When it comes to keeping your minivan on the road, you must make sure to perform the small maintenance tasks as well as the large ones. This includes examining the driveline and CV boots to make sure they are not in need of replacement. But if you're fearing a costly mechanic trip, don't worry. You can examine them in mere minutes. Here's how.
Lie on your back and slide under the minivan near one of the wheel wells. (A blanket on the ground may make this more comfortable for you.) Locate the driveline and CV boots just inside each wheel well. You are looking for a piece of hardware that disappears into a rubber boot (that's your CV boot.) Inside that boot is the CV joint, which helps enable your Chrysler Town & Country to turn as you drive.
Shine your flashlight on the CV boot and determine if you see any dry-rotting, cracking, chaffing or slicing on the boot. If so, it needs to be replaced, as you don't want any sand, silt or dirt to corrode the CV joint.
Place a clean portion of your rag against the CV boot. If an immense amount of lubricant comes off onto the rag, then you have a leak and the CV boot needs to be replaced, to avoid that same corrosion from dirt and grime.
Check to make sure the driveline (which is the hardware that goes into the CV boot), isn't abnormally bent. This is fairly uncommon unless your Chrysler Town & Country has been through an accident or driven over adverse road conditions, such as a road riddled with potholes.
Continue to inspect each driveline and CV boot near the other the wheel wells to complete the task.
