2late4u

Time to replace the rear license plate.  10 minute job, right?  Ah.... No.
(2014 DJ - plates last replaced 10 years ago-ish.)
 
I was unable to remove the bolts that hold the plate on.  Both fastening devices attached to the tailgate for the bolts just spin, and spin, and spin.
(They are not the plastic square nut type.)
On researching further, this is a common problem across multiple manufacturers.
 
To jump to the middle of the project, below is what the fastening devices look like AFTER the license plate was brutally removed.  They are a type of soft metal, not plastic, internally threaded to accept the bolt.
The license plate bolt corroded inside of these, locked tight, and these would just spin (instead of the bolt coming out).  Temperatures were in the mid 30f's, which probably didn't help.
The (red) body panel these are inserted in is fiberglass (not plastic nor metal).  Multiple attempts to grip these and/or stop them from spinning failed.  I needed to hold these from the backside to get the bolts out.
 
 
 
 
 
After removing the inside tailgate panel,  there is not direct access to them.  I was able to snake my fingers to one of them through an access hole, but not able to grip it with pliers or vise grips.
Luckily the inside panel covering the devices is fiberglass or plastic, is easily identified, and easy to cut with a dremel tool.
Below is picture of the access holes cut.  I then clamped on vise grips and was able to turn the bolts out.  Even then, the bolts did not want to easily release and turn. 
They definitely were corroded in tight.
With the vise grip still on, from the outside I then drilled off the device.
 
 

 
To replace the hardware, now with access to both side, there are options.  Simplest would be to use a standard nut, bolt, & washers.  Granted if/when the license plate would be to be changed again, it would require removing the inside tailgate panel again.  Another option would be to reverse the orientation of the bolt and nut so it becomes a stud.  The license plate would then be fastened on with a nut/acorn nut.  I went with option 3, those rubber expanding gizmo's from the hardware store (below).
The holes had to be enlarged slightly to access these, but again, its a fiberglass panel (easy to drill out).  The hardware store also had the plastic square nuts that snap in place, but I passed on this option as I was unsure about the thickness of the fiberglass and if the plastic nut would securely snap in.
 
 

 
For grins, I gooped on some adhesive caulk I had lying around and bolted up the plate.  The rubber expanded as expected when the bolts were tightened and gripped firmly.
 
 

 
 
When researching solutions, there are several postings in this forum mentioning incorrect license plate screws, screw that fell out, screws that would just pull out, etc...
This explains why.  The PO or used car dealer may have had a similar experience.
 
Merry Christmas!
 
 
 
 

check out YouTube for videos on how to remove and replace a wiper for more great info as well.please report back on your repair and insights for others to learn from

also the blue tooth module has been a known parasitic draw as well,try disconnecting that as well

I believe that you can just remove the rear shaft going to the rear and then just have FWD,not the perfect solution but cheaper than junking a car or spending huge $$$.....my daughter had a jeep patriot which was making a huge racket and the mech disabled the rear shaft by unhooking it and then took it for a test drive but it still made the noise...thought it was the rear diff going bad ended up being a bad wheel bearing even tho the regular mechanic no the wheel bearings were good...OH well you never know, the dealership found the wheel bearing instead of the rear diff.

Yes, the thermostat/housing was replaced today. Drives fine as of this evening. Car has 66k miles. 

My cousin worked for several different railroads over the years as they went Thru there consolidations and ended up being CSX, he started out a reg worker then got laid off and then called back as a mechanic trainee, and then laid off again then called back as a engineer trainee, and finally got enough time in to not be laid off, and then he went into salary there and ended up becoming the yard manager for CSX and they transferred him all over the country every few yrs and then he finally retired and man he is well off with a fancy home in florida and they just built a big home on a golf course in Tn

And the same MERRY CHRISTMAS greetings back to you! yes he is in his third year with WNYPA, and they share track time on a lot of their runs with the railroad {freight} out of Buffalo around the "Southern Tier" of NY.
The company has had a substantial turnover in employees since he's been there. most didn't like the working hours. After what he got himself into buying a house, he's happy to work the long hours for now!

My cousin worked for several different railroads over the years as they went Thru there consolidations and ended up being CSX, he started out a reg worker then got laid off and then called back as a mechanic trainee, and then laid off again then called back as a engineer trainee, and finally got enough time in to not be laid off, and then he went into salary there and ended up becoming the yard manager for CSX and they transferred him all over the country every few yrs and then he finally retired and man he is well off with a fancy home in florida and they just built a big home on a golf course in Tn

yes it could be possible after all it's a 12 yr old car,,, do a complete flush of the system then add new coolant  and I would change out the thermostat as well,,which eng do you have? 3.6 is real easy and make sure you bleed the air out of the system as well. good luck

I replaced the coil packs because 1 went bad while my wife was driving and threw a fault code. Rather then replacing just the one, I replaced all 4. 
 
I checked the manual and they do have the ZFR5F-11spark plugs as the recommended part. I will replace them and see if that changes anything as well. 

I believe if you look in the owners book and underhood sticker you will find the call for Copper core plugs. No I don't think it to be coils. Another area to investigate due to such mileage is for worn out engine/ trans mounts. You can find many youtube videos about them with a Google search, just don't be model year specific as the mounts are the same for all years with the 2.4 motor. As far as throwing fault codes NO unless you are getting actual misfires.
 
EDIT:    We have some very good members that have the 2.4 engined DJ's. , and I gladly defer to their recommendations as to plugs . Mine are all the 3.6and have different spec recommendations.
Still try a can of Seafoam in the tank and run it and see how it does.

