NavalLacrosse

Assumption: It's the radio requesting the anti-theift code If the radio is the original: Check the glovebox for a sticker that might say the radio code. otherwise, You'll need to take the car to a dealership, and provide them with the VIN of the car, and the S/N of the radio. IF the radio is from another car, you'll need 1) original car VIN, 2)current car VIN, 3) radio S/N, and 4) written consent from the original owner of the original car the radio came from stating that you legally own the radio (it wasn't stolen)

I wonder how many other people will visit the forum as lurkers, then see this thread and be disgusted and leave. Probably a few to no one.

Selling Popcorn for this clown show: 3$ Un-popped, $10 Regular Size Butter flavor topping: $2 extra. (Unless It's me he's talking about, in which case I'd recommend only the most sarcastic and rude advice to assist in troubleshooting the problem.)

Welcome, Glad to have you in our forum

Pretty much the general feeling about this car and towing summed up. FCA Says don't do it, but there are people who've done it and it's not been an issue towing boats or trailers with their 2011+ v6's, especially with Aftermarket brake controllers. The general consensus is that somewhere between 2010 and 2011, FCA nurfed the towing capacity from 3500 to 2500 probably due to some warrenty claim %. Although, there could be legitimate safety issues with towing more than 2500lbs; (the 2011's had undersized brakes, which was an issue resolved in 2013+) maybe it's as simple as Chrysler's old criteria for braking power was sufficient for 3500lbs, whereas the (newly merged) FCA's standards of braking distance and heat dissipation in the mountains might not have been met- so instead of an expensive engineering solution, they just dropped the towing rating in the user manual costing $0 to implement, and sweeping the issue under the rug once and for all. Rest assured, some bean-counter in Auburn Hills made a big bonus check on that decision. Digressing more; You could argue that marketing wanted to 'nurf' the Journey to push Jeep sales. [conspiracy music ]

From your image of a cold climate, this is probably this is old news for you, but: AWD, Snow tires will aid in your 'line of work', if by that you mean commuting around on un-plowed roads rural New York. I've added a 2" hitch to mine. Specifically, it's for a bike rack, but It's nice to be pulled/pull others out of snowbanks by a real hard-point on the frame as opposed to the little tow-hook. It 'Won't' tow over the 2500 lbs limit, but who will stop you! (That's joke, because if you tow overweight, and the brakes fail, Who will stop you?) Looks like you have an emergency light bar on the roof? depending on what your occupation is, maybe additional light strobes on the rear near the license plate/ under the grille in the front would both look cool and provide additional safety.

Journey owners 2011-19: Our interiors look modern, therefore our cars are better! Journey owner 2008-2010: [Tows small travel trailer] Journey owners 2011-19: [Sobs silently]

Pre edit: before I posted the following, I quickly searched 5.6 liters to US qts. and, 5.6L = 5.91 qts. There is no problem with your engine, just seems there was an issue of conversion between metric and freedom units. I'm thinking FCA made a typo- It's really in the manual like that? No way! Leave it to us Americans to not know how to convert into metric in a technical document distributed in global markets! --------------------------- Hi, I've got the 2011 with the 3.6 v6 also. I've noticed the same issue you've mentioned, and never really think about it much after closing the hood. When I use 6qts, It sometimes feels a bit low on the dip-stick. I've got tired of buying extra quarts of oil only to use it half way, so ultimately my band-aid solution was: Leave a tiny bit more residual oil in the pan when I close. By changing the oil it faster, and closing the drain plug with a marginal amount of residual oil in the engine keeps the oil level in the 50% acceptable range when refilling with only 6qts. (5.6L)

After seeing your video, I've got some suggestions. but first: apologies for calling 'your mechanic' bad, especially if you're doing the work. Can't blame you for trying to save money I think we're all the same in that respect. New advice: Try checking/changing the relay in the engine bay fuse box. In the fuse/relay box under the Hood, there will we 1 relay, and 1 fuse for the starter. You can swap the relay with one of the other identically sized relays from a less critical system(radiator fan, for example). and try starting the car while it is jumped. If the car starts, then you know the relay was bad. If it doesn't start, then return the relay to the original position. (also, check the adjacent starter fuse (30Amp), although I don't think it's damaged, it's worth a look.) A failing starter relay could also be what's causing the battery to die, although I'm not sure if there is even power being delivered to the fuse box when the car is off.

