DodgeaWrench

New cooler is in and car is running. Yipee. I'll drive it a bit more tomorrow and check for new leaks. Barring any troubles, so far I'll call this a day and a half project. 2 things I learned that I didn't notice in videos: - The size of the inverted torx socket needed for the bolts on the oil cooler is an E8. Murphy's law - I didnt have this size and had to run out and get one. - After reassembly and starting the engine for the first time, the oil pressure shot to 90 (H) and stayed there. I was worried. I checked the new oil filter to make sure it was wet to somewhat confirm oil was circulating, and it was. When first leaving the driveway, the pressure went up to 92, then dropped to 88. At least electrically it was working, versus a disconnected or shorted wire. Then it started to fluctuate downward to normal. Whew. My guess is it had to recalibrate? (Or maybe I never notice what the oil pressure is when the engine is first started.)

I started the oil cooler replacement this afternoon. I got the old one out, sucked up the pools of oil, and cleaned the intake surfaces on the engine. The sun has gone down and the temps have cooled off. I'm done for the evening. So far the worst has been unlocking and unplugging the electrical connectors on the fuel injectors. This took several trips back to watch YouTube videos and a few prayers to not break a connector. Tomorrow I'll start with cleaning the underside of the lower intake, replace those gaskets, then assemble everything back together. Add fluids, pray again, then start'er up. I need to rewatch videos for adding back the antifreeze and letting the air out.

When I changed my plugs, I found that one of the spark plug tube seals was leaking. I had to replace the tube seal, and also replaced he valve cover gasket. I'm not suggesting these be replaced, but just know that there is the possibility of an additional expense lurking if additional leaks are found. Hopefully not. Depending on the car's mileage and age, if there is any reduction in cost for having it done at the same time, one to think about is replacing the thermostat, This is a common failure point. Mine failed. My understanding is the coolant has to be drained when replacing the oil cooler. By replacing the thermostat at this time you could possibly save the cost of a coolant flush/fill later. If cost difference isn't significant, not a consideration. I have yet to replace my cooler. The weather has finally started to turn warmer here. I've already received my replacement part. Hopefully I can get to it soon.

The lower intake, bottom seals, will be replaced. Agreed, I too prefer to minimize the risk of having to go back in this deep. The lower intake, top seals, were replaced about a year ago when the plugs were changed, and will be reused. (6) p/n 5184331AC Intake Manifold Gasket $8.41 each The O rings for the engine oil filter adapter will also be replaced. p/n 68191356AA O Ring Kit $9.74

Good suggestions. Plugs were already replaced. I'll add the oem seals and grease to my parts list. I'm not sure if in it comes any other way from Mopar, but regardless I'm going to purchase the full oil cooler assembly. It includes the the oil temp and oil pressure sensors installed. p/n 68105583AF engine oil filter adapter $201.00

Looks like its my turn to have the dreaded oil cooler leak. I noticed a few oil spots on the driveway under the vehicle. I got an engine oil leak. 2014 DJ SXT 3.6 FWD 122K miles With a flashlight, I can see oil in the valley where the oil cooler is installed. I pulled the upper intake to confirm it wasn't from a sparkplug tube or valve cover. No luck. No leaks from these. (I had fixed an oil leak into a spark plug tube during the Summer. I was hoping the leak was from something I had done as this wasn't too difficult.) Temps were at or just below freezing and while pulling the intake, the plastics used in the wire looms and electrical connectors were brittle. I'll have to monitor oil level closely and wait until Spring to do the oil cooler replacement.

After changing the trans fluid and replacing the PCV valve, unfortunately the problem is still there, but it is it is far far far calmer than when I started. Definitely replacing the PCV valve had a positive effect. I also believe the fluid level in the trans was initially too high. I have no idea how that could have happened, as I never have even opened the cap before. Possibly one of the few times it was at the dealership they added a bit, or when taken to the local oil change shop for a LOF. ??? I am in a MUCH better place to redescribe the issue. The problem definitely is a (common-ish) down shifting issue. Its when coming to a stop and the vehicle needs to downshift from higher gears. When downshifting from 4th or 5th you can feel the ‘bump’ (not a clunk), and the RPM and vehicle do a surge during each shift down. Stopping from when the vehicle is in first or second is smooth. No issues. Allowing the vehicle to roll through the higher downshifts allows for a smoother shift down. Its in those more aggressive stops, when the downshifting from higher gears is happening as the vehicle is barely rolling or stopped, is when the problem is pronounced. For the most part of this past week (after fluid and PCV change), city driving is fine as top speed is rarely above 35-40mph and stopping is long and slow. No issues. In hindsight, for a long time and very sporadically (once a month-ish) a whinny noise occurs under the hood. I always thought this was coming from the alternator. Now I know it’s the trans. Also on occasion when stopping (when the trans is downshifting from higher gears), the vehicle shudders as if going over rumble strips. Again, I now know its the trans, not the road or engine issue. So where does this leave me? First, if anyone has any suggestions for additional items to check or do, please, please let me know. Otherwise, it appears that hard downshifting / even stalling when downshifting as coming to a more aggressive stop is a fairly common problem that requires trans work to repair. I guess I should take it in to get a quote. $$$ Any thoughts on if I do not get this repaired, am I accelerating some type of damage/breakdown? My thought of the day is TCC valve? I’ve looked at a few videos, and the TCC may be accessible without pulling the trans. Anyone replaced their own? (If I were to even attempt this, as winter is just getting ready to start, I wouldn’t even make an attempt for another 6 months.) Thank you.

