Psyke

one thing to ensure is that in the infotainment center you don't have the rear controls locked out; unlock in and then try the dials in the back to see if you get anything.

While against Dodge's recommendations, one thing you can always do is cut the fabric of the seat cover between the two seat posts and sew in either a zipper or some strong velcro. While not ideal, it's better than potential serious injury, or death! :D

Dodge Journey - 1 month impressions.
Model year 2012
Build date: Oct 2011
Trim SXT/Crew
4.3s Stereo
Main purchased extra's:
- Flex seating
- UConnect Voice w/Bluetooth/auto dim mirror
- Power Express Sunroof
- Chrome Clad wheels
- Premium Speakers with Sub
- Bright Silver Metallic
Purchase price as equipped: 31K
- Added extended warranty of 6year/120K km - $2500; finance manager had said regular price was $2900, but reading the boards, this doesn't seem to be true. In any case, after the issues with the Caliber, it was something I had planned on getting one way or another.
- No Negotiations on price of this Vehicle; Had negotiated for a lesser model (SXT), but ended up upgading to a CREW. The deal came from our trade in; We owed over a year on previous car ('08 Caliber SXT); Chrysler absorbed 90% of the lien. I'm sure I could have negotiated better, but I suck at it
We had been planning on upgrading the Caliber next year to get a little more room for family trips. The Journey was one of the choices due to the third row seating, but I didn't really want an SUV, and I really didn't like the mileage. Also, the issues I had been having with he Caliber, that being just after the 60K warranty expired, the car needed about 2K in suspension work done, and the engine started making really odd noises, so more work there, so I was being turned off a bit by Dodge. I mean, this car was not abused, or even pushed hard, so there really wasn't any reason for the issues it was developing, but I've been told that it was pretty common for the Caliber. Personally, I had been leaning more towards a Volkswagen Golf Wagon with the TDI Diesel engine. Seating space didn't improve, but cargo space and fuel economy did by a huge margin. So I had planned to run the Caliber into the ground as it was essentially worthless, finish paying it off next year while putting money away for a good down payment on the VW.
Then Dodge calls a couple days prior to the end of March saying they wanted to get us out of the caliber and into a caravan or journey; they were trying to meet quota and were willing to make a deal, typical ploys to get people to come in. I was totally up front with him about the current situation with the Caliber and said to come in anyway as it couldn't hurt to talk. We setup an appointment for the following Saturday, but we had decided to stop by that night instead to look around.
We took two vehicles out for a test drive; a '12 Grand Caravan, and the '12 Journey. The wife had really wanted a Caravan for a while now; we had tried one out as a rental when our Caliber had to go in for body work (got sideswiped), and she loved it. It did ride very nice, has tons of interior room for both passengers and cargo, and visibility was fantastic with all the huge windows. My main issue was that it felt....empty/echoes...I just didn't like it. So we took out the DJ Crew for a drive and instantly fell in love with it. It felt much more comfortable/cozy inside, and I really liked how the dash/center console was laid out. We had decided on the DJ and while we had started negotiating/looking for an SXT, we ended up taking the Crew we test drove.
Likes:
- Strong, quiet 3.6L V6 Engine.
- Overall quiet/comfortable ride.
- Tons of storage space/spaces.
- Tri-Zone ACC; will come in very handy as we usually change the temp frequently to give each other a turn as we can't usually find a good middle ground.
- Interior directional LED lighting; The elder child appreciates it for reading. I appreciate not being blinded by a flashlight.
- Auto headlights
- Exceptional upscale looking interior. I love the interior and was one of the biggest draws for me.
- Bluetooth integration. Extremely easy to setup multiple phones and works great(once we got it working that is; defective module at purchase time).
- Center Console controls. Love the fact there are both soft and redundant hard keys for most functions.
- Led Tails.
- Crossbars for the roof rack; took them off, as the DJ looks better without, but good to have when/if needed.
- Factory tinted glass.
- Keyless Start and Go system; Fantastic. The extra lock/unlock buttons outside are convenient.
- flexibility of the 3rd row seating.
- child seat was easier to install than in the Caliber, and feels more secure.
- I can change headlights again without having to take off the freakin' bumper or having freakishly small, but powerful, hands!!
- Oil filter location; on the top of the engine; who would have thunk it!
Dislikes:
- Fuel economy; knew this going in, but still don't have to like it.
- Poor downshifting; If I'm travelling at a speed where the gear has just shifted up and is running at the low 1K RPM range, I can't speed up at a reasonable pace without having to give it a good amount of good amount of gas. ie - there's a pretty big range of motion in the accelerator where there's little to no reaction, then all of a sudden, the car jumps forward in a burst of speed as it finally downshifts; poor torque in the lower RPM range is really the problem I'm assuming, and I think this is where
a lot of the fuel economy is being wasted.
- Visibility; Generally ok, but pillars, and the huge ass Rear View mirror block alot of viewing area. Integrated blind Spot mirrors should be standard.
- Front facing steering wheel buttons; not very responsive.
- Replacement 19" tire availability/selection, or lack thereof.
- Chrome Clad Wheels. Really wish I could have traded these for 17's...
- Sub Woofer - No power; am going to have this checked, but I had the premium sound package on my caliber, and that system blew me away @half the price.
- compact spare.
- No front plate mount. Really does ruin the look of the DJ.
- parking brake location in relation to the hood release; have popped the hood a couple times when releasing the brake.
- Switches/options that don't do anything; if they don't do anything, they shouldn't be there in the first place.
Would like to have seen:
- Auto Wipers (Rain Sensitive Wipers)
- Blind spot mirrors Standard
- The Chargers capless fuel fill door; really cool and should be standard on all models!
- Lock/unlock of all doors on Center console as well as child lock button; seen this on the Equinox and thout it was a great place to put it.
- Full sized Spare.
- Power seat memory for at least two drivers.
- More data on the EVIC; Max Speed/Average Speed, things like that.
Overall, after a month of driving it and putting about 2100km on it, I really do like the purchase decision. I still really wish I could have gotten the VW Diesel, but for the versitility factor, I have no regrets at all, despite the huge fuel bills. Will do another evaluation in 5 months at oil change time and see if things change.
cheers!
Steph S.

