Journeyman425

Thanks Journeyman425! I'm looking forward to sitting in the drivers seat soon.. Don't forget to turn your time back tonight. Have a great weekend. It's really turned cold here!
Ray

The DJ isn't invisible, people are brand blind. Marketing is everything. When all my friends really look at my DJ, they are impressed. When I get after it and the Pentastar pushes them back in their seat they are wow'd! They're not diggin' their 4 cyl as much anymore. Ha. Fit and finish in our DJs is just as good as anything out there, IMO.
Last 450 mile trip my DJ got 24.2 mpg with a bike on the roof, 3 passengers, and luggage. I'm still impressed.

Thanks Journeyman425! I'm sitting on pins and needles waiting for a progress report. I just want to thank you, you've made this ordeal a whole lot easier!

It's a mirror image of mine

Thanks man I appreciate it

Dear Ma Nature
The winter tires are mounted on their wheels and ready to switch with the 3 season tires, and today the Weather Tech floor liners arrived. I'm ready for whatever you throw at us this winter. Bring it on Bitch!
H.P.

I've been a member there now for over 5 years... On the board as well lol! I recall voting for your 2000 stone white for ROM. Beautiful car.
I hope I don't see a Blue Streak Journey. I don't need to be trading in a car that isn't a year old yet lol!

Thanks, Journeyman425! This is great news. I feel like a little child waiting for Christmas. I feel better that it's finally built. I've walked the floors, and out in my pastures, trying to quit worrying about it. This mornings walk will feel so much better. am waiting, excited. Thanks again!

STAR Case
Contact the STAR Center for assistance if no solution is found
Chrysler Group LLC Version 3
Case Number:
S1308000070
Release Date:
02/28/2013
Symptom/Vehicle Issue:
Auto Headlamp Request, Vehicle Is Not Equipped With LMG Sales Code
Discussion:
Owner would like to add auto headlamps to a vehicle that does not have the option. Required
components: auto headlamp switch, twilight sun sensor (harness take out with connector is secured
in the steering column area, needs routing to the center dash), addition of the LMG sales code to
activate. Perform a vehicle restoration to complete

The low battery voltage code is common after a dead battery. The Autostick code P0957 is likely a glitch related to the battery condition, especially if all transmission functions are normal. Is your battery original? If so, replace it - after five years and a complete drain, it is done. When you disconnect the battery to replace it, all the codes will then be erased.

They added a sales code - LMN - but the one needed for DRL in the US market is LMK, which does not exist in your VIN database. Sorry that I'm unable to help you. Your dealer did indeed try to make them work.

Should be a warranty matter - give your dealership a call to schedule an appointment to have it replaced.

We originally started talk about transmissions on my "285 vs 305hp" thread. Thought I'd share this new data on a new thread that's specifically focused on the transmission.
1) Can't remember who, but someone mentioned that "adaptation" in the TCU may make the transmission "feel" a little better after it adapts to my driving style. I'm happy to report, "Yes and Yes" After about a month of drive, shifts seem to be a little more crisp and it seems to down-shift a little sooner (which fits my driving style).
2) So the biggest annoyance now is the dreaded 35mph "death zone". I'll explain - Both me (the "car guy") and my wife (knows nothing about cars) both had the same fundamental complain - right around 35mph, (which happens to be the speed limit on all the streets with hills around our house) the DJ kind of "poops out". After some playing around with it, I realized that it's the shift from 3rd gear to 4th gear.
...It shifts into 4th gear, loses considerable power
...which forces you to press harder on the accelerator forcing a down-shift
...which in-turn surges the car forward
...which in-turn encourages you to let off the accelerator
...which in-turn causes an up-shift to 4th
...which in-turn... you get the idea.
It's most annoying on hills where the drop in power really matters. So I pulled some data on the HP/TQ curve of the Journey's 3.6L as well as some logged shift points at different speeds, and suddenly it all makes sense. The largest ratio-difference is between 3-4.
Referencing the data below, you can see there's a huge drop (36%) in the ratio difference between 3rd and 4th. While that in itself isn't a huge deal, it becomes a huge deal when you see how that effects the power output of the engine. The range from 2000-3000rpm is what I would consider the "bread-n-butter" RPM range for this engine during regular driving.
1st gear is really low, and the TCU knows it. So (this is my assumption) they programmed the TCU to hold 1st gear a little longer when you have anything more than moderate throttle pressure. This makes for slightly higher revs coming out of 1st, however it's a great shifting experience. It revs out to a little over 3K, which drops you nicely into 2200 rpm range in 2nd. PLUS, the power will always feel more responsive with higher ratios because the engine has more "cranking force" against the drivetrain.
They did a great job with the 2-3 ratios by dropped the ratio between 2nd and 3rd to just 19%. Again, this provides a great shifting experience because the drop in percentage difference means a 3K rev in 2nd will drop you into a nice spot on the TQ-curve in 3rd @ around 2500 rpm.
So here's the rub... They screw it all up with 3rd to 4th. Like I was saying before, the higher the ratio, the more "pull" the engine has against the drivetrain. So they really shoot themselves in the foot on 3rd to 4th. They not only exceed the transmission average of around 30% per-shift, but do so (unfortunately) at a VERY critical time in the driving experience (~35-45 mph). Looking at the data, you experience (roughly) a 55hp drop in power when the engine shifts from 3rd to 4th @ 3K revs.
Rarely does data so perfectly match real-world situations, but that is exactly what it feels like. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd feel like a nice well-tuned V6, then when it hits 4th, it feels like you took the engine out of my wife's Civic and dropped it into the Journey. Which, given the HP numbers at the 1800rpm, that would be a pretty accurate comparison!!
So what's the fix? I think two things: 1) They need to have the transmission hold 3rd longer, especially when there's additional throttle pressure. The easiest way to "detect" a hill is simply by measuring throttle pressure against speed. On a 6% grade, you will likely need to press the throttle 25-30% more to achieve the same acceleration as you would flat ground.
2) I don't know if this is getting too complicated for TCU programming, but when it detects a down-shift from 4th to 3rd, I think it would make sense for it to continue holding 3rd even if the driver lets off the throttle a little. This would prevent the vicious down-shift/surge/decelerate/up-shift situation I described above.
Longer-term fix would be to actually use the funky "fourth-prime" gear as a regular gear, and spread the ratios out a little more over seven gears (yes, there's a hidden seventh gear inside all of your Journey's )

