NavalLacrosse

Update! Disconnected the ground (from under the hood). Waited 30 minutes Problem solved!

TLDR; My radio is lazy, and unresponsive. Volume isn't working, and XM is not working. Will attempt a 'disconnect the negative terminal' trick, per forum discussions. feeling optimistic; will update. Story: As a follow-up to my previous repair tutorial entitled "Cruise Control, LOVE TAP FIX", and my experience as a Alternative Mechanical Repairman (ei, advocate of using the Love-Tap to fix everything from HVAC to Gauge Clusters) I recently noticed my Uconnect 4.3 (2011 DJ) was slowing down, crashing on boot up, and XM/Volume was unresponsive. After boastfully explaining to my wife that 'I knew FCA products, and that a well placed 'LOVE TAP' would fix this touch screen...' I proceeded to give the side of the console a 'THUD' (Just south of the ignition) AND I SHIT YOU NOT THE RADIO FUNCTIONS ALL RETURNED TO NORMAL! ALL WORKING- XM, FM and the VOLUME!... we couldn't stop laughing!!!!.... for about 5 minutes... then it froze again. Oh-well. So today, I check the forums. some folks say to leave the battery disconnected for 30 minutes. Seems legit. I'll do this tonight- and report my findings. I have no doubt this will solve my issue. PSA: I work at GM now... So I get to deal with my coworkers bugging me to switch my ride daily. To them I say "ONCE FCA, HERE TO STAY!" .... Also, it's not in my budget for a new car.

Good Luck! So far my hitch has been holding up well. I've not towed with it, but my bikes are still strapped on there- so far so good.

Welcome! Coming from a Prius to a DJ? Get ready for your sweet sixteens (That being the 16mpg city mileage) hah! Anyway, I Like you , was worried about buyer's remorse. After 6 months (when the warm and fuzzies go away) I evaluated my decision to purchase the DJ. I didn't regret it! now, fast forward another 4 months and I'm still not regretting it! I do wish I had the backup camera. I've been driving the snot out of mine; me and my wife share it- and in 9 months we've done 20,000 miles. I don't think I'd get the journey again, unless offered a great deal on a pre-owned. I do think it makes a super good/comfortable daily car- and for what I paid for it, I'd never get a car with similar options, attractive interior, and as low miles.

SO, final follow-up. I ended up with a C200-type camera. Picked it up for $36. Suction mounted. Works well- other than the G sensor 50% of the time thinking me leaving my car is a 'mild collision' and recording a 30 second burst. Here's the link- This is the dash cam for people, who like me, care about the 3 dollar price difference between one model, and the next.... and nothing else. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B2R7M67/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I Like mine, but I would recommend anyone else to really consider the 'Flush Mount' type cameras, as they don't obstruct the forward view as much.

Welcome to the Forum! Don't forget to set the speedometer and the infotainment to US Units when you tell us your stories of ownership... so us 'Muricans aren't confused by the complexities and mystery of the metric system. HAHA jk. Agreed, probably not first choice for most of us. I was driven by it being the best mileage to cost ratio.... and my wife liked it. for the price I paid on mine, I could have gotten a lot worse. In fact, now that I have it, I've been totally satisfied! Keep up with your maintenance, and you'll have that bugger for a long while.

I saw my first Dodge Journey police car in Orlando just a few weeks back. It was grey, with the just the in-grille and under windshield lights. Super unmarked. It was helping with crosswalk duty outside Amway Stadium. Makes sense, as nobody expects such a car being under cover police.

Jkeaton, I'll do that now. JWheat411, That's a pretty cool one. I am very happy to see these units are not super expensive. I'm not sure on this one, even though it's really feature-rich. I would like the suction cup version better... you know, in case of an accident that wasn't necessarily their fault- when the emergency game of 'hide the dash cam under the passenger seat' needs to take place....

All, It's been a while. After getting run off the road, thankfully resulting in nothing more that a few heart felt emails to the truck's parent company... it has come time to install a dash camera! Which ones do you have? Are you satisfied? What are the highlights and features of your respective cameras? Costs and links to Amazon? Considerations for during my install? Side note: Keep in mind, I'm in Michigan. The land of 'no fault' insurance. Dash cams here are not popular. For the most part, I've noticed very few people drive aggressive here... I guess the no fault keeps people more or less defensive at all times... As you're S. O. L. even if the other guy was at fault... I'm used to the mobius in my RC airplanes... But don't want to go that route because of the DIY aspects with powering it from a 12v supply. I want on that tucks up being the passenger side of the mirror, and has things like 1 hr loop, g sensor, ect. and perhaps other neat features. Looking forward to your suggestions or links to other threads!

looking forward to reading it! (Belated comment!)

