Journeyman425

it is...for now. The same thing happened to LMK for the DRL but that code reappeared at the dealer level just as quietly as it went away. Time will tell for LMG.

Actually, the 4.0 was based off of the 3.8 OHV V6 that was used in the minivan. The Nitro came standard with the 3.7 V6 that was used in the Dakota and the optional engine was the 4.0. The only other variant of the SOHC 3.5 was the 3.2 that came in the Concorde and Intrepid. The Electroluminescent gauges in the 300M were shared with the LHS of the same years. I love their look and have never tired of it. I used to love to go for night time drives when the car was new just to look at the instruments! The 3.5 is a good engine. There were some issues in 2002 with incorrect rod bearing torque from the factory on some engines which resulted in catastrophic failure. Chrysler quietly recalled several 300M's and offered the customer a replacement engine or a new car, believe it or not. They quickly identified the affected production sequence and went right to work on damage control. Other than that very limited issue, it's been a very good engine. Correction - you are right, dhh3 - the 4.0 is a variant of the 3.5, not the 3.8 as I stated earlier. Had a brain fart. Went back and researched it and you are correct. The 3.8 and 3.3 share the same architecture.

3.5 V6 with 42LE four-speed automatic.

From the service manual: TRAILER SWAY CONTROLTrailer Sway Control (TSC) is safety feature made possible by ESP. TSC does not require driver input; it activates once the yaw sensor recognizes the unique vehicle motion associated with trailer sway and no steering input. It becomes clear that this motion has to be from a trailer and thus activates the brakes to eliminate the trailer sway. Lobitz is correct in that the trailer wiring is not part of the TSC equation. The Yaw Sensor detects side-to-side motion and compares that motion to the steering wheel angle and movement. If the driver is not moving the wheel left or right but the vehicle has that left-right motion, then the ESP kicks in to counter it.

My 300M, unlike the Journey, has never been hit. Luck has as much to do with that as anything else. My wife really deserves most of the credit. Yes, I am responsible for all of the maintenance and for its appearance care (read: I am very anal about it as you could guess!) but she is a very smooth and consistent driver. She's put probably two-thirds of the miles on the car in a manner that is very conducive to longevity. She's easy on the throttle and brakes, doesn't corner on the door handles, and almost always parks on the end space. So, between her good driving habits ( mine aren't so bad, either) and my working in an ideal maintenance environment combined with a really well-engineered car and here we are, with a car that has outlasted the payment book by twelve years!

My 2000 Chrysler 300M hit a milestone yesterday: If my Journey doesn't keep getting smashed every other week, it too might just make it to 300K!

Sean - that is a great idea and logical thinking on your part. Unfortunately, the sales codes that are available to us as dealers to add generally pertain to Mopar accessories like hitches, mouldings, tonneau covers for trucks, remote starters and the like. Equipment packages like ALW as you mention, or AGV as in Flexible Seating are not codes that we are able to add on to your VIN since they are proprietary to the factory as the vehicle is built. Good thinking, though! As for the PM mystery, perhaps one of our moderators or administrators might know? I received a PM today from one of our forum members; not sure why you are not able to get a message to me. Sorry!

Let's see some pictures when you get it back! Fingers crossed...

You can contact Chrysler's customer service number, but in this case I don't see that as the most effective solution. That is usually reserved for issues where your dealer is not helping you or if you wish to complain about a specific, unresolved problem. They will not likely have any knowledge of missing sales codes and they have no contact with STAR (Service Technical Assistance Resource center) so I don't feel that a call to them will help you. STAR cases are opened by the technician in the shop or by the service manager. I'm not certain if that will resolve the missing sales code issue, either, but I'll explain. Just before the DRL sales code "LMK" was put back in the menu, I found a STAR case that advised the shop to open a case and request the sales code. I don't know the end result of that request since is not something I can see unless my shop opened the case. So, in this instance the only thing that I think your dealer could do would be to contact STAR and request the sales code and see what happens. I'll monitor the menu from time to time and see if it comes back just like the DRL code did.

