ChrisPollard

Softer tires will actually DECREASE your mileage. You'll sometimes see "low rolling resistance" tires sold to improve fuel economy ... basically they're harder compounds with less grip. Less grip because of less friction. Friction is what keeps you planted on the road. I was expecting a little better mileage than I've been getting too. First vehicle I've driven in a long time that I haven't actually gotten BETTER than EPA numbers. I would get 39 out of my Sebring - that was rated for 36 highway. Got 41 out of a Caliber rated for 39. I'm not exactly an aggressive lead foot. Got that out of my system as a teen. :P When I looked at my EVIC today, I was at 11.9L/100km. That is since I pulled the Journey off the lot at the dealership. City and highway. Best I've seen it was 8.5 after a long (1300km) run down the highway. City mileage is pretty brutal - even with the 4cyl. I'm hoping to see it get better with age. Or spring. LOL Remote start + winter = bad mileage as it idles.

I can't believe it either! But glad it's back up and workin' properly for you.

Crown Point ... about 20 miles south of Gary. They normally miss the lake effect by a few miles too. Usually hits over towards Valpo. You'd be about halfway between there and Indy.

What kind of warranty do you have that they aren't covering that 100% under powertrain??? You're getting ripped off somewhere in this. Especially since the fuel pump has absolutely NOTHING to do with transmission shifting!! Whatever you do ... see a DIFFERENT dealership first!! wow. Just freakin' wow.

Yeah, Indiana doesn't get anything quite like we do. LOL My wife's a Hoosier, so we spend plenty of time every year up in the NW corner ... Although I think I prefer straight up snow over the ice storms you get more of down there.

Not every part of the country gets the cold that we do, but yeah, most gas engines have issues below -40. Coldest day I can remember was in college. January '96 ... -47*C (-52F), windchill was -74*C (-101F). Not too many vehicles started in the city that day ... but I rode my bike 20 minutes to school, only to find classes canceled. At least traffic wasn't bad. :P (Yes, that was exceptionally record breakingly cold, but sub -40 nights in January/February aren't uncommon.)

Having just in the past two/three days received our first hints of winter weather, and some slick, icy roads, it's the first chance I've had to even notice the ESC on the Journey - as well as the ABS. (My first ABS vehicle ... first time they dug in, it startled me a bit.) I leave it on, since that's the default. What I noticed today is when the wheels start to spin, ESC takes control of the throttle, drops the engine RPM, and pulses a little to try and sense the wheels re-gaining traction. Most noticeable when accelerating normally from a stop. To get a feel for it tonight, I found a patch of road that looked quite icy and jammed the throttle so see what would happen. As expected, the wheels cut loose - but when I expected ESC to throttle me back, it didn't. At least not until I let up on the gas myself. So it would seem that the system is programmed to look at what you are doing with the throttle before it decides what it is going to do. If you're putting the pedal down, it seems to give you the ability to give 'er without interference. If you start to spin out while accelerating 'normally', it tries to correct for you. Honestly, this is the first vehicle I've owned with either ESC or ABS ... and I'm really not used to the vehicle trying to wrest control from me. In both cases, if you're not used to or expecting intervention, it can catch you off guard. But the advantage of ABS braking is no secret. These days, I don't know why it's even optional on any new vehicle. The ESC ... I don't have a solid opinion of it yet. I can see it maybe saving some drivers from themselves. But I'm not a big fan of not having the engine ALWAYS react to the input of my right foot. Under normal driving, not a huge deal. But in exceptional circumstances, I'd hate to lose reaction time trying to decide if the vehicle is going to go when I tell it to - or if the computer is going to decide it knows better and throttle back the engine. Although at least from what I observed, there seems to be an override when you jam the pedal to the floor. So I'm less worried about it now. I guess I'm a little old school and still believe a driver should be trained to know how to handle a vehicle, and not rely on the electronics to save their @$$ when they get in a hairy situation. Took a lot of years of parking lot donuts and ice road e-brake skids to get those ice and snow reactions mastered ... and I still trust them more than a computer program to get me out of a jam.

Have you taken a look at the fuel economy reading on your EVIC? It may not be 100% accurate, but I think it will give you a pretty good idea. If you want an accurate reading, track your km and note your fuel when you fill the tank. It's about the only really accurate way to calculate. Going by the gas gauge won't do much, because it doesn't give you a true reading of how much fuel was used/is left. For example, with the 78L tank (FWD models have a 77.6L tank, AWD gets 79.8L), my last fill was 56.75L. That's 73.13% empty ... or rounding up, SLIGHTLY over 1/4 tank left. But my gauge was reading just a hair over 1/8 tank left. Obviously the gauge reads on the level of fuel in the tank, not the volume. And it would seem the bottom 1/8 of a tank in a 2012 Journey actually holds about 1/4 of the tank's actual volume.

Only thing I can think of is the SXT and RT have the auto headlights ... where the base trims do not? Could have something to do with it ... or not. Engineers often boggle my mind with their choices.

Having been in, around, and an organizer of car shows in the past, I've always maintained a firm belief in "to each, their own." Your vehicle, your taste, your ride. Doesn't have to agree with what I like, or what I think is 'right' or 'wrong' on a vehicle. But I've seen lots of the car show folks with the attitude you describe. Always hated to see them coming. The important part is to have fun and love what you're doing. Mods are mods ... changeable, re-changeable, reversible. Not like they're things that can never be undone. Well, to an extent anyway I suppose. Chopping 8 inches out of the center of a vehicle and converting a 4 door to a 2 door is pretty irreversible. :P

Not an issue with Canadian Journeys ... DRLs are mandatory on all new vehicles since ... well ... a long time now. I believe (and could be very wrong here) that there is an additional module involved in having DRLs. At least I know that was the case with Ford F-150s a few years back when I had one and was on the forums regularly seeing American owners trying to find Canadian suppliers for the modules. Shouldn't be that hard of a part to find. Dealers should easily be able to get them. Not like it would be a rare part.

