Lebowski

Thought I'd post a nice site for all your wiring needs for your Dodge vehicle. Search by your VIN, or just enter the details. It's located on the top of the webpage.
It's an awesome site for those doing mods that have electrical needs.
https://techauthorityonlinedemo.extra.chrysler.com/service/repair/wiring/view/classic.htm
Maybe link this to the "pinned" topic above.

In the Italian forum I found a video of the Chinese unit posted by a dealer in Brazil
Basically it's the equivalent of a uci-11 c video interface bundled with a big screen, a dvd player, gps, dvb-t receiver, etc., all in a neat package.
What it does is switch between the factory system video output and its own, so you won't lose any of the existing features (climate control, settings, etc.).
It's ingeniously simple, since they didn't have to reverse engineer the complicated protocols for the settings and the climate control.
I'm not really interested, but here it is:
[media=]
[/media]

When I think about a how to area, I think of an area that is dedicated to users documenting their projects: how to change the oil, how to replace your tpms, how to remove the dash, or any other thing that someone figured out. I think how to use the forum is ok, but users sharing how to do something on one's DJ should be the spirit of the section. I'm not so sure involving $$ is the best idea.
Peace.

WTF, turn off the only redeeming (and working) feature this car has?

Many of you might think doing these mods are difficult; however, they are fairly simple so long as you take your time. I will provide photos, video links and descriptions on the main areas getting you started. Pleases use this as a getting started guide and take the time to look around to ensure items needing to be removed are removed.
Installing bug shield:
Very simple...
Product: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001I9JKJ4/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00
The bug guard will have a slight ( U ) shape cut-out on the underside. Line this ( U ) shape cutout with the hood latch located on the hood. Look everything over to make sure it fits nicely. Peel the 3M tape cover off and attach... Job complete, unless you want to attach the screws. If you decide to attach the screws - drill a small pilot hole where the screws go and then insert the screws...

Installing backup camera and reverse sensors:
Products:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005CTKYB4/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i01
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006MPY198/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0055XCLK4/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00
First you need to remove or partially remove all panels/moldings. the key is to gain access and not completely remove, if possible.

After these covers/bolts are removed you will be able to remove the plastic molding where the trunk latches.

Additional side/top molding removal. For the seat belt bolt you will need a T50 star to unscrew it.


After you verify all bolts/screws/knobs are remove you can now pull hard to pop the side and top molding away to gain access to internal compartments.
Next you need to remove molding on the trunk door. Start by removing the bolts and pull like a mofo to get it off. To remove the top trim piece on the trunk, you will need to remove 2 plastic push-pins (black)-they are easy to find/see after the larger piece is removed. ***when removing the larger piece, there should be 2 smaller plastic moldings that go up each side that also comes off with the larger piece.

I have an arrow pointing to the black rubber tube you will feed all your wires/video cables through. Simply pull on the points of attachment on the rubber to give you more play room. ****you might need to cut some of the rubber-band-like pieces*** don't worry this will not harm anything.
Next thing is to remove the plastic above you license plate. as indicated, there are 2 bolts on the outside and one bolt you can find on the inside after removing the large plastic molding in the above step. Ignore the red line in the photo. Photo editor put it in for unknown reasons.
You will need to use a drimmell to make a hole in the plastic to run the video cable.

Okay, you are almost finished taking everything apart. 1 more item to go. You will need to pull the molding around the drivers & rear passengers seat away. With the drivers door open grab the top weather seal and pull on it. This is just like pealing a banana. Only remove the portion that runs along the head board.
Installing the reverse camera and backup sensors.
Starting with the trunk door:
***run the video cable, the camera hot wire and the reverse sensor (hot wire) through the rubber piece mentioned before. Take your time, this is not easy***
On the drivers side of the car, in the rear (where you removed the panels partially), you will see where they have a ground location installed. use this for the reverse sensor ground and camera ground.
Zip tie like crazy
Installing backup sensors:
Watch videos:



The video above provides all the info you need on sensor install.
Installing the camera/monitor:
You will now run the HOT camera wire and the camera video to the front of the car. Do this by tucking the wires into the headboard and BEHIND the side airbags in the door seals. *** always put wires behind the airbags*** The videos will show you some of this.
-Run the video wire directly to your monitor mounted above the rear-view mirror and plug it in.
-run your monitor's ground/hot wire back towards the drivers side panel and down to the drivers side floor board.
Accessing your center console. Open the console and pull up on the trim. It will pop off. Grab the shift knob and pull straight up like a mofo to get the knob off.
-you will now join the camera & monitor HOT wires and run 1 main HOT wire to your center console.
-Next you will run your Monitors ground wire to a location close to the break pedal.
-You will run an additional ground wire from the center console to the break pedal.
-combine both ground wires and attach them to a bolt on the break pedal. Zip tie to keep wires safely tucked away.
On your toggle you will see:
Earth - ground
Load - HOT monitor/camera wire
Supply - HOT wire from fuse box
-lastly, run a HOT wire from your fuse box on passenger side to your center console.
To do this you will need http://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-BP-HHH-ATM-Add-A-Fuse/dp/B000GKEXK2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357417409&sr=8-1&keywords=add+a+fuse+mini and a 15-20A mini fuse. Simply attach to your HOT wire and insert into an open spot on your cars fuse box.

