mechanical-idiot

Thanks jkeaton! You da man! That is pretty cool. I will have to try that on the driver side door of our Ford Fusion. Door dings. I wonder if it will take the dent out of the rear side fender of the Nissan Juke that my wife ran into in the parking lot downtown. Probably not! mechanical-idiot

Just added a new vehicle. Retired the 1998 Honda Accord. It needed 1000 dollars worth of repairs. Not going to spend that on a 20 year old car. 2010 Ford Fusion 4 cylinder. Great little town car. We really like it, but it is no Dodge Journey! A lot fewer problems with the Ford though! mechanical-idiot

Thanks for clarifying this bfurth and Summer Solstice. mechanical-idiot

Just had the same problem. It is a blend door actuator. Had to be replaced. 70 bucks for the part and 80 for labor. It started last year, fixed itself, then came back. Works like a top now. Apparently youtube has some videos on how to replace it, but I didn't have the time to do it. Also, I was afraid I would break it or something else while trying to save a few bucks. Sometimes it is easier to just get something fixed at the dealer. I am almost at the point where I could write a book about problems and repairs to the Dodge Journey, but I don't have the time to write it. mechanical-idiot

Oh, I forgot to tell everyone this: My mechanic told me to keep the key fob away from the vehicle when it is not in use. He said that it is constantly talking to the vehicle and could help drain the battery. I don't know shit from grease, so I am not sure if this is true or not, so we moved our key fobs away from the door and put them in the kitchen cupboard at the back of the house. The fobs were about 10 feet from the rear of the vehicle when it was parked. He said that probably contributed to the battery drain. mechanical-idiot

2012 Journey RT AWD kept killing batteries. Took it to a mechanic. Couldn't find a parasitic draw. Got new battery. Killed it in 6 weeks. 3rd killed battery. Took it to another mechanic. He did a parasitic draw test. He found that it was drawing 50 milliamps when sitting in the garage with everything off. He said that it should not draw beyond 35. So, he started pulling fuses and replacing them one at a time while checking the draw. He pulled a fuse called HFM (under the dash on passenger side - hands free module) and the draw went down to 29 milliamps. Put it back in and kept pulling. No other fuses reduced the draw. He told me that the fuse was for the bluetooth. Son of a bitch! The bluetooth was intermittent, then quit working for us. So, we pulled the fuse and have not had a problem with the battery draining since. We had to have the battery charged on an industrial charger to bring it up to snuff. He did a slow trickle charge overnight, so it was charged for 2 days. Seems to have brought the battery back to snuff. New HFM costs 737 dollars Canadian at our dealer (before taxes). Son of a bitch! Easy enough to put in (check out youtube for the video), if you don't mind taking off the brake pedal. Seems to be a common problem with a lot of Dodge Journeys. You might want to pull this fuse first if you have this problem. Might save you a few bucks in mechanical fees! Then again, it may be a totally different problem for you. Hope this helps someone out there in the real world. mechanical-idiot

I am glad that I was able to assist you. What did they find? Was it the same problem as we had? Not a cheap fix. mechanical-idiot

Everything is still running perfectly. I got a brain serge and called a scrap yard. The guy had a 2012 and sold the IBS to me for 25 bucks. A deal I could not refuse. I have not replaced it yet. Since the circuit board was not damaged, it will likely keep working. Will replace it someday when I have some time. mechanical-idiot

Runs like a top thus far, but who knows. Nothing showing up on the dash etc. Weird how the low battery made it act up electrically, but as my neighbor explained, it needs 9.6 volts before it will start the vehicle, so I guess it makes sense. Anywho......... I will let you know how I get along with it. mechanical-idiot

I dog gone done and broke the IBS on the negative battery terminal while changing the battery. I can't even change a frigin' battery without screwing something up! I am a total mechanical idiot, or perhaps just a total idiot. So, I glued it back together with some crazy glue. It stuck together quite well. Vehicle starts and runs. No lights showing up on the dash as warnings. My question is, will this work (the glue trick), or should I replace it, or do I even need this damn part? It is over 100 bucks to replace. What will happen if it doesn't work any more? A neighbour of mine told me that you could disconnect it and it won't hurt anything. He seems to know what he is talking about most of the time, but then again, I wouldn't know if he does or not. Remember, I am a mechanical-idiot. Here is what led me tor replace the battery in the first place: - car would not start with the fobs - car started running the wipers, four way flashers and the rad fan when it was just sitting in the driveway (not started, but I was trying to start it) - car had not been run in 3 days and would not start, but would unlock and lock - the lights were not doing a "normal" flashing when vehicle was unlocked - I disconnected the negative battery terminal, left it for a while then hooked it back up and the car was completely electrically dead - I then boosted the vehicle and left it charging for 20 minutes and it started no problem with no weird electrical things happening - Then I got real smart and decided to replace the battery because I figured that the original 7 year old battery was probably on its way to battery heaven - Then I got real stupid and broke the IBS off the terminal - Then I got the crazy glue out and stuck it back together (just on the outer plastic part, not on the inner green part or the silver looking thing a ma jigs) I searched for some info online and found these pictures (which is basically the same way mine broke on me) https://dodgeforum.com/forum/dodge-journey/415747-negative-battery-terminal-temperature-sensor.html So, I guess I am not the first idiot to break one of these things. mechanical-idiot

I'm waiting for a good knock knock joke about your bad sensor. Anyone, anyone.........anyone?