I had always meant to get this looked at and finally put an order (back order part of course) back in September/October when I had the brakes done. Due to some miscommunication, where they thought I was going to call back to schedule an appointment rather than them let me know when the part is in, we brought it up again last week when we lost two tires to potholes (we've been pretty damn unlucky with accidents with this car...4 accidents in less than two years and multiple tire hazards *sigh*) and had to get them replaced. Part came in end of the week and was installed today (dealership was extremely happy we didn't fill the tank up just before bringing it in..we were close to fumes). Anyway, went and filled up tonight; regular fill, stopped it when it clicked, and lo and behold, it shows a full tank for the first time . Part number is 5145614AB - Module-Fuel Pump Level Unit.
Cheers!
Steph S.

I figured what the heck that I would try a set of ebay running boards on the journey, I got them in and put them on just the other night.

Not seeing a backorder on that part number - Marysville, Michigan parts depot currently has 43 of that part number. Sorry...

Dodge Journey - 1 month impressions.
Model year 2012
Build date: Oct 2011
Trim SXT/Crew
4.3s Stereo
Main purchased extra's:
- Flex seating
- UConnect Voice w/Bluetooth/auto dim mirror
- Power Express Sunroof
- Chrome Clad wheels
- Premium Speakers with Sub
- Bright Silver Metallic
Purchase price as equipped: 31K
- Added extended warranty of 6year/120K km - $2500; finance manager had said regular price was $2900, but reading the boards, this doesn't seem to be true. In any case, after the issues with the Caliber, it was something I had planned on getting one way or another.
- No Negotiations on price of this Vehicle; Had negotiated for a lesser model (SXT), but ended up upgading to a CREW. The deal came from our trade in; We owed over a year on previous car ('08 Caliber SXT); Chrysler absorbed 90% of the lien. I'm sure I could have negotiated better, but I suck at it
We had been planning on upgrading the Caliber next year to get a little more room for family trips. The Journey was one of the choices due to the third row seating, but I didn't really want an SUV, and I really didn't like the mileage. Also, the issues I had been having with he Caliber, that being just after the 60K warranty expired, the car needed about 2K in suspension work done, and the engine started making really odd noises, so more work there, so I was being turned off a bit by Dodge. I mean, this car was not abused, or even pushed hard, so there really wasn't any reason for the issues it was developing, but I've been told that it was pretty common for the Caliber. Personally, I had been leaning more towards a Volkswagen Golf Wagon with the TDI Diesel engine. Seating space didn't improve, but cargo space and fuel economy did by a huge margin. So I had planned to run the Caliber into the ground as it was essentially worthless, finish paying it off next year while putting money away for a good down payment on the VW.
Then Dodge calls a couple days prior to the end of March saying they wanted to get us out of the caliber and into a caravan or journey; they were trying to meet quota and were willing to make a deal, typical ploys to get people to come in. I was totally up front with him about the current situation with the Caliber and said to come in anyway as it couldn't hurt to talk. We setup an appointment for the following Saturday, but we had decided to stop by that night instead to look around.
We took two vehicles out for a test drive; a '12 Grand Caravan, and the '12 Journey. The wife had really wanted a Caravan for a while now; we had tried one out as a rental when our Caliber had to go in for body work (got sideswiped), and she loved it. It did ride very nice, has tons of interior room for both passengers and cargo, and visibility was fantastic with all the huge windows. My main issue was that it felt....empty/echoes...I just didn't like it. So we took out the DJ Crew for a drive and instantly fell in love with it. It felt much more comfortable/cozy inside, and I really liked how the dash/center console was laid out. We had decided on the DJ and while we had started negotiating/looking for an SXT, we ended up taking the Crew we test drove.
