Journeyman425

I work for a dealer. We've put, on average, 2-3 new Cherokees on the road per week since the car came out. 1) We've had over 60" of snow this winter and no complaints about the lights in any way. 2) Not one single complaint about the transmission. Jeep delayed the release of the Cherokee because of a software issue that affected the engagement of a dog clutch in the transmission. They flashed all the transmission controllers before they left the storage yards and that solved the problem. None of my customers have returned for any shifting issues whatsoever. 3) I have had no complaints of fuel economy specifically for the Cherokee. That being said, consider that the vehicle was released just before the onset of winter. Let's let the engines break in a little and let the temps come up and switch over from winter blend fuels. Everyone is complaining about a drop in fuel economy because of those reasons, on everything we sell. 4) No HVAC concerns have come across my desk, either. As a matter of fact, the only Cherokee that I've seen a problem with was a front end noise when the ambient temperature dropped well below freezing - like in the teens and colder. The problem was traced to an upper strut mount bearing. We replaced both sides and that corrected the issue. Other than that, my customers love them - and so do we. They are selling very well at my store. I posted this information just to show the other side of a story. Yes, I am a bit biased because I work for a C/J/D/R SRT store, and maybe I sound a bit defensive. If I saw evidence of the issues posted on those forums, I would either concur or offer some insight as to why they are occuring. But so far, the Cherokee has been a good car right out of the box - at least for us at my store. I hope it continues. The styling is definitely polarizing. I like the front end but not the rear. Kudos to Jeep for giving us something different. Let the people be free to love it or hate it. Just returned from a 600 mile weekend road trip with our Journey. 27.7 MPG going, 28.1 on the return trip. 3.6, FWD, four passengers and our stuff, 68 MPH with cruise on. Relatively flat terrain. Very impressive for a 4000 lb 283 HP CUV. No complaints from me about those fuel economy numbers. About 2 MPG better than my 300M with a smaller, less powerful V6 and better aerodynamics.

:blush: Thank you RTM for the kind words. But you give me too much credit! Adding a sales code to make the DRL's work is a most easy task to accomplish; I cannot understand either why it could not be done for you as well. It takes all of about three minutes, literally. Well, I'm glad it worked and happy to help! Heineken Light!

We've owned a 2000 Chrysler 300M for nearly fourteen years and have put 289,000 miles on it. My wife and I both agree it is the best car we've ever owned, hands down. That being said, our 2013 Journey Crew has some very big shoes to fill. We've now owned it for nine months and have 14,500 miles on it and we are very happy with it. The car has been completely free of defects and runs exactly as it did the day we took delivery - no strange noises, vibrations or anything except smooth and quiet. It is luxurious and practical all at once and offers a level of performance that is usually not found in a family oriented utility vehicle. Our average fuel economy (3.6, FWD) had been averaging around 22-24 MPG until about mid-December when it really began to get cold; we're averaging around 18-19 now. Remote start is very often used! Considering its 7 passsenger capability and 4000 lb weight, I think that's perfectly acceptable. This weekend we're taking a road trip and I'll report our fuel economy when we return. And, as a purely subjective note, I think the thing is pretty damn good looking, too! The people over at CR simply have no taste!

This may help: 14 - Fuel System/Fuel Injection/INJECTOR(S), Fuel/Removal 3.5L WARNING: The fuel system is under a constant pressure (even with the engine off). Before servicing any part on the fuel system, the fuel system pressure must be released.1. Release fuel pressure, (Refer to 14 - Fuel System/Fuel Delivery - Standard Procedure) . 2. Disconnect and isolate negative battery cable at battery. 3. Remove the upper intake manifold, (Refer to 09 - Engine/Manifolds/MANIFOLD, Intake - Removal) . 4. Disconnect the quick connect fuel line from the fuel rail. NOTE: Mark fuel injector electrical harness connectors with correct corresponding cylinder numbers. 5. Disconnect all fuel injector electrical connectors (1) from fuel injectors (2). 6. Remove fuel rail mounting bolts from fuel rail and lower intake manifold. NOTE: Gently rock the fuel rail and injectors back and forth to loosen the seals on the fuel injectors from the cylinder heads.CAUTION: Do Not use excessive force or prying tools to remove fuel rail and injectors. Damage to the fuel rail and injectors may result.7. Lift fuel rail straight up off of the cylinder heads. 8. Drain any excess fuel from the fuel rail into an approved fuel storage container. NOTE: When replacing individual fuel injectors, each fuel injector must be installed to it's original position. Mark or tag each fuel injector to identify the correct cylinder. 9. Remove retaining clips (5) from fuel injectors (2) at fuel rail (4).

Here's a pic of the connector, separated. Looks like there's a locking tab that you have to lift to separate the two halves. They are probably stuck together from heat and age as well. If the injector swap does not work, then run a compression check.

I posted a picture of our ball mount and ball in the topic you started about towing a pop up. Most pop up campers do not have provisions for installing a generator - most of the camper body is used to store the beds, canvas and equipment that it comes with. Some of the larger ones have storage on the tongue ahead of the propane tank(s) - you might fit a generator in there. Our camper is too small to put a generator in, and it has an icebox, not a fridge. However, Honda makes a very nice, compact and quiet generator that will run a fridge and small appliances like a toaster or coffemaker, and it is easily transported in your car or inside the camper while it is folded down for towing. Our camper has a 110v hookup which will run the outlets and any appliances if we're at a campsite with hookups, so we've really never needed a generator. The battery runs the lights inside of it and the propane gas takes care of cooking.

