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Mayday! Injector problem?? I need Dodge for Dummies edition


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Okay Hi All . I am Jenny. I have a 2010 Dodge journey SXT with a dual transmission I think it is called. I bought used in 2017. It has been a great car I have had no real major issues since I got it. I tend to make the problems that I do have worse than when they started I believe. Since getting the car I have had the stupid little heater hose that is made of plastic that ly's behind the motor split the blue coolant everywhere luckily I have a friend who is a journeyman for a metal shop and he made me one out of copper to replace it with. The suspension in the front are replaced about a year ago cuz I tend to use it like a farm truck hauling any and everything in it. I even lived in it for a while and made that work. But he recently my gas mileage has bombed and it seems to blues power at times. I always I always keep my oil changed using injector cleaner and do the typical maintenance that it requires and replaced everything in the front end as far as suspension and all he's has been okay. I've been having an intermittent check engine light with the code telling me the manifold toon valve performance issue so I went and got those and replaced them both front and back and got a set of spark plugs and replace those. Still I would intermittently get the check engine light with the same code manifold to melt performance. A few months ago I'm driving on the highway the whole car shuttered every l Demi Lodge on the dash came on and so I pulled to the side of the road I killed it crank it back up everything was normal so I continued to drive. And it will just do that every so often the whole car will shake and all the lights will come on and I can turn the key off crank it back up and it's great. Until .......... Couple days ago driving home it did the whole shutter thing but the lights didn't come on the dash this time so I thought well okay I'm not far from the house I'll just get there whenever I would try to give it gas though it would like clatter and not want to go and Miss firing really bad so I ran the codes and it said 0204 the number for injector. Do what you have not for sure that just a single injector would cause the shaking and clattering that I experienced. I've got it home parked it got a set of injectors on Amazon and have taken the intake off and I'm to the fuel rails I've removed all the clips and plugs but while looking at how to do it it said that it had you can just put the injectors in whatever hole that they would be numbered and had to be coded which I do not understand while looking at the injectors they all have the same numbers and markings on all of them and I'm not the brightest pull up on the tree here and I do not want to screw it up because I love my car. Okay so with all of that said how do I know which injector goes into which port and how do I code them? Or does the ECU do that on its own once you hook it all back up? I guess my first question should have been willing injector make the whole damn car shake like that and just completely run like shit? And I'm very bad about starting something and then doubting my abilities to fix it and so it just kind of stays that way side note I have a 93 Camaro in the front yard that hasn't moved in months for that same reason. Oh and the first time that it did the shutter and all the lights came on I went to aamco and had it checked out and he said he could not find any problems. Okay sorry this light turned into an entire novel. And for anyone who has made it this far into the novel I appreciate you and any help. 

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Welcome to the forum. Injectors rarely fail on cars. Which engine and approx how many miles on the car ? 
 

Sometimes codes can be set that aren’t exactly the problem; especially if the car is running rough and goes into limp mode.

Limp mode deactivates power capability to minimize possible car damage. Allows you to drive short distance. There are probably hundreds of causes for rough running. From bad  cylinder 4 ignition coil to a faulty crank position sensor.  More than one scan may be needed to isolate the cause. 

 

Is there a flashing check engine light on the dash when problem occurs.? How many miles on the current spark plugs?

 

 

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Hey John  1st Thank you so much for your help. I have the 3.5 l of V6 and there is approximately $165,000 on it I replaced the spark plugs it hasn't been that long ago maybe 8 or 10,000 miles on it since I changed the plugs. I did pull in take off and tested the injectors with a multimeter and the number four had no resistance. So I know for sure that one's no good as far as the other ones number two and number six tested fine and I have yet to get the back 3 tested I do have quite an oil leak on the back of the valve cover so I got a ride to the auto parts and got a valve cover gasket set and the intake manifold gasket set. Would one injector though not working make the car shake so bad like it did I mean I know you don't know exactly how it did but it was horrific I thought it just straight blew up and started to cry

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From the google P0204 ether means injector, wiring, or PCM. The most likely cause of intermittent problem is wiring.