I may sound a bit mean with this next sentence, [I'm not a mechanic, so I could be totally wrong, and there could be any number of electrical issues that are impossible to diagnose] but: The 08 Journey is not an overly complex car; I'm really concerned about the skill set of this mechanic you've hired. I'd take it to another mechanic, and tell them to fix it, Then, (If applicable) after they resolve the issue: Ask the new(better) mechanic to tell you what was actually wrong, and take that info to the first mechanic, and tell them to refund you the money they might have cheated you out of, or at least return you the parts they took off the car so you can sell them online to recuperate the lost money. For some reason i'm feeling extra skeptical today. ----Anyway,----- From your story, It sounds like either a battery issue, charging system issue, or a battery cable issue. Never sounded like a Starter issue, because you said that it started when you jumped the car the first time. Diagnosing a failing alternator, or dying battery is some one the most basic skills of a modern mechanic, Which is why I'm skeptical the mechanic changed the starter motor, even though the car was able to start just days earlier when jumped. If you're the type of person who likes detective work, you can try some simple tests with a volt meter, and Make logical conclusions about what's wrong. 1) When the car is OFF, check the battery voltage with a volt meter. It should be 12v. If the battery is indicating low voltage (like 5 volts or lower, for example) indicates you'll need another NEW battery (try to take it back to the manufacturer, and get a free replacement while under warranty). Even brand new batteries can be defective, this is why they come with warranties. 2) If the battery is OK (at 12 volts) then, try jumping the car: If the car starts, and sounds normal while running, then the started motor and it's relays are functional. 3) With the car engine running, disconnect the jumper cable. Measure the battery voltage after 1 minute. It should be 13+ volts, indicating that the alternator IS making some effort to charge the system. If the voltage is still at 12, or 11, or 10 volts, then this indicates that the charging system is having problems. bonus 4) Additionally, let the car run for 20 minutes without jumper cables attached. Then, turn off the car. Then, measure the voltage. If the battery voltage is LESS than in step 1, it is evidence of a charging system/battery main cable corrosion. Charging system might not be providing enough amps to charge the battery, or: The cables from the battery to the car are corroded/damaged. Good luck, and yeah, find another mechanic, and let them fix it.

These responses are great! Thanks, community, for such a detailed overview; when the weather warms up i'll 1st) adjusting the spacing to see if that fixes the soft pedal, then 2nd, bleed them totally, to solve the problem. I rent the proper tool for free from autozone, $60 deposit

I know my seat is a little weird in normal operation. I don't know if it's a defect, but when I adjust and recline and then try and get set up, occasionally one side's clasp doesn't lock 100%. Usually when I shuffle my butt and rock in the seat the lose side clicks into 100% clasp=locked position. I'm no NSTB investigator, but my working theory is: [The following is pure speculation:] Maybe the RH(right hand) recliner clasp wasn't %100 engaged due to otherwise normal wear and tear/low build quality. During the impact, the g-force of the driver's mass (must have been a hell of a hit) pushed into the seat hard: The force reclined the RH side rearward because the clasp was only '50% latched', as opposed to the LH side clasp was 100% latched and didn't move an inch. After the impact, the clasp re-engaged at %100 in the new position (the same way a driver normally wiggles their but in the seat to engage the reclining clasp, in normal use). The toque on the seat's internals are acting like a spring, and are putting LOTS of pressure (in opposite directions) on the two claps- and just like pressure on a house door's deadbolt make it difficult to unlock, this force will make pulling the recliner lever difficult, and it won't be sufficient to release the either of the clasps to return the seat back to it's upright position- and even if you did apply sufficient leverage (via putting forward pressure on the LH side, or downward on the RH side of the seat back) to free the clasps, ... the seat is probably be so twisted, neither clasp will be in alignment again - making it a safety hazard prone to repeat this kind of deformation again in a repeat accident. TL:DR; 1) If you repair this car yourself, Don't reuse the seat unless you accept the risk of this happening again to you. 2) Secondly, don't don't repair and resell the car with this original seat, knowing that such an accident could occur again, hurting the spine/back an unknowing occupant. It's Unethical, and their injury or death would be you saving a few bucks by reusing the damaged seat.

