bfurth

The strap should prevent the seat from latching if it gets stuck vertically behind the seat (the latch is right below the strap, so if it's pointed down, it should latch). If it goes off to the side, just get a smooth dowel to pull the strap back up from either side of the latch. There are always many methods to fix a problem. Glad you got it loose.

My wife's 2010 Chrysler Town and Country Touring sits in the driveway. My garage has too many cases to count of outgrown children's clothing, a chest with the power tools that don't fit inside the house, and a half-finished coffee/train table that I've been "working" on since last fall. Oh, and don't forget the pieces of lumber that will eventually become the base boards to the pantry (that takes up space that used to be in the living room) I still haven't primed and painted the drywall for (another project I started last fall). But my Journey gets a bath every week! I'm a lucky man - my wife hasn't killed me yet!

Next up - trying the same test with a flash drive!

Welcome to the board! Get a bluetooth speakerphone - it can be found for ~$40 on Amazon (I think that particular option is a Jabra). They charge via USB, so get a 12v charger with 2 USB ports (if you don't already have one).

Back to the topic at hand: Hey, another Marylander! I bought my Journey to replace an '03 Malibu (and I also have 3 little ones - the third was just born 3 weeks ago!) Depending on their size/age, and the presence of a Mrs. (or Mr. - you never know in Maryland...) DodgeMD, the Journey might not be the best choice for you. It's not an off-road vehicle, even with the AWD drivetrain. If you are the father of a family of 5 (including spouse), and you have more than 2 kids in car seats, you lose a good portion of the cargo area. If it's just you and three kids, and at least one of them is 12 or older, then you've got plenty of seating and decent enough cargo space. If you can bring yourself to do it, look at the Grand Caravan/Town and Country (you have 3 kids, you're not cool ). Uses the Pentastar engine (GREAT engine for that vehicle) and the same transmission as the Journey, but brings HUGE cargo space, lots of comfort, etc. Either will make a very good family hauler, but the Journey is obviously MUCH more fun. It's a VERY competitively priced crossover (thousands less than Ford/Toyota/Honda/etc. equivalents with better basic equipment) and I've been very happy with mine for the 3 months I've had it (bad drivers hitting me repeatedly aside).

They redesigned the 3.6L filter in 2012(? - it might have been '13, I forget exactly when the change was made). The new engines have a bigger filter. In the old days (and with the 2.4L), you could just make a bigger filter that still fit the threads and didn't affect ground clearance. The 3.6L has a drop in filter (instead of the old canister style) and requires a new casting for that component, making the new one wholly incompatible with the old one. Always double check your part numbers! Do not trust Amazon, Advance Auto, AutoZone, Pep Boys, O'Reilly's, or anyone else. Go to the manufacturer of the part and check the vehicle compatibility from them. For example, Amazon shows that the L10241 (Purolator Classic) filter fits my '10 T&C (Chrysler 3.8L engine) but the PL10241 (Purolator ONE filter), identical in everything (except filter media to the L10241 and the ONE model has the rubberized coating on the can to make it easier to install) does not fit. Purolator says both fit (no kidding - it's basically the same part). Always compare the old part to the new one before installation (and before removing anything that prevents return, if at all possible). If they don't match (and you don't know why they don't), don't install it.

You shouldn't need to - the axle goes through the back of the wheel bearing. The bolts are on the back side with what should be plenty of clearance, the axle nut is on the outside. The most you'd have to do is put the spare tire on to give yourself leverage (the weight of the vehicle) to break the axle nut loose. The axle doesn't need to move to remove the wheel bearing.

Fair enough. Though, anyone living in an area which gets salted roads should just expect their cars to have more problems over their expected life. Salt is a horrible thing.

FYI - this is what the part actually looks like: http://www.1aauto.com/2009-13-dodge-journey-wheel-bearing-and-hub-assembly-front-driver-or-passenger-side-timken-ha590344/i/tkshf00234?f=561171&y=2011 If you were to do this job yourself, there will be four bolts that hold the wheel hub/bearing assembly to the steering knuckle and the axle will slide into the center of the hub. For the 2011 (shares brake components with the T&C from '09 through '12) including the wheels, there would be a total of 14 bolts/nuts to remove per wheel hub replacement (5 lug nuts, 2 caliper slide pin bolts, 2 caliper adapter bolts, 1 axle shaft nut, and 4 wheel bearing bolts). This is just an assumption, since I've not done this exact job before, but knowing how it's all put together, this is what should line up. The worst part is getting the brake rotor off. That's why I anti-siezed the backs of my rotors on my van the last time I changed the brakes.