I recall with past Chrysler V6s (the 2.7L most recently) that at idle, IF the A/C was on, it would give a little shudder. But only briefly. Is it possible you're feeling the A/C compressor kick in/out? It does put some load on the engine. I find that I still notice that now with the 2.4L 4cyl. That's the only obvious thing I can think of. As for going to mid-grade (89) ... the engine is designed to run on 87. Yes, 89 octane WILL give you slightly improved fuel economy, usually. But that's more to do with the higher octane fuel performing better under load. Knock sensors will retard timing and de-tune your engine ... the higher octane fuel reduces engine 'knock' under load, so the engine doesn't get de-tuned to prevent damage. (At least I'm reasonably sure that's how it works ... someone may correct me there. I don't really work on my own vehicles like I used to ... before they became packed with electronics!) I'd say the sales guy is pulling your leg though. Manufacturer says 87, use 87 - unless you WANT to go with a higher grade. It won't hurt anything but your wallet. I'd be more inclined to think you might just have a bad tank of gas. It happens now and then. Try some gas line antifreeze ... then try another station. The quality of fuel DOES vary from place to place. Normally, the busier the station, the better the fuel, because it doesn't stay underground in the tanks very long.

We didn't get that lifetime powertrain deal either ... LOL

I took a look down the side of my Journey this afternoon before I went to wash it. I noticed something in the road grime. Distinct patterns that showed the airflow down the side of the vehicle after coming in on wet roads that appear to have been salted at some point while I was on vacation. Also, the front and rear wheels looked vastly different. The front wheels (rubber/rims overall) where reasonably clean. The rear wheels (rubber/rims overall) where absolutely FILTHY. I snapped some pics on my phone that I'll upload at some point. I am now entirely convinced it IS an airflow difference causing the rear wheels to show more brake dust. From the way the dirt stayed on, it looks like the rear wheels actually see very minimal airflow over the surfaces. The front wheels get much more direct air exposure - the rear wheels are much more protected by the flares in the body panels. So Destination - I think your mechanic was onto something. I don't believe it's a wear problem, just a case of the evidence of brake wear not being swept away as you drive.

Yeah, sadly, there are a lot of things they can get in the states we can't get here. Saw a sign coming home this weekend ... I think it was in Wisconsin ... for new Fords - 20 year, 200,000 mile warranty. Now, obviously the 20 years is BS, unless you never drive the thing, but still ... 200,000 miles? Wonder what kind of fine print is in THAT contract?

No, they most certainly don't! LOL Hope you enjoy your Journey - they seem to be a rare beast in the US. Spent two weeks in Chicagoland - counted exactly 9 of them on the road ... including crossing Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and NW Indiana. And I think the black 09/10 one I saw got counted three times in that. Sure makes 'em easy to find in parking lots! :D

I have the 16" steel wheels, and I also find the rear gets a bit more dust than the fronts, but not significantly.

Yeah, I know they can be turned off, but we want to let her be able to make her own comfort level, so I don't have to mess with it while driving. It's something new, that she's not used to. She'll get it figured out quickly. Heck, I know adults who still don't understand the concept of adjusting the temps a little bit - and do exactly what she did, full hot, or full cold, and back again. lol Put over 3300km 3800km (3837.9 actually) behind the driver's seat the last two weeks. Got to test the brakes on several deer last night too. They work! :P Can't say enough good things about this vehicle.

Good question! Looking through the uConnect manual, there is a procedure (icon on screen) to delete presets on the 8.4, but nothing shows for the 4.3. Looking through the 2012 owners manual, there is no mention of deleting presets either. If anybody knows a way, I'd like to know too!

Well, we're getting ready for the 800 mile trek home tomorrow, and for the last two days my wife has been freaked out about if we'll fit everything in that we've ... acquired ... during our holiday. This includes all of the Christmas presents from her family. This thing is a CAVERN!! Granted, I DID fold down the passenger side back seat, so my daughter loses the armrest on the drive home, but I still have room for more - without stacking things to the roof! I should actually have rear window visibility, which surprised me. I thought everything would fit just fine, but I thought things would be packed to the roof doing it. One of the items is a 55" snow sled ... which fits remarkably well from the rear hatch to about an inch before where the dog's carrier will sit. VERY impressive stuff! Looking forward to the drive home, but not so much going back to work Monday. LOL Ah well, the fun has to end eventually, right?

Two shouldn't cause you any issues, I wouldn't try to jam three in there. Past two, you'll want the 3rd row seats - but I wouldn't want to be the one trying to buckle a kid in back there. It's a little awkward, as most non-minivan 3rd rows are.

Great news! Here's hoping they nailed it. It's not a huge issue for me, but it would be nice to never experience the bug again.

Not that I'm aware of. I usually leave my iPod plugged in, inside the console, and it makes the little power up sound (like when you plug it into a wall charger) every time I start the ignition. Although, worst case, it would only use power until the iPod finishes charging.

Daytime running lights are mandatory in Canada, so we get them regardless.