B4ZINGA

Yes, wipers on with headlights on is a safety feature that more and more states require. It's also no big deal to adjust the backlighting dial up or down one notch during the day or at night, respectively. I have both of my cars set to do this.

What relay did you replace the OEM turn signal relay with? The Journey uses incandescent bulbs OEM, so I wouldn't be surprised if Dodge didn't give it an electronic turn signal relay that works with LEDs. The low electrical load would cause conventional relays to think the bulbs are blown and set to hyperflash. I had to replace the conventional relay with an electronic one made for TJ Wranglers when I installed clear corner turn signal lenses and switchback LED bulbs in my 300M Special last year. If we do have electronic relays, then I would suggest a higher quality bulb, such as VLEDS.com.

Transverse shaker... now there;s something I'd enjoy seeing. I may some day get bored and replace the factory intake plumbing with bits from Home Depot, and replace the flat air filter with a cone. I must stress the word "bored". My 300M Special is keeping me busy... now she's asking for rocker assemblies after I gave her a remanufactured transaxle... while I do various and sundry mods (interior ambient lighting, custom rear buckets, custom rear console, plastidip ground effects...). So... 2030 perhaps.

If that is true, then I might just start doing mods on my Journey to update it... I would kill to get an Android Auto into it.

Please don't, unless you plan on clay barring, buffing, and applying new wax or sealant. If not, buy Meguiar's Deep Crystal car wash. That's been my day-to-day wash for many years with zero problems.

As of Wednesday, 5/20/2014, it has been one full year since I switched from my beloved 2007 Charger R/T with 29R Road & Track sport package to my 2014 Journey R/T AWD with Rallye appearance package. I took delivery with 2,086 miles as the second owner (first in-service date was 3/20/2014). It currently has about 12,850 miles. It has had one oil change and one tire rotation, and otherwise has not been back to the dealer (for the moment). My impression so far... This has been an excellent vehicle. It has filled every single need I had that I bought it for and which my Charger had a very difficult time filling. I needed a wagon-type vehicle to drive my new retriever around in (he loves it, too), and I needed a vehicle with extra cargo volume to transport test samples between labs (I currently work as a validation engineer for a tier 1 supplier on interior components to most of the major automakers in the world, moving to product engineering in a week). The Journey does this flawlessly, while the Charger was only barely capable of doing it. I often had to drive with the rear seat folded down, which introduced a lot of exhaust drone, and I was constantly paranoid that my dogs hair and nails would destroy the suede backseat in spite of the seat cover I have. I hate having to make car payments for a longer length of time, but I like the lower cost of insurance. Interestingly, my partner has a 2014 4-cyl FWD SXT Blacktop in Redline 2-coat Pearl, and we noticed my R/T handles the pockmarked roads around Detroit better than the B/T. One of the things I've recently started noticing that makes me glad I went for the Journey instead of the Durango is how nimble the car is. Since it's based on a stretched Avenger platform, it doesn't lurch and lumber like a large SUV does. I can whip the thing through parking lots and not feel like it's losing control. I'm sure once I put 245 tires on it, I can drive it with as much confidence as I drive my 300M Special. I'm not sure if all Journey's act this way, as I do have the R/T with the sport-tuned suspension... whatever that amounts to on a car designed to be a people-mover. To date, there has been only one issue. When the washer fluid ran out late last year, I poured in the usual RainX fluid that I have used on all of my Chrysler and Dodge vehicles for more than a decade. This is the first one that had a problem. The low fluid light has stayed on. Google tells me late model Dodge washer fluid sensors don't play nice with RainX, and Rams are able to overcome this by draining the RainX and using the standard blue solvent. Not so with the Journey. I ran my bottle out today for the second time since using the RainX and poured in the basic solvent... and the light is still on. So I'll be making an appointment soon to have the sensor replaced under warranty. No big deal, that's what warranty's are for. The aforementioned Blacktop, however, was just in the shop for a week to have a wheel speed sensor replaced. That car has 7500 miles on it and already needed that sensor... it has also had intermittent issues with the screen on the 8.4A Uconnect. Very odd. I suppose those units are hit-n-miss, as mine has had no issues. Am I going to keep it for the long haul? Short answer: No. Long answer: A 2015 Charger Road & Track in Jazz Blue with Mopar front splitter and Mopar rear valence is calling out to me something fierce... but then I'd be right back to square one with my dog. On the other hand, I'm keeping my eyes and ears out for the promised 2017 Journey-replacement SRT, and the re-engineered 2018 Grand Cherokee. Until those models arrive, I'm happy with my 2014 R/T!

The soonest we'll see the replacement for the Journey will be NAIAS 2016 - next January. It should be ready to launch mid to late summer 2016 as a 2017 model. The most recent FCA 5-year plan I'm aware of says the SRT version will follow at the tail end of calendar year 2016, beginning of calendar year 2017. Development of the turbocharged 4-cyl engine is well underway and they can borrow technology from the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk to give it the promised AWD, so I don't see there being many roadblocks to adapting the new car to SRT performance standards. I would anticipate Journey-replacement (no word on the name of the new car) SRT models to be in showrooms around February/March 2017 as 2017.5 models. I'll have mine in Jazz Blue, thank you.

