Roadrunner

I get time once in a while to go try this again. I can get small parts of the door panel off but never make it past those. I can't help but think there is some tool I need for that round white cone sort of thing holding the panel itself to the metal slot dodad. I certainly don't want to force it to break and end up having to buy another panel just to learn how to get the silly thing to come off. Anyone know what the trick is? I sure would appreciate some guidance.

The stereo shop guys say they only push after market stuff. What that means to us is coughing up more than $1,000 to make an already nice sounding car a little bit better. I think everyone here knows that this car was nicely tuned to sound pretty good already. The car wasn't wired for the uConnect or iPod but that wasn't rocket science to buy the harness and put it in. Also, those 2 additions were $350, I like both of them a lot and I am going to keep them. The after market system offered by the Car Audio dudes that does Bluetooth and iPod and sounds better than what I already have is some major $$$. The amp was $200 at the parts counter. I have discovered that harnesses offer a nice markup for them (a dozen wires and connectors on each end can add up to over $100 while costing $10 to make). Still - I was willing to have the shop install the uConnect and iPod and enter them into the computer so they are listed on the VIN and are covered on warrenty. I am willing to pay for a little wiring harness (the parts manual at the dealer shows the amp in the console area near the head unit) and have it "factory installed" by the local shop. So there is that small item and some "better" speakers to swap out with what I have now and I should have a killer sound experience. Now all I need is the time to take things apart for no other reason than to find out what is there presently, put it all together, figure out how to order the parts I need, and show them to the shop so they can see that they really can put them in. I'm guessing that another $350 and I am golden. So, can anyone tell me the particulars on taking the door panels off and save me from having to figure it out? I sure would appreciate that help! I'll report on what I figure out in the end. But time isn't so easy to come by so it won't be real soon.

I guess the lack of responses confirms my odd observation. Dodge works toward and succeeds in an option on their vehicles that people want to buy. Then they stop and never figure out that if there is nothing stated about the option and even the parts guys can’t sell it, nobody can buy it unless it is ordered in the initial order. Now why would a business think they could succeed if they can’t sell the things they have for sale?

One of the first things I noticed when I got my Journey was the almost total lack of outside noise in the car. The second thing was that the radio sounded NICE (I have the SXT). So I went to the web site and looked into it. I seem to have the middle tier Infinity radio system and they offer one even better. Then the brick walls began. I have done everything I can to see what it would take to upgrade the radio to the top of the line Infinity System and all I get is more and more conflicting stories. On the Infinity web site they say I have 6x9” front door speakers but I don’t know if they are single, dual or 3 way, 5 ¼” rear door speakers with the same questions and no mention of the tweeters in the dash or the sub in back. On the Crutchfield site they say the front speakers are 5 ¼” and no mention of the tweeters or sub. At some car audio sound place in town I am told the system is not really an Infinity system but a Dodge only thing designed by Infinity but made by Dodge and that nothing can be done but replace the whole kit and kaboddle. I went to the Dodge parts counter and, after a little bit of time, ordered a 368 watt amplifier (under the VIN # and thus approved by the computer) to be installed when I took the car in to have them put in the uConnect and iPod connection. When I dropped the car off all seemed fine but later they called and said “the car isn’t wired for the amp” and we returned it to where it came from. I have even emailed and talked to on the phone a guy who works for corporate and all I get from him is a very long drawn out way of not being able to come out and say “I dunno”. The Dodge site says when you have the amp you also get better speakers. I assume this means the doors and maybe even the sub woofer, thinking the tweeters are probably good already. Now, I THINK I have maybe 2 3.5” tweeters, 2 6x9” front door speakers that might be 2 way, 2 5 ¼” rear door speakers possibly 2 way and a 8” sub woofer in back ??? I have found nothing that says I can just keep my current radio because I don’t even want the screen or the hard drive unit (my radio and iPod works great as is). It seems to me that the guy who said the “car isn’t wired for the amp” was talking about a harness about 1.5 feet long and with around a dozen wires and connectors on each end. To install an amp you take the wires from the radio and plug them into the amp then take the speaker wires and plug them into the amp. Can anyone PLEASE tell me what kind and sizes of speakers I currently have and what the upper end system uses? This thing about “your stereo is good and the other one is better” just doesn’t cut it with me, I want to be able to look up specs. Also some help with what I would need to order so I can either have the service guy do it or take the time and do it myself. I am not opposed to having the stock Dodge approved and designed Infinity System they say exists (but can’t actually prove). This is my last hope before I have to suck it up and start taking door covers off and the consol apart and I really don’t want to get into all of that. It shouldn’t be rocket surgery but somehow it has turned into exactly that.