2late4u is right again. I replaced all the crappy lug nuts on our Journey with solid nuts. 40 bucks including taxes. All the caps were peeling off the old ones. Your problem nut could be stripped because it might have been put on crooked with an air gun. Not fun to take off. If the cap was rounded, it would pull right off the nut. The nuts are easy to take off when the caps are missing. It has no effect on the nut if the cap is missing. Good luck with that bad nut. Most tire shops have a special socket that can catch the nut and take it off for you. mechanical-idiot

It is likely the opposite strut that is making the noise. Or, it is the shock itself on the strut. It is hard to tell with the sound, as it seems to move to somewhere else, fooling you. If it is not under warranty, get a used one at a scrap yard and put it in yourself (great youtube video on it), or have a local shop do it for you. I think the struts are side specific, so left wont fit right etc. Have a local mechanic check it out for you. Sometimes they pick up stuff that the dealer doesn't. Anywho....good luck.

It's good that you got that sand cleared out from your frame. It can get wet and stay wet and rot out your frame and floor. I had some in the back fender (small hole in fender wheel well) of my Accord and it rotted out the floor and bottom of the car. I had it all cleaned out and the metal cut out and replace. It is not so easy trying to fix a frame. We have a hitch on our Journey, but it was there and wired when we bought it. Great to have. I actually have another UHaul trailor hitch that fits the 2009- 2013 Journey in my barn. I picked it up from a guy who was throwing it out since he no longer had a Journey. I will probably sell it for 50 bucks sometime. It is just stuck in my way right now. mechanical-idiot

Thank you bramfrank for pointing out my error. I was wrong and I apologize for the misinformation. I am certainly learning a lot from the forum, mostly from my screw ups. I appreciate the time you took to let me know. mechanical-idiot

You might be able to get at them by taking the glove box out. You may not need to take the dash apart. Sounds like a lot of work for a part that seems to mess up a lot, but then again, we have all seen worse! There are probably 2 of them in the center of the dash, one below another. One does the heater, floor, vents (top one) and the other does the air conditioning (bottom one). I think that this info is correct, but I am just learning a lot of this stuff myself. I looked into it when our air conditioning would only work on the passengers side. It fixed itself after a couple of days. It was likely stuck and got dislodged on a pothole. Lots of potholes here. Hope this helps. mechanical-idiot

My advice to you is to buy the SXT. Stay away from the Crossroad as it is an AWD vehicle and comes with an extra set of problems (moparts, moproblems). We made the mistake of buying the AWD. Moparts, moproblems. Mocostly ones. Also, as 2late4u mentioned, 17 inch tires are cheaper to purchase than 19 inch tires. You can't see them when you are driving, so what the heck is the difference. The 19s may look nicer, but I don't spend a lot of time staring at my tires. Given the information that you have provided above, the SXT is a much better buy in my opinion. In the end, it's your money, so you buy the vehicle that you want. mechanical-idiot

Our RF Hub works when it feels like it. Most of the time it is fine, but sometimes it just refuses to start the vehicle. New batteries and all. No rust or anything in there. I think that the boards in them are so cheaply made that they have some problems. Temperature probably has some effects on them - expansion and contraction on a cheap board, chips etc. mechanical-idiot

Nice mess. I hope that the animal did not suffer, which it probably didn't. That looks like about 3 grand in damage. Time to start looking for some used parts. mechanical-idiot

You have got to stop hunting with your Dodge Journey!!!!! http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106993 Check out this site for some photos. It is amazing the damage that can be done by hitting an animal. Scroll down to see where the guy hit a horse with his subcompact car. This accident did add some "horsepower" to that crappy little vehicle. mechanical-idiot

Also, if it is an AWD model, don't tow it yourself. Have it towed on a flatbed. Towing it can screw the AWD gear in the arse end of it. Then you might as well just tow it to the junkyard because a 2011 with an arse end problem and an engine problem won't be worth fixing, unless you have a big bag of money in your basement. Good luck. mechanical-idiot

I 4th - time for a mechanic. That's why they train those guys/girls. mechanical-idiot

I read an article online that said that the Dodge Journey was going to have a complete redesign for 2019, but I don't know how credible it was. They are apparently going to move production to Italy as well. I hope it doesn't look like a dozen other SUV's that all look the same. I like the fact that it has a unique look. It might be time for a face lift though. mechanical-idiot

I am no mechanic, but my guess is that your caliper is stuck on. I just had the same problem with the front drivers side. Rotor got hot as hell, so did the wheel. It was quite the smoke show. We looked like Cheech and Chong driving through town. I stopped and bought a big hammer at a store and pounded the hell out of the back of the caliper until it released. We made it home the 50 some miles without any more issues. It was at night, so no garages were open to assist us. I purchased a caliper the next day and a friend came and showed me how to install it. It was actually quite easy. Just because you purchase a new (it was likely remanufactured) part does not mean that it can't F up on you. Good luck frustratedowner (if you ever show up here again).

Is it the throttle body or the throttle body sensor that is the problem? The sensor is on the gas pedal. You need to purchase the gas pedal (which comes complete with the sensor). 3 or 4 bolts and the sensor plugs into your wires with a small harness clip. I just got one for mine at a salvage yard for 75 bucks Canadian. You can also buy them on ebay. Any mechanic could change it for you. It's not Rocket Appliances (lol, little joke there for our members with an intelligent sense of humor). All your symptoms point to the sensor, since I had the same problem and a guy I work with just had the exact same symptoms as you had and it was the sensor. Ours is a 2012 and we got the pedal from a smashed 2013. If you check with a dealer, I think it will fit up to a 2017. Better double check that. Check a salvage yard first and save yourself some very valuable Canadian $. My dealer wanted 400 bucks for the part, but 2late4u reminded me to check a salvage yard. I am glad that he reminded me. I never even thought of the salvage yard. If you are not near a salvage yard, call one and ask them if they will ship it to you. Sometimes it is surprising how much they really do want to help you. mechanical-idiot