I've never purchased a warranty... but then I've also never used one. Buying a 1 year warranty tomorrow on the rebuild of the transaxle in my 300M tomorrow evening (hopefully it's done by then). I can see the value if you're planning on driving it into the ground. I might be selling mine after the 3/36 expires if the Journey-replacement SRT is within range of my needs, desires, and wallet, so there's no point in having one on my 14 R/T. If I feel like I'll keep the next one forever... I might consider it.

I have a Fumoto Oil valve installed on my 02 300M Special. I did it for two reasons. To reduce the mess by simply connecting a clear hose to the nipple on the valve and directing it straight into my oil can, instead of getting oil on my wrench and hands, potentially on the floor, and having to transfer it from my pan to the can anyway. The second reason is the oil pan on its engine (second generation 3.5L) is aluminum, and strips very easily. I have a habit of over-torquing and didn't want to risk it. So by installing the valve, I never have to remove or reinstall the plug. A third benefit is I can stick my oil pan under the filter and change the filter while the crankcase drains, saving a bit of time as well versus draining the oil, moving the pan, removing the filter, then moving the pan back over to the crankcase and draining what additional bit accumulated. Quite handy.

12,500ish miles on my factory set, and no signs of premature tire wear. I'm in the bad habit of not really paying attending to my tires and I replace them either when traction slips into a coma, or the tires are showing obvious losses in structural integrity. The Eagle RS-As that came on my Charger were "okay" when I bought it at 28,000 miles, but by 32,000 miles I had zero traction in light rain... which is not good on a car with 390 ft-lbs of torque and a driver always looking to have fun. Replaced them with Kumho Ecsta 4X, which were decent performers until two winters ago. Replaced them at 70,000 miles with Toyo Proxes 4 when it was apparent that the Kumho's didn't have enough tread to get me anywhere with snow on the ground. Those stuck to the road like glue, and never set off the traction control. I'll be looking for a set when my Solus' are dead, which I'm not expecting until after 30,000 miles.

Really? I test drove a 2.4L and a 3.2L Cherokee back to back and felt the opposite. Neither engine was well suited to the 9-speed, however the one to have is the 3.2L, since the 2.4L was constantly searching for a gear. Meanwhile, the 3.6L 200 a friend of mine has is much better and doesn't dig. It works a lot like my 6 speed Journey driving around town, never really going above 6th gear.

FYI, you're not getting a 1.5" drop in that tire size change, and yes it will look VERY awkward having what amounts to roller skates on your car, not to mention potentially dangerous. That size of tire is seen more on compacts and small sedans, not tall wagons. Overall diameter of the stock 225/65/17 is 28". Overall diameter of a 215/55/17 is 26.3". That is a 1.7" reduction in tire diameter, and a 0.85" "lowering" of the vehicle. Less than an inch. Any reduction in tire diameter must be cut in half to reflect vehicle lowering.

It would only be an issue with an AWD, not a FWD. The only FWD cars (or even RWD for that matter) that can't be towed using a dolly are low-to-the-ground cars. My 300M, for example, can only be towed on a flatbed or auto transport, otherwise the fascia will be ripped off and the exhaust risks contact with the pavement on uneven roads. I towed it to Metro Detroit from the Philly suburbs using a U-Haul auto transport attached to the moving van (box truck).

At the risk of sounding rude or insensitive... if it was my mother refusing to use a stool, I'd tell her to quit being obstinate and work with what we have, or stay home. I had considered getting some kind of pet stairs for my dog since he has bum hind legs and would spend all day putting scratches into my rear fascia, but I find it easier to just pick him up and load/unload him into/from the cargo bay, rather than messing around with stairs while keep an excited 4-year-old 40-lb retriever at bay. If my mother really needed help and the stool wasn't working as well as it should, I'd look into aftermarket running boards.That's how she gets into my dads Tahoe. In lieu of the A-pillar handle, use the door panel. There is a metal support in the area of the door grab handle on all cars to help stabilize it, so unless your doors are about to rust through and fall off, that should be no problem. That said, I'm surprised anyone has trouble getting in and out of the Journey. True, I drove my 300M Special (low to the ground sport sedan) all day yesterday, and found the seat height difference remarkable when I was moving the Journey around to get the M back into the garage. But, the Journey is based on a mid-size sedan platform and is usually the choice vehicle for people who had a hard time getting in and out of low sedans or high trucks. My mother is shrinking, and had no problems getting in and out of my Journey last August.

