once the problem is found, with no extra charge if it took a lon of time to diagnose. 

 

So your Chrysler dealer, having accepted the diagnostic charge, should have located the problem, if it required him doing research and getting on the phone to Detroit.

 

It is sad to see that the American car dealers (at least this one) have not improved.  It is the reason why so many people bought japanese cars - GM, Ford and Chrysler dealers with service departments who treated their customers like garbage.

tsb's are not a certain fix. they apply to some but not all cars. your bcm may have been updated already or maybe came from the factory with these updates in place. so you cant update something that is already up to date. maybe you have another problem, switches, bcm, wiring, could be many things. don't look to a tsb as the end all b all fix. find a good independent shop that will actually put some time into diagnosing your problem, not just trying what you think might be the fix. no offense intended.

tsb's are not a certain fix. they apply to some but not all cars. your bcm may have been updated already or maybe came from the factory with these updates in place. so you cant update something that is already up to date. maybe you have another problem, switches, bcm, wiring, could be many things. don't look to a tsb as the end all b all fix. find a good independent shop that will actually put some time into diagnosing your problem, not just trying what you think might be the fix. no offense intended.

I hear what your saying. I just find it odd that on the internet (so it must be true)  I found many cases of excactly what I have, first re-setting the bcm by pulling the fuse for a minute and then the locks work again but only for 1 day or sometimes weeks. Then the permanant fix was one of the two TSBs that Crysler issued specific to my year only ( which would mean it was a known issue later so how was it updated at the factory?)  and no where did I come across someone saying it didnt/ wouldnt work because the bcm was already updated. Maybe it will go for a dignostic test but there just going to say its the bcm for $3-400 so thats not happening. 

ok, but you didn't say if you owned the car from new, so I don't know if you are the only one to ever have had it repaired. and what you are ignoring is what 1ltcap said, and it sounds like it may be correct, because the tsbs didn't fix the problem is that the bcm mat be going bad inside. which means no tsb will fix problem if bcm is bad at core.

try your local vw dealer. the town and country and the routan are the same car

ok, but you didn't say if you owned the car from new, so I don't know if you are the only one to ever have had it repaired. and what you are ignoring is what 1ltcap said, and it sounds like it may be correct, because the tsbs didn't fix the problem is that the bcm mat be going bad inside. which means no tsb will fix problem if bcm is bad at core.

had the car since almost new from 8k to current 110,000. Not ignoring the bcm, am aware it could be the culprit  just having a hard time accepting the tsb's couldnt even be tryed given they appear to be the fix in all that I've found noted many times on the internets various auto forums, q/a, fix-it sites. When the bcm goes typically it takes out other features too such as pwr windoes, wipers radio and in the almost two yrs since tyhis started all else is well.  I'll re-phrase a question: if a bcm is saying its up to date, does it block any means of input or can a TSB still be entered meaning if there is a existing malfunction perhaps the bcm doesnt even know because its...broken.

had the car since almost new from 8k to current 110,000. Not ignoring the bcm, am aware it could be the culprit  just having a hard time accepting the tsb's couldnt even be tryed given they appear to be the fix in all that I've found noted many times on the internets various auto forums, q/a, fix-it sites. When the bcm goes typically it takes out other features too such as pwr windoes, wipers radio and in the almost two yrs since tyhis started all else is well.  I'll re-phrase a question: if a bcm is saying its up to date, does it block any means of input or can a TSB still be entered meaning if there is a existing malfunction perhaps the bcm doesnt even know because its...broken.

you gotta be careful assuming this. i've had them go with just one thing bad. i've had them go with no physical malfunctions(such as non-functional door locks) but they'd lost comms with the rest of the system. i just replaced 2 ecu's last week. one in a dakota with an internal failure, but no codes, and the truck ran perfect. but the internal failure tripped the light. the other was a ford explorer. it refused to see the o2 b1s1, although the signal was verified by backprobing the pin right on the ecu.

 

 electronics can, and will fail in endless different ways. if yours was already updated as per the tsb's(which any dealer should be able to tell ya) then that would be why they couldn't try them on it.

 

 i wouldn't put a ton of confidence in the dealers either. i sent a local pd 2013 dodge charger to the dealer for a brake problem under warranty. was braking as if it wasn't getting power assist. it took them 2 or 3 visits, and almost a month to get it.