Replaced the PCV valve. Whoa. Another lesson learned. I should have replaced that long ago. Definitely the cam(?) seal on the valve was long gone and leaking oil thru the valve into the intake. When I pulled the tube between the intake and PCV off, the tube was dripping with engine oil. Because of the oil passing into the intake, for grins, I pulled the MAP sensor to check for oil and swirled in a corner of a piece of paper towel to try and clean it out. I cant say the inside of the MAP was oily, but I can't say it was dry either. I'll be driving tomorrow to see if any of this changed anything. See pic below. Notice the difference in the PCV seal diameter difference.

Did a test drive. I find the results a bit puzzling. Changing the fluid did not solve the problem. Still a surge just as the vehicle is coming to a complete stop, but there is now a new symptom. On three occasions, while coming to a stop from approximately 40mph, just as vehicle came to a complete rest, there was the surge and then the engine stalled as the RPMs came down from the surge. Previously during this issue, NEVER did it stall. I put the car in Park and it would immediately restart without hesitation. While not proven, I ’think’ I could recreate the stall, by coming to complete full stop quickly from 40mph, versus feathering the brake slightly to allow the car to slightly roll through the surge then stop completely. ??? Next on my list is to replace the PVC valve. I had included it in my trans filter order because at 120,000 it is (over) due, so I have it in hand. It seems accessible and not too difficult. I still should have time to swap it out today.

The trans fluid and filter have been changed. No surprises. The process was just as most Youtube videos lay out. The old fluid was brown but not gritty. As expected, there was sludge buildup by the magnet, but no metal pieces. Definitely it was time to change the trans fluid, clean the pan, and replace the filter. Word of advice: If you have 120,000 miles on your DJ, plan to keep the vehicle, and haven’t had the trans filter and oil changed, don’t put it off. Its time. For those Average Joes (me) doing it on your driveway, definitely put down lots of cardboard to protect the cement from fluid drips. My superpower is that I only have to look at oil and it drips onto my driveway. Even a slight breeze can cause the trans fluid to spray while its draining into a pan. I used aluminum foil draped between the jack stands to block any breezes. An oil extractor was used to get out as much of the trans fluid out first, before dropping the pan, to try an minimize how much fluid will have to drain under the car. The worst part, and most time-consuming part of the job was getting all the old sealant off the pan. I had to resort to using WD40 and a razorblade. (I hate using a razorblade for fear of gouging.) The trans side had no old sealant residue. I wussed out and did not change the filter grommet. It looked to difficult for me to remove without gouging trans metal. I am fluid level challenged. I definitely find it difficult to read trans fluid levels. I tried several times during the week prior and it always read overfilled when compared to charts. I was using an aftermarket stick with millimeter markings, and made attempts when hot and cold. I even remeasured the markings on the stick to make sure they were correct, and when the pan and filter were off, I double checked to made sure the stick would come to rest at its perch inside the trans. Bottom line, I measured the amount of fluid removed and replaced with the exact same amount. Today I will drive the vehicle to operating temperatures and try again.

$185 seams like a pretty good price from a dealership for OEM replacements. I'm a cheap-o too. Yes, I was very nervous at the thought of removing the intake, but after the fact, it's not really that big of a deal. Just takes a bit time and patience. It took me an entire, but leisurely, Saturday morning to replace the plugs. I'm very glad I went through the process to learn how to change my plugs myself, as it turned out when doing the plugs, I found one of the spark plug tubes was filled with oil due to a gasket leak. If I would have had the car at a dealership, that would have tacked on another $200-$300 (or more) to the bill. I was able to cleanup the oil, change the plugs, put it all back together, then research how to fix the spark plug tube gasket. On another occasion I then went back in, this time even further in, and pulled the valve cover to replace the tube gasket and valve cover gasket. All of this is well outside my comfort zone, but again, after the fact, it wasn't difficult, nor require specialized skills or tools. YouTube and this forum are my friend.