Likes:
- Strong, quiet 3.6L V6 Engine.
- Overall quiet/comfortable ride.
- Tons of storage space/spaces.
- Tri-Zone ACC; will come in very handy as we usually change the temp frequently to give each other a turn as we can't usually find a good middle ground.
- Interior directional LED lighting; The elder child appreciates it for reading. I appreciate not being blinded by a flashlight.
- Auto headlights
- Exceptional upscale looking interior. I love the interior and was one of the biggest draws for me.
- Bluetooth integration. Extremely easy to setup multiple phones and works great(once we got it working that is; defective module at purchase time).
- Center Console controls. Love the fact there are both soft and redundant hard keys for most functions.
- Led Tails.
- Crossbars for the roof rack; took them off, as the DJ looks better without, but good to have when/if needed.
- Factory tinted glass.
- Keyless Start and Go system; Fantastic. The extra lock/unlock buttons outside are convenient.
- flexibility of the 3rd row seating.
- child seat was easier to install than in the Caliber, and feels more secure.
- I can change headlights again without having to take off the freakin' bumper or having freakishly small, but powerful, hands!!
- Oil filter location; on the top of the engine; who would have thunk it!
Dislikes:
- Fuel economy; knew this going in, but still don't have to like it.
- Poor downshifting; If I'm travelling at a speed where the gear has just shifted up and is running at the low 1K RPM range, I can't speed up at a reasonable pace without having to give it a good amount of good amount of gas. ie - there's a pretty big range of motion in the accelerator where there's little to no reaction, then all of a sudden, the car jumps forward in a burst of speed as it finally downshifts; poor torque in the lower RPM range is really the problem I'm assuming, and I think this is where
a lot of the fuel economy is being wasted.
- Visibility; Generally ok, but pillars, and the huge ass Rear View mirror block alot of viewing area. Integrated blind Spot mirrors should be standard.
- Front facing steering wheel buttons; not very responsive.
- Replacement 19" tire availability/selection, or lack thereof.
- Chrome Clad Wheels. Really wish I could have traded these for 17's...
- Sub Woofer - No power; am going to have this checked, but I had the premium sound package on my caliber, and that system blew me away @half the price.
- compact spare.
- No front plate mount. Really does ruin the look of the DJ.
- parking brake location in relation to the hood release; have popped the hood a couple times when releasing the brake.
- Switches/options that don't do anything; if they don't do anything, they shouldn't be there in the first place.
Would like to have seen:
- Auto Wipers (Rain Sensitive Wipers)
- Blind spot mirrors Standard
- The Chargers capless fuel fill door; really cool and should be standard on all models!
- Lock/unlock of all doors on Center console as well as child lock button; seen this on the Equinox and thout it was a great place to put it.
- Full sized Spare.
- Power seat memory for at least two drivers.
- More data on the EVIC; Max Speed/Average Speed, things like that.
Overall, after a month of driving it and putting about 2100km on it, I really do like the purchase decision. I still really wish I could have gotten the VW Diesel, but for the versitility factor, I have no regrets at all, despite the huge fuel bills. Will do another evaluation in 5 months at oil change time and see if things change.
cheers!
Steph S.