What's the FCA Bumper to Bumper warranty? 3/30k? you'd need to fall in the bumper to bumper warranty for it to be covered. That being said, you mentioned it's a CPO. Did your dealer give you a special 30 day or something bumper to bumper? might be worth asking. Lastly, it might not hurt to just ask them. don't want to make you hopeful, but if there is no warranty, maybe talking nicely/firmly to the dealership will lead to them finding one from a back room they had lying around... you never know. PS. if you're feeling like getting even, just test drive an '18 and swap the plates. the next owner/person to test it will report it and claim it under bumper to bumper on that new car.... you know, if you're feeling devious and stuff.. My driver side one is starting to fail... i'm just dealing with it for now. I know if i fix it it'll just fail again later....

Sorry for missing the reply, i'm still getting the hang of the forms down... Yes, It's the V6. It was a dealership's courtesy/rental for it's youth. Always driven with dealer plates, so I'm actually the first Owner. as of right now I've put 12,000 additional or so miles on it. I drive so much. Me and my wife share one car to cut expenses, so we really roll that ODO. even while I'm at work she is out doing her thing too.

My wife and I during the Xmas-eve snowstorm this year... also my DJ, for some reason, running without the fog lights on... My name's Tim

You're quite right. I suppose i wish they just came off easier....

YESS TO ALL! A mile really isn't that long when you're clipping at 90. Been there; I did two back-to-back there-and-back 190x2 mile jogs to get to O'hare airport... cruised at 85mph the whole Michigan side(120 miles) - 4 AM. This machine rides so smooth and quiet at speed for a inexpensive car. A separate occasion, I accidentally hit 90, Didn't even know I was doing it. I'm going to start (or find the fuel economy form) and see what speed yields what hwy mileage. honestly, I've done the best at 75mph. 55 was rather sad, with no real gains in economy. That 85mph long haul only made 22 MPG (reset on hwy) mileage... Defogger on. side note, my caravan would do 35 mpg at 35 mpg... as long at i didn't account for red lights.

Those freaking RUBBER HANGERS on the Muffler hooks...

@grapeguy, Grape, Someone mentioned you had your computer reprogrammed to have the towing hitch installed... Do you think this reset the car's fabled "learns your throttle pedal response" memory? My DJ isn't peppy, but one i test drove before buying mine was a rocket ship. Perhaps your car is in default mode, and it's just got to learn again? Anyway, I'd suggest a service rep or mechanic ride along, and ask to also test drive a DEMO or rental or new one with same drivetrain. compare them. You're under warranties , so give em' hell! Last thing, are you sure you're not towing a boat? symptoms sound pretty conclusive you're just driving to the cabin for the weekend... Best of luck!

Sylvian, I'll try and address your questions one at a time: I've included what photos I've got on my phone from the install. Muffler Rubber, HOW I LOATH MUFFLER RUBBER.... (Side note, I should add that to the "What really grinds my gears" Topic): Do you have penetrating oil? That's what I should have used, but I ended up with (WD-40 brand?) Silicone spray (https://www.amazon.com/WD-40-300014-Specialist-Resistant-Lubricant/dp/B0083V8K0U/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1515528930&sr=8-5&keywords=silicone+spray) I'd recommend liquid wrench deep penetrating oil if I was to do it again. Apply a liberally as possible, wiggle the rubber, spray, wiggle. Then use a combination of a sizable pry-bar and a rubber mallet for fulcrum to get leverage, and pick a direction (top hook, or bottom hook; pick one you can get good leverage on) and just muscle it off. lubricate both sides frequently... don't forget to support that pipe. I had not a single problem with the kit at all. All bolt fit perfectly. I have some thoughts on what may be causing your problems, I'll start with dumb/obvious first: Are you sure the bolts are the same length? there are six total, and two were shorter than the other four.... Did you get the bolts to 'fall into' the square slots in the metal rectangular-tabs that go in the frame? (this one I had a problem with) Did you clean the derbies out of the hollow frame with a metal brush, or compressed air? maybe there is a pebble in there propping up the metal rectangular-tab. Did you get two on and two barely on? Maybe your hitch was manufactured twisted. Mine was a little, but even so i was able to hand-thread all four nuts onto the four bolts with about half an inch of thread exposed below the hitch on every bolt. see the photo. Worse comes to worse, just buy longer screws with the square head/key to slot into the rectangular frame-tab. (Look here in the following link; these are the bolts, installed without the hitch, with the rectangle tabs in the hollow frame. There is about 0.75-1.0 inch out the bottom on these two. basically the same excess on the third (Not pictured) https://imgur.com/EsLGcng Hope this helps!

Thanks, It's really low low on the list. I'll never miss what I never had.