The Powertrain Warranty covers everything from the back side of the throttle body (but not the throttle body itself) to the outboard CV joints on each axle shaft and everything in between (except hoses and the PCV valve, and probably spark plugs, but I don't remember off hand if they are covered items or not). All internal seals, mechanical components, etc. are covered for the length of the Powertrain Warranty. Wheel bearings are NOT part of the powertrain (even though it is the last component between the axle and the wheel). If it moves, it's "consumable," it's just a question of how long it takes for it to break down. The headliner is not a "consumable" part, nor is your carpet. Wheel bearings can last quite a long time (my mother had an '07 Saturn Vue that still had the original wheel bearings on it when the rest of the suspension went up at 180,000 miles). They can fail at 100,000 miles (see my sister's (my old) '05 Cavalier). You might never have to replace them. It's a grease-lubricated ball bearing moving wheels with a rotational speed at the outer edge of 70+ mph for tens or hundreds of thousands of miles. Eventually it will wear out. The good news is modern wheel bearings are a fairly easy DIY job (if you have the right tools). Most of the time, there is a single nut that holds the axle to the wheel bearing (and you need a BIG breaker bar to get it off if you don't have air tools). Once it's broken loose, the hub is probably only held in by 4 bolts (and there's a wheel speed sensor that needs to be disconnected as well). The worst part is taking the brakes apart to get to it - but since they're disc brakes, it's a relatively easy job. I changed out the driver side wheel bearing on that Cavalier in about 2 hours - having never done the job before in my life. The construction of my '10 Town and Country is similar (just differs in bolt pattern and torque specs, but that's what an extra 1,500 pounds of steel gets you), and the T&C/GC shares a LOT of components with the Journey. If you are mechanically inclined, find a service manual (try Mitchell's or any of the other online options), get the appropriate tools (most auto parts stores loan them out for a refundable deposit), and get to it! If you can change brakes, you can change a wheel bearing. As for what the dealer charged you for the bearing replacement, that sounds about right (1.5 hours in labor at $100-$120/hour, plus another $220 for the part, plus shop fees and taxes).

Right? 3 radiators in 4 years? Stop putting tap water in the overflow bottle. Distilled water and exact same coolant as originally filled only. HOAT and OAT do not react well with each other, and even worse with "universal" type coolants. And for heaven's sake, stay away from DEX-cool. Also, can someone explain what a "caliper pad" is? I know what brake pads are, and I know what calipers are. I've never heard of a "caliper pad." Probably has something to do with headlight fluid.

I was going to say... What would be the point of having an exposed cone filter to replace the existing air box? It's already sucking in air from outside the engine bay. It CAN'T get any colder than that (unless you put an AC evaporator in front of it). I really like the position of the stock design - high up, forward facing, with a large "filter" (the piece of rubber moulding) in front of it to prevent road debris from getting in. Why would you change it? Unless you're changing the overall path, but since the intake manifold is shaped as oddly as it is, what benefit is there?

Read your window sticker. If it's not on the sticker, it's not in your Journey. If it's on the sticker and it's not in your Journey, talk to your salesman.

Out of curiosity, how did that break?

Factory warranty (36 month/60,000km) and powertrain warranty (72 month/100,000km) is in effect for the VEHICLE (regardless of owner) from the original in-service date of that Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep/Ram vehicle. You might be elligible for a Mopar Vehicle Protection Plan - that would be based on the terms you select at purchase of this plan. If it's not directly from Chrysler, my recommendation would be to not purchase it. If it's a Mopar plan, feel free to do so, depending on how long you wish to keep the vehicle. As always, read the fine print. In the US, it's 36,000/100,000 miles - you guys north of the border get screwed. It's the same vehicle manufactured in the same factory - there is no reason why FCA should have a different length warranty just because of where it was purchased. Except rust-through protection - a vehicle in the rust belt will rust out decades earlier than one sold in Florida.

I used to work at Apple tech support (many many years ago). I used to be able to make iTunes sing and dance (the USER not so much...) You can put your iTunes folder pretty much anywhere you want, so long as your profile (iTunes Library) knows where to look for the files. What I want is what file format the 4.3 UConnect radio uses for reading playlists from a USB device (not an iPhone running iOS whatever or a VERY old iPod that still has a click wheel). I could do it by folder, but that eats up too much space and creates duplicates if you want song X in 2 or 3 different playlists. Mind you - this is mostly due to curiosity and the current level of function doesn't bother me. But there's a button that should work and I haven't made it work yet. As an IT person, this bothers me.

Seconded on the flashlight not causing a battery drain. My T&C has one, and the Mrs. is knocking it out of the charger all the time (not that it works in the first place - we bought the van used and the flashlight has never worked reliably). It wouldn't cause any battery issues (unless you did something stupid to the charge receptacle on the vehicle). 5 year old vehicle with the original battery is getting close to borrowed time. A faulty cable will accelerate things.

Enjoy your Chrysler 62te transmission. It's a feature. Happens in other vehicles with the same transmission.