Thanks DodgeCares. I received a PM for DodgeCaCares and he will be sending a copy of my post to the dealer, so they have a better understanding of what the problem is and is also keeping a look out for any TSB regarding this problem.
I must say, we are well looked after on this forum, by both you and DodgeCaCares. Yours and DodgeCaCares efforts I'm sure are greatly appreciated by not only me, but by others on the forum as well.

Attention to The Dodge Journey Forum Moderators...
Could we please get a "How To" section for The Dodge Journey Forum? I think that this would be a valuable tool to this forum. Maybe a couple of the most requested "How To's" could be stickied such as an Engiine Oil Change for example.
Being a past and current member of many other automotive forums, they all have a "How To" section. Here on The Dodge Journey Forum, videos, pictures and written details could walk anyone through a specific "how to" for their Dodge Journey.
I know that there are currenlty how to's scattered all over this forum but to get them all in one place would be a huge benefit. For example, I just completed a DIY oil change and learned a lot as it was my first DIY change on our Journey. I would be willing to contribute to this new section as I am sure many other members would be whether it is a simple oil change or how to build an intake system or how to change the rear wiper or how to change a fog light bulb. The list of "How To's" goes on and on and on.
Thank you and I hope that you will take this request into consideration and if fellow members feel it would be an asset to the forum - speak up and reply to this thread with your support.
Cheers,
Rob

So after so much searching, and talking about doing the upgrade, I finally got to do it.
I bought the RB5 (allegedly N), and the 8.4 screen with bezel. Came in on Monday, but the anxiety wouldn't let wait till the weekend to install it. Went out last night and did it in the dark. Lol.
1st thing, everything fits nicely. You need to wear gloves to take the radio apart. Behind the journeys "soft" touch panels, there's a ton of sharp jagged edge corners.
There's also a lot of tugging and pulling on small connectors. You're going to need s small flat head screw driver, and patience.
Now the bad news... Apparently, the lower stack (AC) panel from the 4.3 does NOT work with the 8.4.
After install, I was not able to adjust the temperature. On the screen it will not move from 22c. From the AC panel, it won't even beep.
I also was not able to find controls for the rear climate..
I'm thinking this must be cause the AC panel isn't communicating with the 8.4.
I'm impressed of how the voice control feature works on the rb5. You can actually call it voice control. Not the phone voice control.
Had to take everything back out, and now I need the lower stack panel.

The right radio (rb5) has additional connects. From the 3 stacked together all the way to the right (pic). It's like mirrored connector for the remote USB. Anyone know what that is?

Anyone interested in knowing. The uConnect voice command module seems to be behind the screen assy beneath the vent tunnels.

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?

While your dealer is an idiot, you could always have just read the manual.
Scroll down to the last menu entry of the EVIC and right click the 'messages' banner to see what message you may have received.

well, if you want a rudimentary example of why it's good to change your brake pads after changing warped rotors: put both your hands together as if you were praying. Now bend your fingers to to the right. now straighten your left hand again, leaving your right hands finged bent back. your left hand is the replaced rotor while your right is the old brake pads... like I said, rudimentary, but gives you an idea of why .

Hello friends, I decided to do it myself, the scheme to open the automatic gate to the garage, put the integrated circuit board behind the mirror and connected to control a button, now just hit and the gate opens and closes, it was cool.
The following photos.


