ChrisPollard

To all those who haven't figured out what December 25th is just yet ... I recommend you ask ANY 5 year old. They will inform you of the proper name of the day and the season ... Christmas.

I like it!! +1

Well, I'll find out soon enough. Whatever it is, it's all under warranty. I've always said with new vehicles it's best to get all the breakage and problems done early ... so you don't suffer from "6 days after the warranty is up" syndrome like our big, expensive printer/copier/fax/scanner at work! LOL (Seriously, last week, SIX days past the day it was activated, the SECOND one of these things developed problems. Gooooooooo Xerox! Not.)

IS THAT WHAT THE DAMNED SECOND DIMMER IS FOR??? I've been trying to figure out what it was for since I bought the danged thing!!! Oh - general - maybe it's not on the American version - because my Canadian 2012 (base model at that) has two dimmer dials.

The only pattern I've found is it is FAR more frequent/regular (50/50 or better) in temps below -12/-15. Past -18 © it's probably 70/30 blasting me. So I start it with my finger on the volume in the cold.

I'm not seeing any mileage advantage with the 2.4. In the 8's on the highway ... city ... it's really hard to tell right now with winter idling. It grossly skews the numbers. Last check, it was reading in the 16s. No, not great for a 4cyl by ANY measure. All else being equal? Definitely go with the 6. (Unfortunately, the price isn't the same between the CVP and the SXT!! And I couldn't squeeze any more out of the budget. It was between CVP 7 passenger and SE Plus 5 seater. Wife won on the 3rd row, ONLY due to the rear HVAC controls.)

It lit up again this afternoon - still 0 messages in the EVIC. Going to take it to the dealership tomorrow to get it checked. Wouldn't be the gas cap, unless they magically come loose on their own. I last filled up last Monday - so 5 days to register it loose seems odd. And I always give it at least 5 clicks when I put it back on.

That's kind of odd. The port is supposed to be tied to the ignition, and only power on in Acc or Run. I just wish the 12v accessory port inside the console was wired to the ignition instead of live all the time - then I could plug my Sirius in there, instead of having to run the power cord out to the dash.

This morning my check engine light came on. I shut everything down, checked under the hood, everything looked fine. Started it back up, no weird noises, no smoke, no roughness or change in performance/response. Dealership isn't open today to check anyway, so I'm driving 'til Monday regardless. Came on every time as I did shopping today and whatnot. This afternoon, it went out. I had something like this happen once on my 03 Sebring (something weird like left exhaust was lean), and there was a sequence to get the OBD codes off the odometer. Anybody know if there's a way to get them on the Journey? Or is this a take it to the shop situation? I'd like to be able to find the error code and at least have an idea what happened. I'll probably take it in next week anyway, just in case it is something that could turn into a warranty claim down the road ... but it would ease my mind for the rest of the weekend to know what it was. I kind of expected a check engine light to come with some kind of message in the EVIC ... but apparently not. Seems to me the logical place for it, no?

Well, whether you go with the 4 or the 6cyl - I'm pretty sure you'll be VERY happy with the Journey!! Hope they don't keep you waiting too long!

I can't recall the last time I've SEEN one of those. Are they on this site? If so, I recommend installing AdBlock Plus for your browser. It shocks me what I see on sites from other people's computers and my own. Ads are an unusual site with that handy little add on.

Be warned - there are lots of what I have dubbed "Penta-snobs" who will decry the very existence of the 2.4 and raise their nose in the air with disgust at the mention of it. LOL But I have no problems with it in mine. No, it's not going to "throw you back in your seat", but if that was a concern for you, you wouldn't even be asking about it. The 4 banger gets over the road just fine. If you're thinking for 4 for fuel economy purposes, I wouldn't. There is very little real world difference between the 4cyl/4spd and the 6cyl/6spd combos. Maybe 1 or 2mpg. I'm very happy with the 2.4's performance. I find it's sweet spot to be around 75-80mph on the interstates. Yes, you have to put your foot into it to do any fast passing, but it's perfectly capable. As for the 3rd row? Odds are you'll probably never use them. I'm 6' tall, and I crawled back there once just for giggles. You won't put anything more than young kids back there unless you have no choice in the matter. If it's a matter of you MUST jam 7 in your vehicle, they won't like it, but there are seatbacks, seat belts, and it's legal. Just don't plan a cross-country tour like that. The ONLY reason I have 3rd row seats instead of an SE Plus 5 seater (which price-wise was within 100 dollars of what I bought) is the rear seat heating and cooling controls. And if you will be putting a child back there, I do HIGHLY suggest getting the 3rd row if ONLY for that addition. It makes a world of difference to their comfort and yours. The interior cools faster in summer, and warms faster in winter. And if you aim the air vents right, it can help (not prevent, but help) with condensation/fogging on the back windows. I've only ever had those seats out of the floor to prove their existence and test my fit back there. In my ideal world, I'd have a 5 seater with the rear heating/cooling controls. Wish it was an option. Maybe by the time I'm ready for another one in 7 years or so ... lol

I also had a 2003 2.7L (in a Sebring) and LOVED that engine. Ran like a top every time I turned the key, with plenty of power. It was before they de-tuned it from 200HP. Heck, if I could, I would have put THAT engine in my Journey and kept on goin', even with 170,000km on it. I didn't know the Journey even had the 2.7 in it ... although I never really looked at the early models. First one I looked at seriously was a 2010. As for the cracked head, you're dealing with an aluminum engine. You boil these things, and odds are you're replacing the head. They're not the least bit forgiving like the cast iron blocks of old. So I'd guess you had a cooling system failure. Defective thermostat is a possibility. That caused the overheating, that is probably what would have cracked the head. Especially if there was nothing unusual prior to this, like antifreeze in your oil, or white smoke from your exhaust.