Just get a bigger flash drive. They're cheap, and substantially bigger than SD cards. If you figure out how to get playlists to work through the SD card, I'd like to hear how. I haven't had the time to work out how to make them function through USB.

Buy a multimeter (if you don't already have one). Set it to the 20V range. Attach positive leed to positive jump terminal (no need to get back to the battery just yet) and negative leed to negative terminal. Read the voltage - a good battery will be in the 12.5V neighborhood with the vehicle off. Get someone else to start the vehicle. Read the voltage again with NO electrical load (all accessories and lights turned off) - it should read in the 14-14.5V range. Have your assistant turn on the headlights - you should notice an immediate 1-1.5V drop, and then it should come right back up. If the battery voltage is too low to begin with (and you just replaced it), there is a good chance it's the alternator. Also, the "battery" warning light is not a battery warning light. It's "charging system" (read: alternator) warning light that happens to be shaped like a battery. I have a 2010 T&C that had a P0562 (system under voltage) engine code when the battery died (5+ year old battery in the middle of single digit Fahrenheit weather, I'm not surprised it gave up). The only light that came on for the battery was the MIL (check engine).

Chrysler cut quite a few corners across all vehicles up through the 2010 model year. Vehicles manufactured after 2011 (or had mid-generation refresh in 2011 or later) have been of MUCH higher quality. Compare the inside of a 2009/2010 Journey with a 2015. Compare the engine offerings for the Grand Caravan/Town and Country from 2008-2010 with 2011 and later. Fiat, and the lead up to the takeover, has been VERY good for Chrysler. It should have happened without the cash of the US federal government, but that's a discussion for another day.

If he's got a 3.5l engine (which the 2010 was the last year that was available), it uses 10w-30. It's an underbored version of the 4.0l of the same time frame. Chrysler eliminated the 3.3/3.8 and 3.5/4.0 when they released the 3.6l Pentastar in 2011. Check the bottom of your engine oil pan - is it wet with oil? How about the valve cover seals? Head gasket? How does your oil look (frothy/milky?) Is there oil in your coolant? If you are under the powertrain warranty (mileage is good, it depends on the in-service date, and with a 2010, you're pushing it). Call Dodge customer service and give them your VIN to check warranty status. If you are under warranty, you can take it to a dealer and have them check for leaks. At 1 quart/2,500 miles, they probably won't do any significant work (my experience with a 3.8l engine was the cutoff being at 1qt/1,000 miles). If you are out of warranty, the places for oil consumption I would look (besides the obvious exterior leaking seals) would be a leak down test and a coolant pressure test. If both of those pass, and your PCV valve is ok (just replace it, it's not much more than $10), then it's probably valve seals (parts are cheap, labor is not). If the leak down test fails, it's piston rings (have fun with that). If a coolant pressure test fails, you have a leaking head (and you will also have milky/frothy oil). In that case, get a new engine. *I am not a mechanic. I only put out that which I have experienced. Take all of this with a grain of salt.

Well, if they measure headlight aim without a full tank of gas, the aim is not correct anyway. Taking it with half a tank and checking the aim points will have them too low (tail rising due to lack of weight).And yes, there are some ridiculous aspects of this state. But we make up for it with steamed crabs and good football. Real football - not that fake Canadian stuff (though we have one of your Grey Cup championships anyway.) -this portion aimed at our northern neighbors

The WGE 4 cylinder engine is old tech? That engine design is about 10 years old. The first production vehicle with it from Chrysler was in 2007. It feels like a good engine (gives about as much room to work with as the GM Ecotec engine I had in my old Cavlalier - a car that is still going at 140k with my sister driving it and barely maintaining the thing), albeit a little underpowered for a vehicle that size. Then again, the 3.8L in my '10 T&C is 197hp (compared to the 2.4's 173) and 230 lb-ft of torque (it's got the 2.4l there - only 166 for the Journey). It's not a towing vehicle, but that's not why I bought it. If I wanted to tow something, I'd buy a truck with a diesel engine. It handles my daily drive just fine, I just need to exercise a little more caution while getting onto the highway. It accelerates well enough, so long as you give it enough gas!

In Maryland, private vehicles are registered for 2 years with registration fees based on shipped curb weight (the cutoff is 3,700 pounds). Under that number, it's $135. Over that number, it's $187. New stickers are printed with the license plate number embedded in the sticker. The registration is also printed on the same page, so it's all done at once. The month portion of the registration is determined by when the vehicle was first registered in the state. These can be purchased online. Oh, and if you want to move here from out of state, you have to title and register your vehicle with the Maryland DMV. And then you get to pay the state more. Kind of a disincentive to ever move here if you ask me. But we've recently elected a governor who just signed a law allowing Tesla to sell vehicles directly to consumers without using a 3rd party dealership, so maybe he can get some of our ridiculous anti-business and anti-new-resident laws and regulations fixed.