Chrysler Repair: Transmission Noise, dipstick tube, electronic control unit

Question
I have a 2000 Pymouth Grand Voyager with 60K miles.  Recently I have been hearing the transmission wine (especially when it is cold).  It does not do it all the time.  It still shifts well.  The wine noise is very apparant.  You can easilly hear the automatic transmission shift.  Should I be concerned?  I have heard horror stories about Chrysler mini van transmissions.

Answer
Hi Mike,
Yes a whine is something to figure out and remediate. By the way, might the vehicle still be under warranty? (I recall at some point it was 7 yr/70,000 miles.)
First have you checked the trans fluid level on its separate dipstick? If you need to add, be sure to get the Chrysler brand from the dealer and add it via the dipstick tube. Do not overfill.
A "buzz" sound can be due to a problem with the valve pack (which is possible to clean and service without removal of the trans.)
A "whine" is a bigger concern.
Such a noise, according to the Chrysler shop manual can either come from the torque converter (which is located between the engine and transmission in the fattest part of the transmission housing) or from the transmission proper.
If you can get it to whine while in neutral you could take a rubber tube and use it as a sort of stethiscope to focus your hearing on those two areas and see if you can localize to one or the other. If it were the torque converter, that usually means removing the trans and replace the converter, which is somewhat costly but not a total rebuild issue.
If the sound is from the trans, then the suggested action is to drop all three oil pans and look for mechanical debris which, if present, would dictate removal and rebuild. If no debris was present, then the valve body alone should be removed, inspected and cleaned, then installed and pressures checked. That might be enough to solve that sort of situation.
Another possibility is to have a competent dealer or independent (non-franchise) shop read out the trans electronic control unit for the presence of any coded fault observations that may direct the repair process more intelligently. It may cost $75 for that but they often will apply that to the labor on the repair rather than charge you for it. But if you do that, don't immediately commit for a repair, but instead ask for the code numbers, what they mean, and what is the repair and its estimated cost. Then write back and we'll compare that with what the shop manual says about those specific codes.
You are correct about the Chrysler electronic trans: very sophisticated but very expensive if it has to be rebuilt.
Roland