A lot of factors are involved. Currently I have a 5 year loan on my 2014 R/T AWD. I financed 80% of the purchase price of my Journey, which I bought used two month after the previous owner took deliver (his wife wanted something bigger, so they traded it on a Grand Cherokee... his loss, my gain). After 5 years, I'll have paid $1130 in interest (1.99% rate) and still not be into it for anywhere near the MSRP... about $27,600. Less if I pay it off 6 months to a year early, as I intend to do. Paying cash will always benefit you in the short run, as you won't pay any interest to the bank and you own it right away, not being tied to a monthly note for several years. However, I don't mind financing. Financing establishes credit history and reliability to uphold my end of the loan agreement, which helps to obtain excellent financing for much larger purchases down the road, such as a house. FYI, I'm told 1.99% is among the best rates that you can get outside of special 0% financing incentives that manufacturers sometimes offer. If you have a higher rate (my old car was financed at 4.99%, when my old credit history was credit cards), then I would sit on it for a year or two and consider refinancing at something like a credit union, after that history of on-time payments is established. Big banks tend not to be competitive with credit unions.

I'm having the same feeling. I bought mine to satisfy my need for a 5-door wagon (dog, hauling large items, etc.) and this had everything I wanted (well, I miss my Hemi, but the Pentastar is plenty good!), plus excellent value. I'll be hitting one year of ownership May 20th and so far I've only been to the dealer for the first oil change and tire rotation at 8200 miles. I wish there was more low-end power, but what can you expect from a family hauler?

2500 is absurdly low. For now I'm following the light and owners manual. Owners manual states never to go beyond 10,000 miles, and my light last came on at 8,200 miles. Currently I'm at 12,100 miles, so I'm expecting the light to burn again in 4,000 miles, or around mid-August, at which time I'll bring it back to the dealer for the second oil change and tire rotation. Following the OM, car computer, and having it done at the dealer should protect me under warranty if anything goes wrong.

Welcome. What part of Jersey? I grew up in Flemington and went to schools in Pomona (Stockton) and Piscataway (Rutgers). I'm in the Detroit area now.

That's one thing that I don't like about my Journey... my 300M Special calls out the speed in increments of 10, while the Journey does it in 20. I definitely agree on the design being a modern classic. That is why my Special is only a fair-weather car now, so I can keep it for as long as possible. We have thunderstorms today, so hopefully that washing of the roads, and my getting further along in my rear bucket seat conversion, I can finally pull out my Special and stretch her legs. She hasn't touched asphalt since November 8th, 2014! I hate making her sit for 5 months out of the year. The driving dynamics and style can't be beat, even by newer interpretations of the 300.

Spare tires are slowly becoming a thing of the past. I've owned two "loaded" vehicles (Intrepid ES and 300M Special, which I still have) that had/have full size matching spare tires. All of my others had space savers. More and more cars are coming out today with *no* spare tire, substituting an emergency inflator kit instead. The current Malibu does this. The reason we have space savers on all Journeys is weight, cost, and space. If Dodge used full-sized spare tires, they'd have to drastically modify the car to fit them. Either eat up or eliminate load floor storage, eat up cargo space (as Jeep did in the XJ Cherokee), or mount it on the lift gate a la Wrangler, older Rav4/CR-V, etc. Given that cargo volume is essential for this type of vehicle, that was out of the question. Same goes for losing load floor storage, as the JC and RT platforms are known for their clever storage systems. Mounting it on the lift gate is absurd these days for anything other than a Wrangler... even Toyota has commercials advertising the fact that it was eliminated from the Rav4 in response to consumer demand. When Dodge first came out with stow-n-go on the RS minivans, the space saver spare was actually moved to the middle of the van. An access panel in the floor between the front captains chairs let the user lower the tire to the ground using the jack wrench. I first discovered that as a salvage yard and was floor at the moronic solution that was an obvious last-minute design to allow the rear seats to fold flat into the floor. I imagine every single owner of that type of van simply used roadside assistance instead of bothering with having to lay on the ground to reach for the tire... especially since it ALWAYS rains when you get a flat...

I believe it's 1" lower. I know for certain the liftgate on my 14 R/T Rallye hits my head much more easily than the one on our 14 SXT Blacktop. There also appears to be a bit less wheel gap. Only other difference between the two is the SXT is FWD I4 and the R/T is the AWD V6.

Beat you to it.

I was going to suggest exactly what you're going to do. Run water down the windshield, anywhere from center to the passenger side, and try and see if you can see the water coming down that way.Try to do it with the door open if you can manage to keep it from running inside the car. If it's simple enough, you can also remove the wiper cowl to see inside that cavity and see what happens when the water gets down there from the windshield.

I'm fortunate to have two major tire chains all over my area, Discount Tire and Belle Tire. Easy to get a good price on great tires. My R/T rolled 11,000 miles last Friday, so I'm in no hurry for new tires. Hopefully another good deal happens when I do need to replace them, maybe when I finally say "screw it" and pull the trigger on those Jeep SRT wheels...

And I never depress a button to turn on my defrost. First of all, it's rude to get innocent things depressed. Second, it turns itself on everytime I start the car (in winter) like a self-absorbed gigolo.