Welcome to the Forums!

... After giving jump starts? sounds like the car wont crank under normal conditions too? I give this advice more often than I should, But: (This is the band-aid of fixes) 1) 30 minute reset: Disconnect the Neg terminal where it bolts to the body, there is a lovely plastic holder FCA designed for this exact purpose of holding the Neg line away from the body. Let sit 30+ minutes, then plug it back in. Issue temperately solved? (This is the 'what worked for me' fix) 2) Consider changing the Battery, before going crazy with the What-ifs? of the internet. When the battery is anything less than 90% (figurative) health, the Electrical Gremlins show up- I'm serious. Everything from frozen, to totally off, touchscreens. (or volume knob that says 'time for max volume') wireless key warnings, Bluetooth failing to connect, the gauges at 140mph and 9k revs while the TPMS light is on.... all while the engine struggles to maintain even a foot-on-gas idle...and the stutters to death.... Took mine on a "what do i have to lose" trip to goodyear, and for $165 or so out the door I had a new battery and a car that's gone 30k miles without a single electrical gremlin.--- Mine's a 2011 Crew, with the 4.8" mini touchscreen. Best of luck

Welcome to the cult---- .... er, um... Forum .. !

You MAD-LAD!

Those black wheels.... To describe the color of the body, is it like a dark grey.. or a light black.... or is there some color (blue?) in there. Get us some more shots when it's sunny.

The community could use more description of the sound- My questions are (for diagnosis): If it's related to the speed of the car, or the speed of the engine? Does the thumping get faster with speed? Have you isolated it's location? (perhaps it's a single wheel... test by driving slowly with the windows down one at a time) Does it make the noise only while turning left or right? Does it go silent when the brakes are applied even while in motion still.? Can you feel the thumping in the steering? Have you looked under the car?; Is there a heavy duty plastic bag wrapped around the drive axle, or something similar to that? Is part of the seatbelt hanging out of the car? (yes, sounds stupid but it got me once!) Just trying to locate the issue, then rule out the simplest causes first.

can you find the fender pre-painted from a junk yard?

Yeah, Like I said, I work at GM in Detroit, and it's really the saddest thing. I'm a big fan of Ford's design language- which is why I spend all of my day making our [GM's] future cars better than theirs from a stylistic standpoint! haha.

