Dodge Grand Caravan (1996-2020) firing order — diagram & guide

The Grand Caravan has been Dodge’s take on the minivan category of passenger cars for decades, and it’s one of the most renowned long-wheelbase options out there. It’s one of the longest-running models that Dodge ever produced and there’s a good reason for it.

Different generations of the Grand Caravan are powered by some of the most exceptional Dodge engines, and we are here to make engine maintenance a bit easier for all the owners. This guide on Dodge Grand Caravan (1996-2020) firing order will provide you with all the key details so you can keep your engine well-maintained, and your Grand Caravan running for years to come.

Third-generation Dodge Grand Caravan (1996-2000) firing order

The third-gen model of the Dodge Grand Caravan mostly focused on V6 engines, but there was also a base four-cylinder engine offered. This generation featured some models that laid the basis for the current models and V6s, so let’s take a look at the firing orders for these:

Dodge Grand Caravan 2.4L firing order

As a base engine option, the 2.4-liter powertrain was the only four-cylinder offered for the third-gen Grand Caravan model. The Dodge Grand Caravan 2.4L firing order is 1-3-4-2 and the engine’s cylinders are arranged from the left-most one as the first cylinder, to the cylinder number four on the right in a straight order.

Dodge Grand Caravan 3.0L firing order

On the other hand, the 3.0-liter engine was an entry-level V6 in the Grand Caravan lineup, and this one didn’t stick too long with the model. Having in mind that the Dodge Grand Caravan 3.0L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6, it’s pretty easy to use the firing sequence of this engine for some minor repairs.

You may struggle a bit more to identify the cylinder positions since this one is a transverse V6 engine. We’ll try to simplify things for you – the engine has the top and the bottom cylinder bank with three cylinders each.

The top cylinder bank features odd cylinder numbers 1, 3, and 5 ordered from left to right, while the lower cylinder bank features even cylinder numbers from 2 to 6 also ordered from left to right.

Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3L firing order

Moving on, we have yet another V6 engine and the Dodge Grand Caravan 3.3L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 as well. To be precise, this firing order is common for almost every V6 used in the Caravan, so that makes your job a little bit easier.

Just like the 3.0-liter engine, this one is also a transversely-mounted V6 which means the upper cylinder bank houses cylinders 1, 3, and 5. Cylinders 2, 4, and 6 are once again located within the lower cylinder bank.

Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L firing order

As the final engine option for the third-gen Grand Caravan, we have the 3.8-liter Dodge V6 engine. This one is yet another in line of Dodge V6 engines with a transverse cylinder placement. The cylinder layout is once again the same as for the previous two V6s we’ve mentioned.

So, odd cylinder numbers are laid out left to right in the upper cylinder bank, while even cylinders are right below. The Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L firing order is also 1-2-3-4-5-6, so you could say that the layout of this engine is identical to that of 3.3L and 3.0L engines.

Fourth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan (2001-2007) firing order

As for the fourth-gen Grand Caravan model, Dodge decided to keep most of the previous engine options. Once again, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder was a base engine option, with 3.3L and 3.8L engines being available for the higher trims.

However, there was the first Grand Caravan diesel engine as well as the 2.8-liter CRD-i powertrain, so we’ll focus on that one next.

Dodge Grand Caravan 2.8L diesel firing order

The Dodge Grand Caravan 2.8L diesel firing order is 1-3-4-2 so it’s pretty similar to the petrol four-cylinder engine. However, the engine’s cylinders are arranged differently, so the first cylinder is at the front end of the engine, and cylinders 2, 3, and 4 follow up toward the rear end.

Fifth-generation Dodge Grand Caravan (2008-2020) firing order

The fifth-gen Grand Caravan model is a combination of engines used in the previous generation and a few newly added options.

Some engine options like the 2.8L diesel and the 3.3L V6 were still available for this model, but Dodge also added a 4.0L V6 and a Pentastar 3.6L V6 which became one of the most recognizable Grand Caravan engines.

Dodge Grand Caravan 4.0L firing order

The 4.0L Dodge Grand Caravan firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 just as it was for all the previous V6 engines. This engine might be the largest-capacity V6 used in this model, but it was based on the same block as the few smaller engines we’ve already discussed.

So, the cylinders are also arranged in the same way and it’s a transverse V6. You’ll find the first cylinder as the left-most cylinder in the upper bank, along with cylinders 3, and 5 to the right. Also, the bottom bank houses cylinders 2, 4, and 6 from left to right.

Dodge Grand Caravan 3.6L firing order

As the only engine that’s not transversely placed in the engine bay among Dodge Grand Caravan V6 options, we’ve got the Pentastar 3.6L engine. The cylinder banks of this engine are arranged into a left and right bank with cylinders 1, 3, and 5 on the passenger’s side.

Driver’s side cylinders are 2, 4, and 6 front to rear, and the Dodge Grand Caravan 3.6L firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6 as well.

Our take

Overall, the Grand Caravan has been one of Dodge’s most popular models and one of the most reliable minivan-class cars on the US market for years. It’s all thanks to immensely durable engines and if you enforce upkeep by the books with these, you’ll have no issue running the engine for years to come.

So, we advise you to use our guide as a sort of manual with instructions since our experts truly hope you’ll be able to make a difference for your engine with the firing order.