Disappointing. The trans filter hasn't arrived yet. Supplier was a slow ship. Filter in route. Should arrive next week. I changed my wiper blades while waiting. (whoopie)

Thanks for all the advise. You've psyched me up to do it myself. I'll order up the parts this weekend and do it next weekend weather permitting. I need to hurry a bit as its getting colder here in the Detroit area and I'm a driveway mechanic. My plan is to do the filter change, then a syphon weekly for 2 weeks. I'll buy 10 liters of fluid total and when that's gone, I'll be done. (Assumption is 5-6 liters on the filter change then 2-3 liters for each of 2 syphons. Another assumption is that the trans oil removed is not burnt or gritty, which is a whole another story if it is. ). Luckily I do have a pump/syphon for extracting the trans fluid for the followup syphoning. I'll do a lot of measuring of the fluids removed to accurately replace with the same as well as look for that bolt that address the level and I'll order up a trans dipstick too. As a side note, one thing I'm realizing is that probably like most average Joe drivers, I've been neglecting my trans maintenance. We usually keep our vehicles for 10-11 years. That is usually right around 200,000 miles, and I've never had a fluid/filter change. Lucky? Going forward I'm definitely going to make this a higher priority to stay on top of. More to come. Thanks again. Advise welcomed.

Ugh. This is going to take a twist. So I call dealer 'A' for trans fluid and filter change... $400 bucks. (WTF) I call dealer 'B' and they quote '$300 clams. (SOB) I was asking for a filter and fluid change. If anyone was quoting a flush or discussed a flush, I did not pay close enough attention or ask the proper follow up questions. I then searched this forum and there are a few references in 2016 on quotes from dealers for $299 and up. So $300 for a dealer to charge is not out or line with what others have seen years ago. Regardless, I'm to thrifty... frugal... alright, to cheap to pay that. I'll now be spending time researching how to change the trans filter and fluid. Youtube is my fiend. I'll also be practicing checking and recording the trans fluid level before I begin. Once ordered, parts and fluid will take a week or so to get here (genuine mopar). Advise is welcomed. Thank you.

The trans fluid and filter has never been changed. I'll look into having that done. I see that regardless of whether this is the issue, per the maintenance schedule its time to have it done anyway (@120,000 miles). It can't hurt to have it changed. (Famous last words.) When the plugs were replaced, I replaced the intake gaskets too. The problem occurred before and after. The throttle body gasket has not been replaced, but I did remove it, clean it and reinstall. No obvious kinks. As for the throttle body, the sites that sell mopar list P/N 5184349AE as 'discontinued product'. I guess to clarify, I've never directly contacted a dealer. Thanks for the input!

I have a 2014 Dodge Journey SXT 3.6 FWD 120,000 miles and am the original owner. When coming to a complete stop, at/near the time the vehicle comes to a complete stop, the engine will surge a couple to several hundred RPMs, occasionally as much as 500 RPM. Blips, but large enough and coupled with braking to shake you in your seat. Usually the surge happens once while stopping, but two or three surges are not uncommon. This is now occuring just about every time when coming to a complete stop. It does not happen during the deceleration such as when exiting a freeway and your foot is off the pedal and you are coasting to the end of the exit ramp. It WILL occur at the end of the freeway ramp if/when you come to a complete stop. It does not matter whether you are going fast or slow prior to the complete stop, it does not happen during the deceleration, but occurs just as the vehicle stops moving. Its been happening for over a year or more but has been getting progressively worse. (Thinking back, it was only very very small blips, not very noticeable, and only occasionally. Back when it finally started to sink in that something was happening, at first I thought trans issues with maybe downshifting, but then started to watch the tach.) There are no warning lights or message indicators. Once the vehicle is stopped, the blips stop and the vehicle idles smoothly at about 600 RPM. The engine starts fine, runs good, runs strong, and gets good mileage. It has not been taken to a mechanic or dealer for this issue. I’ve removed and cleaned the throttle body - no change. During the middle of this the spark plugs were replaced – no change. My guess is the throttle body needs to be replaced, but truly I’ve got no supporting facts to do so. Is there anything else I should be considering? Are there any other tests I should be doing to narrow this down? If, if, if, the recommendation is throttle body, OEM does not appear to be available anymore. Even if OEM were available, my guess is it would be more than I would care to spend. For aftermarket, I don’t know brand ‘x’ from ‘y’. Any recommendations? Apologies for the long message and thanks in advance for any advice. While I’m new to submitting to this forum I’ve been an active reader for years and this group has helped me considerably. Thank you.