LeRoy - I checked your VIN and tried to add LMG to your options, but it does not appear in the drop-down menu of sales codes. This is why you've not been able to get it added. While I was there, I added LMK for you so you can enable your Daytime Running Lights the next time a vehicle restoration is done at the dealer. We went through this last year with DRL - the sales code LMK just vanished one day and was missing for months with no explanation from Chrysler - and at the beginning of this year, it re-appeared in the same drop-down menu that used to contain LMG. Your dealer may have to open a STAR case and request that LMG be added, if possible. Once your dealer does this then the STAR center will respond and advise if it is possible. Sorry that I could not be more help to you. Not sure why your PM was blocked - I've been receiving them from some other members.

Sean - I checked your VIN and tried to add LMG to your options, but it does not appear in the drop-down menu of sales codes. This is why you've not been able to get it added. While I was there, I added LMK for you so you can enable your Daytime Running Lights the next time a vehicle restoration is done at the dealer. We went through this last year with DRL - the sales code LMK just vanished one day and was missing for months with no explanation from Chrysler - and at the beginning of this year, it re-appeared in the same drop-down menu that used to contain LMG. Your dealer may have to open a STAR case and request that LMG be added, if possible. Once your dealer does this then the STAR center will respond and advise if it is possible. Sorry that I could not be more help to you.

PM the last eight digits of your VIN along with the approximate mileage and I'll add the code for you.

Holy crap that is funny! How ironic.

Welcome to the forum and to Journey ownership! Good year; 2013

What's the ETA on repair time?

I feel your pain. My 2013 Journey was hit just six weeks after we got it - kid backed into it while we sat in the car. Leaned on the horn but his audio was cranked up so loud he never heard the horn nor checked the mirrors. Not as bad as yours, though - only $1500.00. Hadn't changed the oil yet and only made one payment. It got hit again in December 2014 - lady backed into it while my wife was in the gym, cracked the rear fascia - $1100.00. Two weeks later an 18 year old girl blew a red light and destroyed the whole front end. We hadn't gotten the rear fixed yet! No one got hurt, thank God - $11000.00 damage. My car is a friggin' magnet. You will not have this kind of bad luck! I hope things work out for the best for you and your children.

Wow, that looks awesome! Ya gotta love Copper Pearl!

The price is set by the individual dealer. Some will charge a half-hour labor minimum, others an hour, the selling dealer may do it at no charge as 2late4u has stated. A Vehicle Restoration takes all of 10-15 minutes to perform when the internet connection and the peripheral equipment is all working properly.

Chrysler has always done it that way. The build sheet for my 2000 300M lists springs in the Options section as well. Yes, springs are definitely standard on all cars! The only thing that comes to mind are certain models of Chrysler vehicles have different rate springs within their lineup. My 300M has an optional Performance Handling Group with includes a higher rate spring than a Touring model.

You are right - it does not harm the engine and tranny to use the Autostick feature to slow the car if used properly. I use it all the time on my 300M; the car is on the verge of 300,000 miles on the original engine and transmission, and my brakes last longer, too. To mirror what some of the others have said, the problem with the earlier brakes was their size. The rotors, calipers and pads were undersized for the weight of the car. Minivans, too. There was a warranty extension on rotors and pads on 2008-2010 minivans and 2009-2010 Journeys due to overwhelming complaints (justifiably so) about premature wear and vibration. It wasn't until model year 2013, though, that the larger rotor/caliper/pad combination was put into production on both the minivans and Journeys.

FWD Mainstreets have Touring suspension, AWD models have Performance suspension. Since yours is FWD then you are correct.

Suspension levels in the Journey lineup are determined by the stiffness rating of the shock absorbers. Touring has firmer shock rates than Base, Performance has higher rates than Touring, and R/T has the firmest shocks of all levels. R/T *may* have higher spring rates than the others as well but I have not been able to confirm that in my literature. DHH - all of Chrysler's build sheets list four springs. It's the sales code that corresponds to the spring itself that determines if one has a different rating than another.