Abçs...
Dirceu Ximenes

Although I was unsuccessful at removing the headrests due to warnings of airbag risks by DodgeCares, I finally did figure out how to get the center console out. I subsequently had that embroidered with the Journey and R/T logos. Looks pretty sweet. Nice way to take the interior up a notch. I have uploaded images of the console both before and after installation in my Journey. I am out of file space to attach images to a post. The images can be found in my redtomatoman photo album.
Anyone interested in embroidery can contact Jina's Sew Simple Embroidery. Email address and an album of their work is below (couldn't figure out how to paste the hyperlink into the post - just paste into your email or browser address line). Jina and Rick are absolutely great people who do great embroidery work. I couldn't be happier with the way the console came out! They worked with my all the way through the project as I created my own custom Journey logo design that they were able to recreate on my console. This project is the first Journey they have embroidered. They can do almost anything. . . The only catch is that they have to be able to uninstall the upholstery. I wanted to do my headrests but it did not seem possible.
Peace.
jinasse@sbcglobal.net
http://s135.photobuc...s/q150/jinasse/

are you trying to buy one? try this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/09-10-Left-Chrysler-Dodge-Journey-SUNVISOR-W-HOME-LINK-/170625618321?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item27ba145191#ht_6072wt_1127

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.

Right now I'm driving a 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport I bought brand new and has been literally beaten to a pulp lol I love the garbage bag/tarp idea. When I pull up to the school to pick the kids up in my new vehicle I can shrug and just say "keepin' it real" They would LOVE that! haha

As a sidenote try reading the PDF at this URL
http://www.fleetchrysler.ca/en/pdf/2011_Police_Upfitters_Guide.pdf
While I realize this is referencing the the Police Charger Vehicle
it will give you a lots of info on the Pentastar V6 and many other
items peculiar to Chrysler electrical systems.

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

My family is pretty active in the outdoors and quite often we find ourselves out in the middle of nowhere, in the dark. I come from Alaska and with our long dark winters I have always been a fan of “more light”. I wanted to add some off road lights to our DJ but wanted to do it in a way they can be easily removed when not needed. I used a product many years ago called a Carr Light Wing. I ordered one recently and installed it along with two KC lights on our 2012 SXT. Below you will find a picture of the lights installed. I’ve left the license plate off so you can see how easy installation and removal is. The light wing mounts with two screws. I opted for longer bolts that way I could beef it up to minimize light vibration. When I decide to remove it all I’ll need is to take the wing off and unplug the lights. The lights are plugged in behind and below the grill do it looks prettier, lol.
To run the power I used a relay system. I installed a switch in the cab right next to where the old dimmer switch used to be. When the switch is in the on position, the lights will turn on when the high beams do. The lights themselves are powered off the battery on their own circuit. I tapped into the high beams just to power the relay. I went this route so the TIPM will never have an unexpected current flow.

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?

I did another long road trip a week ago. It was approximately 1400 kms one way.
I filled up just before leaving home and really took my time to slowly fill it full. It is a real pain that I have to do that to get the tank completely full. Some gas pumps don't let the gas out slow enough to be able to fill the tank. In some cases, I cannot get the needle to the F no matter how slow I try to fill it. Luckily, the gas station I use most of the time has pumps that can be run fairly slowly to allow me to fill the tank. Anyway, back on topic.
On the first tank, I set the cruise at 110 kph because I wanted to see how driving at that speed would affect the gas mileage. I didn't stop to fill up until 911 kms had passed!! The EVIC said I still had just under 100 kms to go on that tank. If I had really pushed it, I possibly could have gone 1000 kms on that tank!
Needless to say, I am extremely happy and impressed with the gas mileage of the 3.6L Pentastar V6!
The only concerning part was when I filled up that first tank after 911 kms. I put 77.28 litres in the tank!! It is supposed to be a 78 litre tank. That means 1 of three things - a) I was almost completely out of gas and the EVIC was wrong, b ) the gas pump was wrong and I didn't actually put 77.28 litres in the tank, c) the tank is bigger than 78 litres.
I freakin' love the power this engine has when passing on hills and down-shifting manually!