unlike, e.g., a zip file which is lossless (when you uncompress it you get back the same file that you put in), mp3, in order to save space, uses lossy compression: you take the original audio file, compress it to reduce storage and, when uncompressed, you don't get the original file. The mp3 algorithms throws out something, supposedly the details that you cannot hear, but in practice something you will notice.
When you compress the original audio file, you can decide the compression level (i.e., the bitrate to use). Obviously an higher bitrate (less compression and bigger file size) will give better quality that a lower bitrate (where more detail has to be thrown out).
If you want the highest quality possible you should use a lossless compression like flac, (but I don't think the uconnect would reproduce it), also, there are competing formats (like ogg, which not only is considered to be of higher quality at the same bitrate but is also a free format, with no patents encumbering it and no royalties to pay to fraunhofer as it is the case for mp3), but sadly the uconnect doesn't work with it either.
Me, I don't have such a fine ear, so I'm happy enough with 128kbps streams downloaded from an internet jazz radio.

Maybe I’m seeing your post in completely the wrong way here but it feels like you’re saying I’m making too big a deal out of all this. Yes, I absolutely agree that the dealer is mostly why I'm having such a hard time here and that is the main part of my displeasure, but I still don't believe a vehicle in this day and age should have this many problems in such a short time span. I can understand how it may seem to you like I'm nitpicking with some of the details here but I've owned three brand new cars previous to this one for a much longer time frame and those vehicles did not spend anywhere remotely close to the amount of time at the dealership as the Dodge Journey in a year and a half span. And I'm not talking oil changes and rotations here. I'm talking things that are out of the ordinary that need to be addressed. But let me try to respond to you as best I can.
"Well, I'm not a dealer, but some of your issues were quite simple and others perhaps the same issue over and over."
The problem is that even with simple issues, it never ends up being a simple fix. And the reason I keep having the same issue over and over, is that they constantly fail to resolve them the first time (failing to order parts, ordering wrong parts, two defective radios in a row). How many times was I told my vehicle was ready for pickup and immediately after or while driving home something would still be wrong. This really shouldn't be a complicated process. You fix something, you test it out, if it's not fixed, you continue working on it.
For example - that 'first 15 minutes of vibration issue' you're complaining about is simply the flat spot that tires get from sitting in one position being rolled out - check your tire pressure, you may need to inflate them a bit more to reduce the effect.
I believe I did say the original vibration problem was fixed after they replaced the strut, strut mount, bearing and did the road force balance. I didn’t make a big deal out of this. The "first 15 minutes of vibration" comment was more of an observation and I did specify that "the tires may just need warming up". My other vehicles in the past never had this behavior so I think it's normal that I would question it? Those vehicles would have been lighter than the Journey so maybe that could explain it. I do thank you for the suggestion. I will definitely see if more air could make a difference here.
Vibrations in general ought to be traceable - you put on wheels and tires at Canadian Tire and started having vibrations . . . . the likelihood is that CT did something, possibly killing a bearing - again, we're listening only to your simplified version of the story. There may have been other factors at work.
Simplified version? Other factors at work? What else do you need to know? Nothing else happened in that timespan that would change the outcome. Yes the vibration did start after I had tires installed at Canadian Tire. My first instinct was also to point the finger at them. But how would you explain the problem still being there after installing my summer wheels? Am I supposed to believe that the guys at CT could have damaged a strut by swapping a set of wheels? I highly doubt it. And as for that bearing, I'm no mechanic but I seriously doubt it would cause vibrations in my seat and not in the steering. IMO, the bearing got killed when the strut let go as the grinding noise started immediately after they replaced the strut and strut mount. My main argument with the bearing was not that it was shot but that they were sending me home with a loud grinding noise in the front right tire. If they would have taken a minute to test out the vehicle after replacing the strut and strut mount, they would have immediately found that there was still an issue to be resolved. As for the vibration, my main issue was that the dealer kept sending me home time and time again when the vibration was clearly still there. They should have looked deeper into the problem instead of ignoring it.
Brakes? They go. Especially on the DJ - braking vibrations means warped rotors. They did the rears? The fronts take more force and may have had pad left, but possibly were not true.
Yes, I was aware of the brake issues with Dodge Journeys so I was kind of expecting this. You're right, "they go", but it still doesn't make it right that they use up this fast. I won't spend much time on this because all one needs to do is read through the numerous posts about brakes on the forum and it becomes quite obvious that it's a design flaw.
