cerjed

What is the normal operating temp for the 4 speed transmission?

I probably need to work out.

How does it come off? Are there any screws or bolts? I tried pulling it off but it is very sturdy and I did not want to break anything. Hard to imagine it could detach by itself as the recall states. I found the catalytic converter too and it looks like the cover has to fall behind the engine a pretty good distance to make contact with it. You would probably hear all sorts of grinding or rattling sounds if the cover does detach as it makes its way behind the engine to where the catalytic converter is. I'm assuming the recall is not for all 2011-2015 2.4L Journeys and only applies to some identified as having a certain manufacturing or assembly defect?

Yes it is. The converter on the 2.4 is on the back of the engine behind the beauty cover. The cover could become dislodged from its mounting point and rest on the converter which could melt the plastic.

Feel free to remove the beauty cover and store it until the recall is announced if you are concerned about potential danger outlined in the recall, or if yours feels like it will not stay on securely. The cover performs no critical function to the operation of the engine; it is simply a dress-up item.

Good to know. Thanks a lot.

What is this "engine beauty cover"? Is it simply the same as the engine cover you see right away as you open the hood? Where is the catalytic converter in the journey?

My engine is the tiny 2.4. Only 4.5 quarts for me.

Finally got the fumoto installed over the weekend. The oil I drained looked dirty. Now I am positive that the oil and filter was not changed when I took it to the dealer for an oil change 6 weeks and 300 miles ago. I drained about 5.5 quarts of oil. I don't know if they overfilled it when I took it in for the supposed oil change. Imagine if I believed that the oil change was done and waited for the next OCI. I will definitely be doing my own oil changes from now on. The valve looks and works well. It does not protrude enough to increase the risk of anything hitting it while driving. I used the blue washer it came with and no leaks so far. Used Pennzoil platinum and Royal Purple oil filter for the oil change. I even enjoyed crawling under the car and doing the whole process. Looking forward for the next oil change. Any suggestions on what interval I should go with? 5000 miles or wait until the alarm goes off?

That's just wrong. A minimal fee is ok, but 250? Dealers in our area really suck. mgdj06 please share if you find an honest and reputable dealer in our area that is easy to work with. I have been tempted to activate the DRL on my DJ but I keep talking myself out of it mainly because I want to minimize my interaction with the dealer as much as possible.

On the topic of safety, anyone knows how safe the third row is on the Journey? Do the side airbags deploy that far back? I have looked at some crash test videos and it looks like on the tests they hit the vehicle where the 2nd row is. Have not seen a test where the side of the 3rd row is hit. Also, for a rear end hit, is the 3rd row too close to the hatch? What about the height of the 3rd row? It is higher compared to the grand caravan. Is this a plus or minus for a rear end hit?

Thanks dhh3 but Indiana will be a long drive for me.

Woah322, I really do not want to post the name of the particular dealer on a public forum. After all, this was my one and only experience with their service department. Maybe it was an isolated incident. I can PM you the name if you want. I don't think that will cause any problems but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks B4zinga. Those are also the reasons why I want to try it out. My only concern is the clearance from the ground. I would think the DJ is high enough but the potential for an accident is still on my mind.

You're right. I agree 100%. The manager may not be aware of what his mechanic was doing. The thing was I was already at home when I checked and it was a 40 min drive for me to get back plus traffic. They would have been closed by the time I got there and honestly I just did not want to deal with all the trouble and aggravation. I am the type of person who wants to avoid confrontation as much as possible (which I know does not serve me well at times). I could actually call today and take it up with the service manager but then the burden of proof will be on me. Even if somehow the manager sides with me and makes everything okay, whose to say that other people there wouldn't have heard of the incident and the next time I bring the car in something "accidentally" happens to it. All for a simple oil change. If it was a major repair, in which safety was an issue, things would be very different and I would raise hell. But small things like this, I try to not let it bother me. I was not out any significant amount of money since the service was heavily discounted and I think of it as a form of education. A reminder to always be on guard if I deal with this dealership again. My buying experience with them was really not so great either. The sales person was okay but dealing with the finance manager was an experience I would not want to repeat for many years. It was like he wanted the most he can get out of me but he was the one doing me a favor. You can probably tell that meeting was a disaster for me since I am not one to assert myself. I guess I was hoping the service department was better. A place where I go in, pay the right amount, and leave knowing the proper work was done. I have yet to find a service center like this and if anyone wants to refer anybody, I would be very grateful. This is only my second new car and based on what I experienced both times with different dealerships both during shopping and with the actual purchase, I am thinking that honesty and dealership does not mix well together - most times. I ran that first car into the ground doing little maintenance, jumping from one place to the next for service, and never even going back to the dealership because of unpleasant experiences there. I am planning on taking care of this DJ better. I guess I just need a little luck finding a mechanic I can stick with.

Long rant again, sorry.

Anyway, back to the topic. I ordered the fumoto and will see how it goes. I may not have chance to install it until June though. Will definitely update this post when I do.

Thank you all for listening and further comments are always welcome.

How is the clearance for the DJ? Is it going to be too exposed? I don't mind crawling under the vehicle. I just cannot do any vehicle work on our city streets. I plan on going to a friend's house and using his driveway so the lesser the mess the better. Thanks.

Hi all. First post but I have been reading the forum since last year, a few months before my purchase of a 2014 DJ in December.

I value the knowledge and experiences exchanged in this forum and I wanted to get some insight on the fumoto qwik valve for use in a 2.4l DJ.

I am planning on doing my own oil changes after an incident at the dealership a few days ago where I came in for an oil change and upon getting home, I find out that the oil filter was not changed. Invoice states filter and oil was changed along with the usual fluid top off and inspection but I don't believe the fluids were topped off either. Even the windshield washer fluid was the same level. I can only guess if the oil was really changed. You might be asking how I know that the oil filter was not changed. Well, before going to the dealer, I taped a small piece of transparent tape to the oil filter. It is so hard trying to find a trustworthy auto service place and I just wanted to see how trustworthy this service center was. Now, granted it was an early oil change and maybe the filter did not need changing plus the price of the oil change was discounted because I bought the vehicle from them . But shouldn't the service invoice reflect the actual work performed? The bottom line is they are saying a certain service was performed when in fact it was not. I am almost scared to think what can happen if it was a major repair work or warranty repair. Anyway, I am not upset or angry and I will not be confronting anybody from that dealership. I do not want to get confrontational in case I might have to go to the same dealer for repairs later on. I figured out and accepted long ago that not everyone can be counted on to do the jobs they are paid to do. Right now, I just want to go ahead and do my own oil changes. The thing is, I live in an apt bldg. and I would be doing the oil change at a friend's driveway so I want to be as quick and as clean as possible so any comments are welcome. Sorry for the long rant about a very simple topic and thank you in advance for any input.