My 1998 Jayco pop-up has surge brakes. Like Webslave states, they are not very effective but I'm still glad they are there. We overhauled the brake system on the camper in 2012 - replaced the steel lines, adjusted the shoes, cleaned and lubed the coupler, repacked the wheel bearings, bled everything out - because they weren't working at all when I first got it (2010). I don't do much towing with it - once or twice a year - and we don't go very far, and our terrain is flat. It uses a 2" ball. Not sure what the height is, but here's a photo of the ball mount. Camper sits pretty level behind the Journey with this setup.

How many miles on your Journey? Plugs are due @102,000 miles according to the maintenance schedule set forth in the manual, but honestly they rarely last that long. Could be ignition, fuel or mechanical issue. Remove the spark plug to inspect its condition. You can try switching ignition coils with the adjacent cylinder when you remove the plug to see if the misfire follows the coil. If the MIL comes back on for the same cylinder, you can try swapping the injectors like you did with the coil to see if the misfire follows the injector. If it stays on cylinder six, then the cause is likely to be mechanical (usually a burned valve).

Glad to hear that resolution is in sight. Plan on two days down time - it takes several hours to change the head.

The cylinder head is not on backorder at this time. Part #RL141353AC. Yes, it is a big job and scheduling can be difficult, but this repair is important and is owed to you. If they won't accomodate you in a timely fashion, try to find another dealer who will.

Tried to post a snapshot of the Sales Code Add Option page so you could have a visual of what I'm saying, but it just comes out as random codes and words.

eakeen2002 - Bob Allen CDJ is correct - Sales Code LMK for DRL's does not exist in the Options Code database for your VIN. I triple-checked it just to be sure. I see where they added AHT for your trailer tow package. I'm sorry that I'm not able to help you with this.

Surge brakes work via a mechanical plunger attached to a master cylinder located in the tongue of the trailer. When the vehicle brakes are applied, the forward surge of the camper pressing against the hitch ball activates the plunger in turn. The master cylinder forces hydraulic fluid through conventional steel brake lines to a set of drum brakes on the camper's wheels, just like the brake pedal acts upon the master cylinder in a car. The four way wiring is simply for lights.

RTM - if you take your vehicle to a dealer and have them perform a Vehicle Restoration (reconfiguration), the DRL's *should* now work as the appropriate sales code has been added. See below: VIN: 3 Dealer Entered Name:Dealer Entered Odometer: 34,000 miles STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL: Page: 2 Options Report Dealer: Date: March 3, 2014 Time: 22:42:29 VIN: Special Equipment - Dealer Installed Option Code Description LMKA DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS

No climate control issues here. This is our first winter with the Journey and it's been damned cold. We leave the climate control on Auto, sync all three zones to 70-72 degress and let it do its thing. We're comfortable and there's no fog on the windows. Add the heated seats and steering wheel and this car has helped deal with a most miserable winter.

Our Jayco camper has hydraulic surge brakes. It's a purely mechanical system which requires no electric brake controller at all. Most trailers under 2000 lb have this type of brake system.

Your photos are great - they look like something out of a Journey brochure!

That's a nice truck - best of luck with it!

I have almost the identical vehicle to yours - 2013 Crew FWD 3.6. We tow a 1200 lb Jayco pop up camper. The Journey handles the camper, my family and all our gear with absolutely no problem whatsoever. Mine came with the Trailer Tow Prep Group which includes nothing more than an engine oil cooler (which most Journeys have anyway) and the wiring which connects to the body harness behind the rear fascia. Take a look at this page for what you'll need: http://www.mopar.com/dodge/journey/2012/shop/335636/274/4953/ ... and here's what the Mopar hitch looks like. It's a class III hitch; I whizzed off the bracket for the plug which was on the left side of the hitch because it looked hideous. I just tuck the wiring under the fascia and all is well:

RTM- post the last eight of your VIN, approx. miles and I'll give it a shot.

Just keep an eye (and nose) on it for now. Sometimes a stray piece of plastic on the road, like from a bag, will become attached to a hot exhaust pipe and will begin to melt as it heats up. Usually the odor from this type of scenario will be more pronounced and prolonged, but it is something to consider as a possibility.

If you post the last eight digits of your VIN, I will try adding the correct sales code for DRL's. On my 2013 Crew, the Sales Code is LMK. If I'm able to do it from here, then you will have to take your vehicle back to the dealer for what is called a "restoration" which is a process where the dealer's computer scans all the modules in your vehicle, sees the new sales code and enables the feature accordingly. Then all you have to do is enable it in your menu screen on the radio and they will work. You can enable/disable the feature as you wish. Going to get some shut-eye now, Rolly...

I think the quality now is very high. During the Cerberus years at Chrysler, the company slashed costs at every level, and it showed in the product. Cheapness abounded, especially in the interiors. Once Fiat came on board a few years ago, that all began to change. The Journey, especially the interior, was one of the most dramatic makeovers of the Cerberus-to-Fiat switch. I still see higher quality materials in my 2000 300M, but my 2013 Journey is a very close second.

Your Journey still has the factory powertrain warranty in effect. You also have a Certified Pre-Owned warranty which covers you to 7 years or 100K miles once the factory coverage expires. The 7/100 warranty carries the $150.00 deductible. The powertrain warranty has a zero deductible. Your dealership has access to the same info that I do. Whoever you spoke with did not look up your contract by VIN, or they did not know what they were talking about. If your issue is a powertrain component failure, then you are covered with no deductible. If the problem is not covered, you may be responsible for a diagnostic fee. Diagnostic fees are set by the individual dealers. You might consider calling the service manager to discuss your service appointment. It's hard to tell by the video, but that sounds like something internal to the engine to me.

Jkeaton is correct on coverage. Do you have a Chrysler Service Contract? I can run your VIN and verify any coverages for you . Post the last 8 digits of your VIN; you already posted the mileage; I'll check.