Injectors make a click when firing, you can even feel the pulsing . But injectors seldom fail and if they do it wouldnt come and go. Rough running would be all the time I think, not change by restarting.  A node light is a special tool to test if injector is firing properly, mechanics have them. One bad injector would make idle awful and car would probably go to limp mode shortly after, then taking away regular power. But injector may not get signal from computer (pcm) to fire and send fuel. Mechanic would need to diagnose. Random parts throwing gets expensive.

 

Forget about oil leak for now, fix the engine issue first.

Edited by John/Horace
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Yeah I just figured if I was going to have it tore apart I might as well fix everything that I can while I'm in there. When I removed the harness they're at the injectors in the spark plugs down at the end by the alternator it felt kind of crispy so I peeled back the tape and separated the wires none of them look to be burnt or charred. But the wiring that connects to the other end of that to the back manifold tube valve that runs in behind the motor I noticed that the coating was gone on it and the wires there have gotten really hot. Can I just splice some wire in where that is charred or do I have to get a whole new harness for that piece?

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Does anyone know where I can find a diagram of the pins at the ECU where I can test for continuity from my injector plugs?? Or would I just have to hunt for wires the same color at the harness connection at the computer?

 

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Most of the problems with wiring is at the connectors, they oxidized or the pins get loose connections due to metal fatigue, clean the connectors witlh electrical contact cleaner, it may fix the proble. Once I have a Dodge Caravan that the dashboaard  ramdonly dies and fixed it for good resoldering all the crimp wires that goes from the dashboard to the PCM.

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Thanks luzmina. I go thru about once a year and pull all the connectors that I can find and  spray them out with CRC Electronic Clean and then put a dab of dielectric grease in them just to keep them from corroding or getting crusty. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey all an update so I got all new injectors and put in I went ahead and change the the valve cover gasket in the intake gaskets since I was in there anyway and the miraculous part is it actually started about to take a test drive down to the pond to throw my pole a few times and see how it goes. 

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Great news if it’s running and no limp mode issues.


Not to be the bearer of bad news, but….The 3.5 v6 is a timing belt interference engine, unfortunately. Usually by 100k the belt and idlers should be replaced. Most people push it quite a bit farther.

Not a typical diy job, If it  jumps or breaks, the engine is usually toast. If it’s not done you will need to start investigating getting it done. Labor part can be several hours for a mechanic, water pump change also makes sense at same time since it’s behind the timing covers. 

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No not all ok . Drove good for a few days it then started the same jumping in missing the only codes that I'm getting now is 0172/0175. Says rich on both Bank 1 and 2. Every connector that I came across I pulled it loose and sprayed it out with the electric cleaner put dielectric grease and reseated them all and accidentally broke the map sensor off so I put it in a vise and super glued it together and it was not throwing a code but it was still running like crap. It being my only ride now and about to be homeless  I cant afford help I went to go to O'Reilly's to get the new map sensor and when I cranked it it started right up and it was making an intermittent knock sound I mean like somebody was literally in there with a wrench banging it around it wasn't a consistent knock like a rod per se cuz it wasn't continuous it was just random. But it was an awful noise so I killed it right there and thumbed it to O'Reilly's iland got new map sensor. I put it on the car last night but the noise was awful and I'm scared to even attempt to crank it. I don't know what to do I've lost my job and I can't pay my bills so I need to pack up and I don't know so I have no money to pay mechanic to do anything for me so I've got to figure it out I have a timing light out here I have no idea how to use it but I have one  I think most all the tools that would be needed to do just about anything on the car I just don't know how. So I guess well I'm still here and I have my landlords shop and tools to use  I just start tearing it down and trying to replace everything I don't know what else to do but to  go with what you said John and thanks for all of your help from the start.  I appreciate you.  Or  does Anyone want to buy a 2010 Journey with a few issues? Lol

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Thank you. I am totally ignorant when it comes to all these sensors and a wiring diagram may as well be in Arabic or something, it makes absolutely no sense to me. I was told that I did not need to have the new injectors coded or programmed into the computer that it was 2016 or later that they had to do that on. This coming from the same company that I paid $100 to do a diagnostics of my door module because none of my buttons on the driver side door were working and I had already removed the door panel and put a new set of buttons in there with the same outcome nothing worked so when I took it to Firestone they didn't have to take the door apart anything they took 2 hours and literally told me to beat the panel the button panel against the window motor while holding the button until it worked. Yeah I took it home and I found four broke wires inside of the door where it opens and closes spice them together and it had no problem since. As far as the door goes that is. And if it weren't for you guys and YouTube I would have a pile of parts of a Dodge out here for sale

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  • 2 months later...
On 4/4/2024 at 7:24 PM, schalid said:

I know this is old,,,,but none of these relearn ways worked on my 2010 Journey 3.5.