Your radio issue? One big problem that needs someone to get you the right parts and install it properly.
I would sure like to find that "someone" you speak of! A month and a half later and still not fixed. Not acceptable! 2 faulty radios in a row. Not acceptable! Awful quality control.
The strut may have 'popped' if your wife turned into the driveway and jumped a curb - my ex would do stuff like that and say 'nothing was ever stressed' - my sister told me how aggressively she drove when I wasn't around. I'm not saying that this was the issue you had, but it is a possibility. At least they replaced it under warranty.
I don't want to get too personal here but your ex was your ex and not my wife. My wife and I have been together for over 13 years and she's no liar. I know without a single doubt that if she’d hit a curb, she would have told me then and there. I would never blame the dealer for something caused by my own fault. I have more respect than that. The only two people that drive our Journey is my wife and myself and it was never abused. I've had some people suggest that maybe the straps were over tightened when the Journey got transported at the dealership and that may have weakened the strut. I have no idea if this is possible but it's the only logical explanation I've had so far. Even then, that would be up to Dodge to cover the damage, not me.
In the end, for the vibration issues, if your dealer couldn't solve the problem, you ought to have taken the vehicle to a specialist (hint: Canadian Tire is not a specialist). I once owned a car that would start vibrating 1-5K after a tire swap - they'd balance it and it would be good for another 1-5K, then start vibrating again. Tires were from Goodyear. The dealer sent me to them - they replaced tires . . . 5 times!!! I finally got Goodyear to buy me a set of MIchelins and never had the proble gain. It turned out to be that the bead on that size of Goodyear tire was just large enough that it let the tire slip on the chromed rim under power (remember my wife, the race car driver?). The Michelin's were just a tad tighter and didn't slip.
Why should I have to take my vehicle somewhere else? Are you saying the ones that sell the product shouldn’t be specialists of their own product? Let’s be clear, I would never bring my vehicle to Canadian Tire for repairs. The only reason I did bring it to them at the time is because the vibration seemed to coincide with the wheel replacement. My first instinct was that the tires or wheels were causing the problem and that’s why I went the route of getting them replaced first. But once I had the summer wheels put back on and the same vibration was still there, it made no sense to blame the problem on the wheels anymore. The vibration only went away after they replaced the strut and mount so that was obviously the cause. I know I keep repeating myself here but they were sending me home time and time again saying the problem was fixed when it was clearly not.
Dealers are generalists. Not all dealers are the same. They certainly aren't rocket scientists when it comes to electronics and electronic systems. If you can't get things fixed then you need to get pro-active (or learn to live with the problem). Go to another dealer as a first step.
I took my DJ in for a radio issue requiring a flash update and in spite of the fact that I told them what to do the dealer told me they'd be charging me for time if THEY couldn't see the problem. I cancelled the work order then and there and went to another dealer who not only wouldn't have charged but gave me a loaner for the 3 hours they needed to get to the vehicle and do the work when they didn't have to, since they had a couple on the lot sitting around.
I’m paying over $30000 for a vehicle and I need to “get pro-active” or “learn to live with the problem”? Absolutely not! If Dodge wants to sell vehicles full of high tech electronics, they should make sure they have trained personnel to deal with these issues at every single dealership. I shouldn’t have to shop around until I find a dealer that knows what they’re talking about. Even then, I never knew it was possible to simply switch to another dealer. I always had the idea that if you buy a vehicle somewhere, that’s where you need to go for service. Now I know that’s not the case and will certainly use that option next time.
Your list unfortunately is littered with dealer issues:
You had 8 declared problems, but 'summarise' it as 18 items. The reality is that you are hyper sensitive to issues and I don't blame you. but in general it sounds like you had about 3 things go wrong (plus what is likely a Canadian-Tire induced issue) and a dealer that isn't interacting well with you, for whatever reason.
I apologise. Some items in that summary are things that were replaced and not “problems”. Maybe I should have simply titled it “Summary”. But I’m not sure why you only see 3 things that went wrong in that list. I count at least 8. Maybe something like a broken overhead console isn’t a real problem to you. I use that console every day when I bring my daughter to daycare. Hyper sensitive? Am I to blame for wanting a vehicle that doesn’t need something repaired every 5000kms? Apparently you’ve never had a good quality vehicle. I’ve had 3 and I can tell you right now they weren’t Dodge. I’m sorry but if you can honestly tell me you wouldn’t have been mad after all these issue and dealer errors, you sir have more patience than anyone I know!