So this is random, but hey; as my car forum I guess this is the right place for a simple review of a handful of random cars I drove while on vacation... but whatever. Backstory/TLDR; Vacation in Brazil. Drove some Global Cars. returned. Left my car keys in Brazil. Rented a Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross to make the 10hr round trip drive to Detroit to get my spare keys. Car #1 2020 Fiat Uno. It's a sub-sub-sub compact 4door hatch. 90 hp. 5sp manual. Shit for power while running Ethanol. Noisey engine+wind noise, transmission whine the WHOLE time on the highway. Comfy and small back seats. Oozes cheapness. pretty good MPG both city and freeway. Number of times nearly killed while attempting to pass Semi while on a two lane due to lack of power? 4. 5/10, wouldn't recommend for international mischief. Car #2 2020 Chevrolet Onix. It's a sub compact, larger than the Uno. Spent the most time in this one. Wife likes it. Base model ("Joy") oozes cheapness again. basically it had power steering, AC, 6sp, and power locks. and power front windows. that's the end of the features. Great city Fuel economy on Ethanol. Pretty quiet while on the highway compared to the Uno. 110 hp? We took this car though some sketchy undeveloped farming roads to get to the city we were visiting. The road was the type with sand, mudd, and sharp small rocks. also we did three suspicious two-wooden plank bridge crossing over a river, and passed two abandoned VW bus in the ditch. Times nearly getting stuck in the mud? 2. 6/10, would recommend over the Fiat Uno. for $15 USD/day out-the-door. you really can't go wrong with this car. good for rental fleet car use. Car #3 2004 Fiat Marea. It's a small/midsize sedan. It's reputation of being a rolling explosion defiantly is a popular joke in the car communities in brazil. What's good: Powerful, decent features... good car... except it's riddled with flaws. One in particular: from what my father-in-law tells me, "If you rev it too much, it can backfire... and if you do it too much while driving and it will send pressure back into the intake manifold, causing a small explosion." Heat from the engine had melted many of the plastic engine shields, and covers. clearly FIAT didn't have a clue when they did reliability testing on this car. Father-In law has two: one for driving, and one for parts. No one else drives this car because of it's reputation for breaking and exploding engine parts. He keeps it, and daily's it as almost a "just to spite the car community" when people see it. 2/10 No parts available in the shops. Car #4 2003 Ford Focus. Yes, same as our american one, just with some other features- and was build in Brazil. Probably one of the best of the cars I drove on the trip. had a failing thermostat, so the engine wouldn't get warm. (but who needs heat, it's Brazil in the summer) Quiet, refined, easy to comprehend by my narrow-minded american brain. 7/10 Would recommend. Car #5 2015 Ford Focus Titanium. Oh look, we have a friend who's a 'high roller' [Eyeroll] he's got himself a Titanium Focus. good. 10/10. "baller on a budget", get yourself one of these. Car #6 Ford Troller. (JEEP clone) It's a ford powered Jeep wrangler competitor. isn't sold in USA because it's clearly a infringement lawsuit waiting to happen. Rides like a jeep. People there claim it's better than the wrangler. It's probably true, it has a turbo diesel and is meant for undeveloped / developing counties with broken infrastructure. 9/10 fake 'I cant afford a real jeep' vibe, but still wish we had it in the USA. Bonus Car: 2010? Chevrolet Montana. (Mini Truck/ Unibody Truck/ Ute ) (I didn't Drive it) It's rare you see a car, and it's so obviously perfect utility-in-a-city car.... with its LOW bed, it made loading super easy. I noticed all the mini-trucks had boat-style rope anchors along the bed. made tie-down a breeze. It makes me ask why? Why are these highly efficient 4wd truck/sedans not sold in the us. My theory is that companies know Americans can afford to buy high-margin trucks, and mini-trucks would pull sales from the profitable full size trucks. (at least in the long run). 8/10 Bonus Car#2 2019? Ford Ranger. Brazilians love this thing just like american's love the F-150. it was everywhere. Probably a 11/10 desirability on this list. Heck- I'd get one, and I work for GM! haha ---- Then back to the USA! --- Car #7 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross First impression: Wow this looks cooler than I thought. Later impression: The switches and buttons for radio/window/hvac/seat adjustment are all in hard to reach areas. probably my biggest dislike is that the radio is a long reach for me to change the tuner. turbo engine delivers 140hp. which is great in the city... weak on the freeway. Weird split rear window easy hides headlines of cars directly behind you, meaning at night you might not see someone is behind you if they are exactly the right distance away. fuel economy SUCKED on the Highway. City was really good 30 mpg. at 80mph it made only 22mpg. 4/10 This is a good car, but for me it's just a polished turd. There's a reason Mitsu' isn't a leader in the US market. and finally: Car #8 2011 Dodge Journey after getting home I drove my DJ around for the first time: Thoughts: wow, This car is so much bigger than the sub-compacts. I can stretch my arms and legs even while driving. The Fuel economy is about equal to the Eclipse-Cross. considering I have twice the power, I'd take the Pentastar any day. Interior is very simple. Not anything to show off.... but EVERY Button is exactly withing easy reach. WHISPER QUIET compared to all the other cars (excluding the titanium focus) on the freeway. Steering is heavy and soft responsiveness means jittery inputs yield smooth outputs. Radio sounds amazing! 11/10. lol jk. 9/10. It's pretty good, but exterior lacks modern interior and exterior styling. comfort thru the roof. That's all

Hearing went back to normal after a few minutes. Thanks! I (and the caravan in front of me) hit the exact some pot hole in knoxville TN. Not a drive I'm looking forward to again soon.

Skip [or run away from, as previously stated] the 4cyl. You can get a V6 for the about same price. 1mpg sacrifice, 100 HP gain. Totally worth it.

BCM failing due to condensation inside the computer? that's my guess (and someone else is new to the forum is posting similar issues, not cold related)

That's a lot-o-codes I could be completely wrong, so i recommend taking it to a mechanic, but: I suspect that the Body Control Module is failing, or swimming in water.