TLDR: Be mindful of the demo start date. The warranty clock and mileage starts when the dealer puts it in service. Do you use REDDIT? If so, check out the section called "R/AskCarSales" It's a pretty busy subreddit full of bored and honest salesman who help you a pretty good amount... They get this question probably a dozen times per day. I'd give it a shot... they really helped me alot, running free carfax, vin reports, and warranty reports just because i was chatty with them. just makes sure you say you're Canadian, they're sticklers about location. ----------- Biggest thing to note is that the warranty has already begun. Say, if the FCA Bumper to bumper warranty is 30k miles, and there's 1.4k mi (2k km(?)) then know that's mileage you'll not get back... also, the clock is ticking on the warranty as well. If it's been in their demo fleet for a year, then you can know that you've got one less year of warranty. You should be able to determine this from the Carfax, or by taking the dealers word for it. When I worked at a Chevy dealer, we tried to keep the Demo/rental units below 2000-3000 miles. To my understanding, sales will reduce the cost a proportional amount for the miles. In my opinion, Demos, even the rental ones, are not that badly beat on. If one's beat on, at least it was only for it's first thousand miles. Test drive it, and if it smells good (Not like weed), and you enjoy the drive (thinking nothing about the demo's history) I'd say keep it on your short list if the price is right.

So I've got a 2011, CREW with the flexible seating package. On the original window sticker, it claims "8.4 uconnect Credit: -$240" Does this mean that the 'base' CREW has the 8.4 and mine was downgraded to the 4" by request/chance of the dealer back when it was ordered? Does anyone who order these DJ know what the U connect credit means? is it basically a deduction for getting the cheap version or an indication of upgrade-ability? even the Dodge website (The one that is basically useless, and is run by mopar as a platform for selling parts) says my car has the 8.4 unit, even though mine has the 4" Side note: not to distract from my actual questions, but this is why I ask. As many, countless people do, I'm dabbling in swapping the head unit to a 8.4 Uconnect. Before you freak out, I know its really hit or miss (More miss that hit)... though from reading countless articles, I've come to the conclusion that I've lucky, and the CREW with auto climate control (No SD card) is set for basically plug-and-play with an activated 8.4 head-unit of a specific part number. Don't worry, I'll not do it yet till even more research.. I don't want to have a incomplete install, and i'd rather keep the 4" than waste $250 on a 8.4 unit that doesn't achieve 100% function/interface with climate and system controls.

aahahaha in my dreams!. no, Sorry for the confusion, and not being more clear. I was referring to the 19" Wheels and factory sized tires on the DJ, when compared to the much more common sized, and less expensive tires (16"? idk.) alloys on my old caravan.

Nice, I've found in my limited experience that the 19" Alloy rims are dawned with the most expensive cheap tires ever. Discount Tire sells Kumhos for it for 139$ each in my area, as opposed to 70$ on my old caravan's (16"? wheels)... let's just say after I got my first nail in a tire and realized the cost of replacement (Quoted at $250-$190 replaced and mounted as the cheapest option.) I got the 25$ per tire warranty Discount Tire offers for replacing side-wall impacts and blowouts not only at discount, but for reimbursements for other tireshops too. Side note for OP: That's either the smallest toy model of the DJ I've ever seen, or the largest flower decoration of all time. What kind of exotic foliage are ya' guys growing up there!?1?

Yes, I've got the FWD. (TLDR; there's no real difference between AWD, FWD while on dry pavement under day-to-day conditions. My opinions on AWD vs FWD regarding improved on snow handling, and reduced safety while at speed) The first DJ i test drove was a '15 with 15k miles (In the SXT trim, AWD) and I felt a noticeable difference... though, this was in ideal summer conditions. My conclusion to this was that the journey I own "Learned" to be driven by lead foot detroit/warren drivers (Meaning my average throttle use yields a sluggish acceleration, akin to powerful golf-cart), as apposed to the one i test drove in gentle Midwestern town (Where my average throttle response yielded hella-peppy acceleration). I think steeling response is just a tolerance thing between different automakers. maybe it was the short wheelbase I was feeling wobbling that got me feeling less stable in my dad's highlander... regardless, both my DJ and dad's highlander have hydraulic steering. Difference between AWD and FWD on snow- Though I've not driven an AWD DJ on snow, I can theorize that its pros include better day-to-day acceleration on ice, and improved up-hill incline zero-to-going acceleration, along with some minor improved deep snow capabilities. Call the following red-neck physics, but I feel far safer in a FWD car driving at high speed in slushy/turned snow covered slippery roads, as opposed to AWD. For example, if i'm passing a semi on I-94 in the slush, in FWD there is 'zero' chance that accelerating through a lane-change will cause the back end to break free. A powered FWD lane change just results in the steering wheel 'Bucking' as the left and right tires glide over the slush and contact the pavement again (Remedied by having a firm hand(s) on the wheel)... as opposed to an AWD which might catch/lose traction in the rear at just the right moment to cause a slide... of course that's where the stability computers(?) take over, but I don't like the scenario... (This is just a redneck physics idea regarding FWD causing under-steer by default, and AWD enabling over-steer by rare-but-random chance) feel free to correct me, I might learn something valuable.

After reading a few other recent posts, I'll apologize if I sound dick-ish about the heat. I was referring to people who in the fall/autumn were basically complaining about their heat not being as good as they hoped- If your heat is/coolant/oil is giving trouble, I hope that you're able to diagnose and resolve those issues in a quick and inexpensive way. -Thanks