Roger-Dodger

Avoid the Dodge Journey....even if it's given to you...!!!! I've been a faithful Chrysler owner for decades. Always had good luck with them....until now. It's poorly designed and will cost you big bucks to repair their mistakes. Poor design number 1 - First, look for the battery. It's in a nearly impossible location to remove and replace. HINT: It's hidden next the front wheel..!! Poor design number 2 - Then, there's the wiring harness between the rear hatch and the main body. Wires are fed through a flexible 'hose' located in a spot that gets a lot of flexing from frequent opening and closing the hatch. This eventually causes the wires inside to break and you lose your hatch lights. Get familiar with how to use a soldering iron to fix the broken wires. I never had this problem with any of my Chrysler mini-vans. And I saved the best for last..... Poor design number 3 - Changing from the old, familiar canister oil filter to a cartridge type which is mounted ABOVE the engine in an 'Oil Filter/Oil Cooler' assembly. Both coolant and oil pass through this thing and it eventually leaks from the O-rings and can only be repaired by removing the entire top of the engine to get to it. It cost me over $800 last week to have it replaced with a new one. Do a search on YouTube for several videos showing what's involved. Naturally both the Factory and Extended Warranty had expired. So with only 77K on it, it's time for a Honda or Toyota. No more Chrysler products...!!!

I've had both inner tail lights fail on the hatch. The problem each time was a broken wire in the flexible wire harness at the top of the hatch. All of the wiring for the hatch goes through this harness, and the frequent opening and closing of the hatch eventually breaks the wires. I never had this problem with my Town & Country because the harness is located at a different place on the hatch. I fixed both wires by peeling back the rubber 'hose' and soldering the broken wires back together. This is yet another poor design on the Journey along with the battery location and the oil filter/oil cooler assembly. When your engine and frame are covered in oil, it's time to get the checkbook out. I just had mine replaced at the dealer last week for over $800 bux....!! The entire top of the engine has to come off to get to the cooler/filter assembly. Google YouTube for videos if you think you can do it yourself. Good luck with the broken light wires. It's an easy fix. <>

LED Update..... After extensive testing today, I determined that the problem is NOT the passenger side inner LED tail light assembly. Instead, I discovered that there's no power to the inner LED assembly plug. Power to the DRIVER'S side inner LED assembly works fine. Note that this is the INNER lamp assembly which only holds the filament-type backup lamp and an LED lamp assembly which is only on when the headlight switch is on. It is NOT a brake light or a turn signal. Other than a break in the wiring harness, is there a fuse which controls only this passenger side inner LED lamp...?? Thanks....!!!

The LED light on one of my 2014 Journey's tail lights is not working. I can't afford to spend $150+ for a new LED assembly. Kinda expensive for a single light bulb. But I can get complete replacement assemblies for the car made for 'normal' light bulbs for one-third the price. My question is, can I use the 'old fashioned' bulbs directly with the existing wiring? Or is the LED wiring at the plug a different voltage for the LED...?? Thanks....!!!

Greetings... I was told by a local garage mechanic NOT to use a battery tester on my 2014 Journey. He said it would damage the electrical system and computer. I've been using an inexpensive 100 amp battery load tester from Harbor Freight on my older Chrysler products with no problem. I'm mainly interested in the 'Cold Cranking Amps' up here in snow country. Got any opinions about using it on my Journey...??? Thanks >> (My tester is the type that heats up a coil until it glows like a toaster.) Roger >>

I gave it a try, but as you said, I wasn't allowed to access it. Thanks for the info...!!

Thanks to 'jkeaton' and '2late4u' for your prompt replies. I had an idea that's what those knockouts were for. Thanks for confirming it. Cheers....'Roger'.

Towing a disabled Journey requires special precautions in order to avoid drivetrain damage. In some cases, only a flatbed tow truck can be used. But I notice on the front and rear bumpers of my 2014 Journey, there's a square 'knockout' plug on the left side of each bumper fascia below the lights. Are these the locations where tow hooks can be attached to the metal bumper behind the decorative fascia..?? There's no mention of them in the Owner's Manual, so just wondering what the 'knockouts' are for. Thanks...!!

Greetings... Does a PRINTED service manual for the 2014 Journey exist...??? I've been driving for over 50 years and have owned many vehicles in that time. I do most of my own maintenance and the first thing I purchase is the Service Manual for the car. I've had manuals from Chilton, Haynes, Chrysler etc. Recently, I acquired a 2014 Journey SVT with the 3.6 engine and started searching for a service manual. So far, no luck. I've seen some info available on a CD or DVD, but I want a printed manual. I have the usual Owner's Manuals that came with the car. Now, I need the service manual. Have they stopped printing manuals? Or is the car too new for the aftermarket printers to make one? I'd appreciate any help If you can lead me to a source. Thanks...!! Roger >>