Is that a Canadian model thing for outside hatch lock button? None of my 3 have that feature. 
AT LEAST YOU CAN BE OUT OF THE COLD WINDS!
Just got done with lubing up the handle AND also the latch pivot on the LATCH. i believe THE HANDLE WAS NOT IN THE FULLY RELEASED POSITION FROM THE "STICKINESS" AND THUS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FUNCTION OF THE LOCK SOLENOID YESTERDAY{sorry... caps lock activated and I'm to lazy to correct the type}

If things didn't go wrong, life would be just too boring to enjoy

Well the '14 is still on my bad list. It just seems to want constant attention. Now the rear hatch won't open from the outside handle and it's 30* and windy out and no shelter to put it inside to work on!. So this car wants me to fix it and come down with pneumonia just before Christmas!!!
 I will post up just what I find as the culprit, I suspect broken wire in the body to hatch rubber boot or the cable from handle to latch.

Yes it has a speedo. just doesnt have a working kms til empty.
 
I was referring to the trip meter above but I have since found that it does have a trip meter but I had no idea where it was until I accidentally found it today  

TPM module  NOT the TIPM module    two totally different  modules  and    NO they are not GOOD ,,,,,,,  the tpms module is remembering the last position and giving false readings, I just went Thru what you are experiencing  6 months ago on my 2014 crossroad   was about to give up on it and not bother to fix it and the wife wasn't happy with that,  so I went to my tire shop and they messed with it a while and then said well the batteries are going bad and I had them replaced cost me around $300 parts and labor for 4 new sensors if I remember correctly,,,, and THAT fixed my problem,,,the TPM module is in your rear left wheel well above the top of the tire well

TPM module  NOT the TIPM module    two totally different  modules  and    NO they are not GOOD ,,,,,,,  the tpms module is remembering the last position and giving false readings, I just went Thru what you are experiencing  6 months ago on my 2014 crossroad   was about to give up on it and not bother to fix it and the wife wasn't happy with that,  so I went to my tire shop and they messed with it a while and then said well the batteries are going bad and I had them replaced cost me around $300 parts and labor for 4 new sensors if I remember correctly,,,, and THAT fixed my problem,,,the TPM module is in your rear left wheel well above the top of the tire well

Not really. Like OP said,  scanning is only way to know for sure.  The tpms have a built in lithium battery that gets weak over time/miles.  Some  times the weaker battery will be strong enough to get picked up if it’s moved closer to receiver to pick up radio frequency output signal.  Antenna is in lower dash or A pillar I think,  shouldn’t have seen glycol.  Your failure may have just been a coincidence when oil cooler puked.
 
With balancing cost etc people often opt for new sensors when installing new tires. Lots of aftermarket cheap sensors from Rockauto etc.   Some people pop the bead and pull through a new sensor without removing tire or balancing.

the 8.4 uconnect is not a standard radio.  The screen you see is literally just a flat screen.   The actual radio is buried deep underneath the climate knobs.   The actual size is also way bigger than the standard 2 din from the 2010 DJ.
 

On mine it was the camera, not the wiring. 
Replaced it with the ones you buy from AliExpress. Different angle but better resolution.
My Toronto area dealer tells me the supplier changed lens and are like this now ... 
 

Hi and thanks for the info.
Yes the fuel gauge works as does the fuel light when I am running out of fuel. It is only the kms until empty that does not work.
I agree with the nobody else has the problem as I really have looked absolutely everywhere with no luck (someone has to be the first I suppose)
I cant understand why Dodge didnt just put a regular odometer on the dash like every other car in Australia but I digress, It really does not bother me I just wanted everything to work as it should.
I will get around to disconnecting the power one day (yes it has the battery disconnect as you describe.)
Thanks again
Now on to the other issue I have

mine wasnt factory but you use a spring the screws onto the bolt thread then pulled thur the hole by a string or wire ;like shown in the video,,are using the oem wires for power i used the wiring kit and went to the battery up front ,,,if you use the factory oem wiring you will have to get the sales code authorized thur the local dealership before it will work

found this on goggle dont know if it really works ..good luck...............
Blend Door Actuator Motor Calibration
Turn ignition key to the on position and turn on the HVAC system. Move the key to the off position. Open hood (bonnet for the RHD guys) and locate fuse #15 in the fuse box next to the battery. Remove the fuse and wait 1-2 minutes for any capacitive charges in the system to dissipate. Replace the fuse. Turn the ignition key to the on position. You can now watch the motors move as the system goes through the calibration routine. Leave the key on for a couple of minutes to make sure that the calibration routine is completed before turning it off. You will also be able to hear additional activity as all the doors and fan speed are calibrated. You may have to run the cal routine a couple of times to get the system back to full functionality. If the position of the new door is significantly different from the point at failure, the system will successively move toward the new correct position setting. It may take two or three cycles for the system to move to the correct position.

Well it's been 2 months without further problems, I think it's ok. I talked to a mechanic that works for a multi brand dealership an is factory certified by Toyota and GM. He claims that this isn't unusual, he also said that the easiest way to flush a transmission is to unhook the transmission lines to an from the radiator run one into a bucket an set the other on up with funnel on it. Start the vehicle and pour fluid in and it runs out, keep doing this until the fluid coming out look like the fluid going in, then shut it off and change the fluid/filter as normal. Only downside is that you use 3-4 gallons of fluid.

Helpful post and link. I’ve wedged my head under the dash fighting with those tiny motors.  Funny click noise and then working again with the fresh air blender door motor.  Poke from screw driver frees it up when you hear the big click. Small spray of silicone afterwards.

Have a replacement motor from Rockauto for the next time it stops. I think it’s the motor that is always cycling on shut down to vent cabin air.  Not looking forward to doing it. Windows fog up like crazy when it sticks. At least it’s not a heater core issue in my case.
 
My passenger blend  motor has yet to stick. Something to look forward to. ?