Hi!
Here is the situation, the car was idling, hesitating and all that. Day 1-I got the spark plugs changed, it ran a little better. Day 3-I changed the ignition coil it ran ALOT better (Check engine light went off). Day 4-I put new spark plug wires on. It immediately started running like it use to. I had the wires mismatched then corrected it (Check engine light came back on). Day 5-I put the old wires back on (correctly), still not running better and check engine light is still on. What should I do? It was running totally fine until I changed the wires.
2006 Chrysler Town and Country 3.3L
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So when you replaced the coil pack the van ran pretty good and the CEL (check engine light) went off.
Then when you tried to replace the spark plug wires it ran poorly again and you discovered that you had the wires going to the wrong spark plugs but even after you put them in the right order it still runs poorly.
So 1st, double check that you have the wires going to the right plugs because that's a wasted spark ignition coil pack and you have to remember that there's only 3 coils in there that fires 2 coil towers at the same time (paired cylinders) and it will run but it won't run right if you have those paired coils attached to the wrong cylinders.
They usually have the cylinder numbers on the coil pack.
So confirm they're going to the right cylinders now.
((Cylinder #1 has the wiring connector under it))
If that checks out OK then confirm that everything is working right by following this step by step tutorial on how to check for spark using a spark tester.
https://easyautodiagnostics.com/chrysler/3.3L-3.8L/testing-the-coil-pack-1
If there's a problem you can continue performing the tests in the tutorial to make sure all 3 coils in the coil pack are getting their switching signals to fire the individual coils from the PCM.
The tutorial is pretty easy to understand but if you need help just come back and we'll walk you through it.
Also, if you don't have one already, it's time to buy an inexpensive scanner. They're good for much more than reading codes and are helpful diagnosing problems.
You can look in the "TOOLS" link on the upper right of the page (under diagnostic tools) for Scotty's recommendations and also look at this link in the FAQ for useful information in choosing which one is right for you for your budget.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/postid/226842/
So come back and let us know what you find out
With modern cars the hard part is usually the diagnoses. There are alot of things that can cause a car to run poorly. The work you did MAY have helped, but without knowing the cause of the issue you may also be throwing money away at parts you do not need. Do you have a scanner or anything that can dive into the cars computer? I'm assuming you do not since it was not mentioned.
I'm not trying to discredit or belittle you. I agree with Doc you may want to take this thing to a good independent mechanic. If you find someone who works out of their own garage they probably will charge you a lower rate compared to someone with a big shop or a big chain company. Ask friends/coworkers who they go to maybe.
To look into your story a bit, how did you know which coil to replace? and if it ran okay after doing so, why did you mess with the wires?
On a computer-controlled car you really need to check for codes and anything suspicious in live data as a first step to figuring out what's going on. This does not require a hugely expensive scan tool. Even most of the inexpensive ones these days are sufficient for that. There are recommendations in the FAQ and the "Tools" link at the top of the page.
It may help to clean the throttle body and MAF sensor and of course check for vacuum leaks. On a 17-year-old vehicle you can expect some accumulated crud in the intake and deteriorated vacuum hoses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWCKvU2FmDc
What codes did you get regarding the check engine light coming on? Replace the spark plug wires with OEM ones. I don't know where you bought those, but they probably aren't OEM.
Find somebody to do the work who knows what they are doing.
Well, I'm kind of a single mother with 4 children trying to save some money by doing it myself. This is a forum for help not ignorance.
I will wait on someone who actually has a helpful response.
That was a helpful response. Do not use your email address in your posts.
Doc may have put it a little bluntly, but sometimes for the amount of money you might spend replacing random parts and praying it works, in addition to the resulting loss of income, a good mechanic might have the problem licked and the car returned to you the same day. If you knew the exact source of the problem, it would be a different story, but if you're unable to diagnose (and frankly diagnosis by internet can be very cumbersome and inefficient ) then know when to delegate. It will save you your sanity, and maybe even your money in the long run.
I could save a few bucks doing my own taxes, but it's probably not worth my time.