terrymic

I was closing the tailgate when I heard a loud metallic crack and it stopped moving.
Let’s get some tools out and remove the trim that covers the motor, Low and behold its chain driven; Motor drive chain which moves a slider up and down a guide had snapped.
So off to my local engineering parts supplier and ordered some 3 spring links (only 2 damaged but got an extra one as spare) which arrived the next day.
With the new chain links in my grubby little hands, I rushed home and with a bit of patience chain repaired and readjusted all is now well.
With £5.00 spent and about 2.5 hours of my time this was an inexpensive and easy repair.
 
This is not a good design as the guide and slider run at angle to the perpendicular and the adjuster lock screw was not very tight.
If the adjuster is not checked occasionally and the chain becomes loose it can jump the lower sprocket.
If you are lucky, it’s just a simple job to relocate the chain on the sprocket and adjust.
 If you are unlucky, the chain breaks.
Dread to think how much the agent would charge, assuming they would replace the damaged links.  

Haynes Repair Manual,  number 30014.
DODGE Grand Caravan
CHRYSLER Town & Country
2008 thru 2012
includes Caravan Cargo
 
This manual will give most of the imformation required to repair your UK model.
The biggest fault with the manual is that the 2.8 Diesel Engine option is not covered.
3.3 - 3.6 - 3.8 and 4.0 litre V6 petrol engines covered