The patch for the radio blasting hasn't been released yet - there are LOTS of us waiting for that update. So they won't fix that one any time soon. No ideas on the rough idle.

I'm not sure what rules the US dealerships play by. I'm in Ontario. :P But we had it overnight, took it back the next morning and continued the paperwork. We had already had the dealer run the numbers on financing and everything ... so it really came down to that 'real life' trial. We put on about 80km that night. Around town, highway, and a couple of back roads. All the normal places we drive, to get a feel. Even to Walmart. lol Of course, dealerships vary. Maybe it helps that I've been dealing with these people professionally since the 90's and am first-name basis with them all. Or that I was already a customer with my Sebring for years. But I know the dealership experience can vary a lot. So far, I've been pretty lucky. The only ones I've had much dealing with have been great - including one in Eau Claire, Wisconsin a couple years back when the rear strut mount snapped on the Sebring coming home from vacation. They were very helpful, even got us a special rate on a hotel room for a couple of nights while we waited for parts. Top notch. And they didn't know me from a hole in the wall.

I have the 2.4/4spd too. Fluid capacities are on page 548 of the manual, but only lists fuel, engine oil, and coolant. Nothing on power steering or transmission except what types to use. Have you drained your power steering system and transmission? A little early for that kind of service on a 2012, isn't it?

Oh the joys of technology and integration, eh? Old days you could just go with an aftermarket stereo ... now it's your HVAC and settings and everything else. There's no escape! I find it blasting much more frequently in cold weather. Hope that flash is released soon - our winter isn't going to get any warmer for several months.

I'd have run screaming from any dealership that refused me a test drive!! Heck, my dealership let me take the Journey overnight before we made our final decision. Hopefully you never deal with that dealership again - and have another one near you. Nothing says thanks for being a jerk like taking your NEXT new vehicle (most effective with the same brand) and stopping by to say you didn't get this commission/sale because you're dishonest. Also advantageous to make this point fairly noticeably when their showroom is full of potential sales. Yes, I did this to a Ford salesman once who didn't even give us the courtesy of a callback to discuss options. Stopped by with my new car from somewhere else and said you really should have called me back. I may be 'a kid' (early 20's at the time), but I was quite serious about buying a new vehicle. See? Tainted my chances of visiting that dealership ever again, even though he hasn't been there for years now. Nothing stings commission sales like knowing they lost a sale ... because odds are no matter what happens years down the road, they'll never choose to speak with YOU again. Why people go into service jobs who don't care about service is beyond me. Long rambling aside, sorry your dad got roped by a shady salesman ... glad he likes the R/T anyway!!

That would depend who you ask. But the short answer is yes. That is how they work on the Journey. My previous '03 Sebring had a window lock that disabled ALL but the driver's window. Drove my wife NUTS! The setup in the Journey (just rear seats) is exactly the way we wanted a window lock switch to work. The adults up front both have window control ... kids in the back do NOT.

Maybe the lockpick folks can make a mod for the 4.3's to allow an easy right arrow flip between PSI and kPa. That would almost be worth the hack in my world!

Why is it always someone else's fault? I spilled my coffee in my lap and burned myself - it was McDonald's fault for making their coffee HOT! I was playing with a metal pool skimmer under a power line and electrocuted myself - it was the manufacturer's fault for not warning me the metal conducts electricity! I looked at a car with a 4.3" screen and found out later it should have been equipped with an 8.4" screen - the manufacturer lied to me and are b@$^$ for not changing it after I bought it! There's just no personal accountability these days. You bought a 4.3, when they were available they came with an 8.4. But that is NOT what you purchased! But right, it's not your fault ... it's Chrysler's. Lying to you about the feature you saw and tested before you purchased. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. No, no, I'm not very sympathetic on this one. I also notice that you've had no comment on the items printed on your window sticker that several people have mentioned you should check. If there is no credit for the 8.4 delete, I'll retract my lack of sympathy.

36 PSI shows as 250kPa on the EVIC, but still - I don't know ANYBODY, ANYWHERE that inflates tires to kPa. Even tire shops. And yes, you can roll through menus and change it to show PSI - but then it switches your odometer to miles, your speed to mph, and your L/100km to mpg. It would be nice if you could just push the right arrow on the wheel and flip between kPa and PSI like you can with km/h and mph under the speed display.

I agree with you in principle, but disagree in practice. The 'low and wide' beam of a fog light is GREAT at filling in dark spots near the front of your vehicle, whether it's clear or foggy. When you live in deer country (and they're so bad around here the city is planning to institute an urban hunting season to cull the herd) those extra few feet of light help. At least in my personal experience. No, they're not "necessary," but I'm all in favour of every extra little bit of light I can get at night. Now, at the same time, when I see oncoming vehicles with fog lights on, I know they're on low beams ... so even if they're really bright lights, I don't flash them to kill their high beams. So that feature serves a small and fairly useless purpose in that way too. lol

Ethanol, on top of increasing food costs by using food crops for fuel, also gives poor fuel economy. It's not as efficient as good ol' gasoline. If I could avoid the 10% cut they put in our fuel, I would. To be worth burning, E85 would have to be significantly less expensive than regular fuel. But it isn't. It's only slightly less expensive, and not enough to make up for the loss in mileage. A failed experiment in alternatives.

It IS nitrogen in the tires from the factory. That's what the little green caps on the valve stems are to indicate. Not sure who told you nitrogen wouldn't fluctuate with temperature, but they lied. From "getnitrogen.org" ...