Found this thread. Now I see why you are partial to Copperhead Pearl when I posted the pictures of mine. The blacked out parts on the Crossroad make them look like entirely different! I have never seen another one in this color on the road. My Dealer just got in a new one identical to mine. Nice ride.

The low battery voltage code is common after a dead battery. The Autostick code P0957 is likely a glitch related to the battery condition, especially if all transmission functions are normal. Is your battery original? If so, replace it - after five years and a complete drain, it is done. When you disconnect the battery to replace it, all the codes will then be erased.

The low battery voltage code is common after a dead battery. The Autostick code P0957 is likely a glitch related to the battery condition, especially if all transmission functions are normal. Is your battery original? If so, replace it - after five years and a complete drain, it is done. When you disconnect the battery to replace it, all the codes will then be erased.

Many salespeople do not know their respective lineups very well, sometimes not at all. The turnover rate for auto salespeople is very high. It's often hard to find the same person that sold you the car when it's time to trade for a new one. Small-town stores generally fare better in this respect but somtimes cannot offer the exact same number on the exact same car from a bigger store.
Does the dealership you visited have a Journey in stock that you are interested in? Either way, consider re-visiting them near the end of the month with an offer of what you are willing to pay for the model of your choice based on your research. If they need another sale or two to hit their sales goal for the month, they will find a way to make you a deal. Once that sales number is reached (it is determined by Chrysler), there is factory-to-dealer cash retrocative to all the cars sold for that given month. Your sale could be the one that allows them to reach that goal. The pencils get surprisingly sharp in those scenarios.

Just hit 57000 miles on my 4 cyl FWD SE. This is also a 2013 so it shows how much it gets driven. Other than the trans clunk I've had since day 1 and the massive understeer in the rain, this is a great vehicle. The sticker on it was 24k. For 24k there's no other option out there to get all of the equipment I have plus sit as comfortably as I do. Now, this is a company vehicle so I'd have never considered a DJ unless it was given to me. I will say that the abuse this vehicle takes, it still drives as it did on day 1.

OK. Understand now. Thanks for the effort and explanation.
TJ is Tian Jin in China.

The symptoms you gave are classic wheel bearing failure. You will need change out the hub assembly. There are other treads in this section on this procedure.

It's a highly useful feature for a two-driver car like our Journey is. With the 300M, pressing the unlock button on the remote puts the mirrors, driver's seat and the radio presets all back to my settings. When my wife uses the car, they all go back to her settings with her remote. Certainly not necessary but it is very, very convenient. JKeaton is correct in that those features are usually reserved for flagship models. The Durango, Grand Cherokee, and Chrysler 300 represent their respective top of the line.

It's a highly useful feature for a two-driver car like our Journey is. With the 300M, pressing the unlock button on the remote puts the mirrors, driver's seat and the radio presets all back to my settings. When my wife uses the car, they all go back to her settings with her remote. Certainly not necessary but it is very, very convenient. JKeaton is correct in that those features are usually reserved for flagship models. The Durango, Grand Cherokee, and Chrysler 300 represent their respective top of the line.

Ha! Ummm....

Thank you for the update.

Possibly,,,!