Only because the 4.3 is a POS of the worst kind....

Here you go, had to make a photo album.

If you look carefully at this video:
[media=]
[/media]you'll see that where in your new radio there's what seems to be an usb connector, in that replacement radio there's a connector just like the one near the video cable on the 4.3.
Maybe the radio in the replacement kit is different than a factory mounted 8.4 radio?

Its a 12v DC servo motor. Its doesn't get run by duration, it uses a learned current ramp, or rise. When it sees that rise( door against stop) it uses that as the learned value.

$520, shipping included, on aliexpress.com (search for "fiat freemont").
Prices are falling since the last time I looked, since there are more vendors offering it.

The storage bin (with the mirror) is 1NU53HDAAA, however for the rest of the console I have various codes and I don't know which one is the right one.
They are 1MS52DW1AB, 1MT59DW1AB, 1MT681W1AB, 1MU021W1AB, 1MU03DW1AB, 1MU061W1AB
If you google the storage bin (or any of the other part #), it will lead you to sites selling the part and a description of the various assemblies.

In the Fiat version the second dimmer is for adjusting the headlights beam height.

press the driver temp UP and DOWN plus windshield defrost (all 3 buttons at the same time) for about 5 sec this will bring you to the dealer menu, and you will find what you are looking for there plus allot more, if at first you don't success try again it took me about 5 tries

just found one, but not like the challenger, and more emulates the 3 key turn mentioned further above:
- get in the car, but don't start or hit the brake
- hold the down selection button on the steering wheel
- turn the car over to run (but again, don't hit the brake)
you should get a full dash diagnostic (ie - dash lights up like a christmas tree and goes through a diagnostic routine) as well as version number informations on the evic.

A little background: my car isn't exactly mine, it's a company car and I have to give it back when the 5 years lease expires, so, not only I cannot make any permanent modification, but I don't want to spend too much money on it (the last sentence would apply even if the car was mine ).
Even with tinted windows, it's easy to see inside when you lower the third row of seats and use the space for luggage, so a cargo cover is a must.
I made this one some months ago, at the time there was no original part, now there is one available as a FIAT accessory, but it costs 130€ and it's not much better than my "ghetto" version.
Sometimes ago, I found in a dollar store "Ye Olde Jolly Rogers", and I thought it was the perfect size to make a cargo cover. Arrr!
1€ wouldn't break the bank so I bought it.
It's really lightweight, so it's easy to fix to the car without too much trouble.
For the side touching the second row of seats, I used some round adhesive velcro I had. It grips very well to the carpeting behind the seat, however I'll have to sew it to the flag since the adhesive will eventually detach.

To fix it to the sides I used 4 paper-clips (two for each side)

I "modified" them then I sewn a short length of elastic ribbon to the flag this way:

The modified paper-clip goes in the small space between the window and the plastic panel



To fix the flag to the rear of the cargo area, I used a couple of metal pieces I found at the office. I suppose you can make a similar one from some scrap metal:

These attach to the white plastic of the pillar, beneath the rubber molding

With the rubber molding in place

And this is the final result

It's ghetto but it's good enough considering that it cost me less than 3€.
Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

A little background: my car isn't exactly mine, it's a company car and I have to give it back when the 5 years lease expires, so, not only I cannot make any permanent modification, but I don't want to spend too much money on it (the last sentence would apply even if the car was mine ).
Even with tinted windows, it's easy to see inside when you lower the third row of seats and use the space for luggage, so a cargo cover is a must.
I made this one some months ago, at the time there was no original part, now there is one available as a FIAT accessory, but it costs 130€ and it's not much better than my "ghetto" version.
Sometimes ago, I found in a dollar store "Ye Olde Jolly Rogers", and I thought it was the perfect size to make a cargo cover. Arrr!
1€ wouldn't break the bank so I bought it.
It's really lightweight, so it's easy to fix to the car without too much trouble.
For the side touching the second row of seats, I used some round adhesive velcro I had. It grips very well to the carpeting behind the seat, however I'll have to sew it to the flag since the adhesive will eventually detach.

To fix it to the sides I used 4 paper-clips (two for each side)

I "modified" them then I sewn a short length of elastic ribbon to the flag this way:

The modified paper-clip goes in the small space between the window and the plastic panel



To fix the flag to the rear of the cargo area, I used a couple of metal pieces I found at the office. I suppose you can make a similar one from some scrap metal:

These attach to the white plastic of the pillar, beneath the rubber molding

With the rubber molding in place

And this is the final result

It's ghetto but it's good enough considering that it cost me less than 3€.
Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?