 

On 2/15/2012 at 9:10 PM, ddbutton1 said:

The 3.5L in the 2009 Journey is the same engine as in the Charger and Challenger. I have seen some minimal instructions for replacing the belt, but only for "forward facing" engines. The basic replacement and timing arrangement is the same on the Journey, but since it is transverse mounted the disassembly from the beginning has additional obstacles. For one, there is only 1/2 inch clearance from the main pulley to the strut tower of the body; and secondly, the engine mount is in the way to get the belt out and back in. The engine was probably assembled with the mount, but when it is in the vehicle the mount traps the belt. It's like they took a lesson from the Asian manufacturers. (Goes together OK, but don't worry about maintenance.)

 

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Okay my po175-0172 issues was advanced Auto gave me the wrong spark plugs and my stupid self didn't check them. I didn't think I needed to being I took the old one in and told them I want the iridium upgrade of the spark plug and put it in the man's hand. He brought me four spark plugs I said hold up I need two more I should have clicked right then but I did not so I got home put them in my car put it all together hence I was getting the po175/172. Went to aamco spent the entire day they did smoke test compression test fuel pressure test relearn cam sensor crank sensor all the wrong spark plugs in the car. Started misfire cylinder one would not run for shit looking in the book I realized the spark plug thing it was the wrong spark plugs. So I got the right ones put it in still misfire cylinder one new coils still cylinder one misfire new wiring harness to the new injectors cylinder one misfire the last time I put it all back together did not plug the cam sensor back in my misfire changed cylinder one two now cylinder four. So I thought well okay I got a cam sensor problem got a new cam sensor new crank sensor and lo and behold misfire cylinder one I did change the timing belt and water pump all by myself and it did not blow up yay me. I just drove it down the road and I have misfire cylinder one WTF do I do now??? 

 

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Wow you have been busy. Often crank sensors are plug and play, cam not as likely. Your listed codes could be so many things. 

 

You mentioned a few posts back about breaking map sensor and gluing it. The 3.6 has one, you have a maf mass air flow sensor.  They can get dirty and cause rich codes and rough idle etc. and the listed codes.  Need special spray cleaner to not wreck it. It’s located in the intake air ducting. Simple and worth trying. Should not be any broken tiny wires in the fine mesh.

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Oh yeah thanks John. I guess I didn't mention I I did get a new map sensor and IAT sensor since the second gluing wasn't doing it.As far as the mass air flow sensor I'm not sure if I have one It is the 3 5 engine. Not quite sure how much difference in the 3.6 there is.  And I do not know if I have more than one cam sensor or just one crank sensor and one cam sensor. The codes I'm getting now after replacing everything is the PO 340 and the PO 344 and still the damn po301. I cannot get rid of that 301 to save my life. And it's still not nearly as bad as it was before when you try to accelerate it just kind of shutters a little and and seems like it's really really struggling to go

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And I do not understand why leaving the cam sensor accidentally unplugged would change the 301 cylinder one misfire to the p0304 cylinder 4 misfire is that not opposite banks of the motor even?

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It will not start now it just cranks and cranks and cranks but it will not start. It shows no codes. On the dash with the key or on the scanner. All I did was took the grounds loose clean them up and put them back on

Anyone want to buy a Dodge journey?

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Cam sensor issues can prevent a car from starting. And cause cylinder misfire codes.  It seems there is a relearn procedure, but diagnostic trouble  codes will prevent procedure from being done. So they have to be cleared first.

 

Using a multi meter the cam sensor wire harness and sensors need to be tested first before trying a relearn.

Supply voltage of 5 volts, correct ohms for cam sensors; feed from ecm to actual sensor plug. So wiring diagram needed as well.

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