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Rough idling


tyre

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So we have had our new 2012 Journey SXT 3.6l for about 2 mths and 2500km. For the last month or so we've noticed a shake in the vehicle when it idles. My wife notices it more when it first starts, it is very noticeable after it warms up and sitting in a drive thru for more than a few minutes.

We took it in and of course no one noticed it, went to Tim Horton's after leaving the dealership and it was so noticeable I was more than a little po'd at the dealership. I called our sales guy, he wanted to see it so I took it down to him and he noticed it (not at it's worst mind you), he seems to think it's because we are using 87 octane gas and suggested going through a full tank of Shell V-Power ( or whatever the best one is they have) and then going to a mid-grade from Shell. I've been reading using the 89 octane will give us better mileage and performance so I will likely switch to that. My wife is furious though and thinks the salesman is full shit and feels like we are being treated as nit-picky (we've had other problems, that the dealership either didn't see or said they fixed and didn't).

Can anyone confirm that 87 octane would cause a rough idling? It's going to take us months to burn through 2 full tanks of gas and I'm concerned we are being brushed off.

Thanks for any input.

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I have used Shell "bronze" 87 exclusively for the last 7 yrs and have never experienced

a rough idle and I am using it now in my '11 DJ SXT Pentastar again I am not experiencing

a rough idle at the 3000 km mark.

I might suggest you fill up at different stations to see if possibly your buying gas with

high humidity/water content if you have used the same station.

Generally Chrysler has always advised that you should use the octane the motor is

designed to use,you might also want to try a can of gasline antifreeze to see if that

creates a change.

Edited by bigtsr
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I recall with past Chrysler V6s (the 2.7L most recently) that at idle, IF the A/C was on, it would give a little shudder. But only briefly. Is it possible you're feeling the A/C compressor kick in/out? It does put some load on the engine. I find that I still notice that now with the 2.4L 4cyl. That's the only obvious thing I can think of.

As for going to mid-grade (89) ... the engine is designed to run on 87. Yes, 89 octane WILL give you slightly improved fuel economy, usually. But that's more to do with the higher octane fuel performing better under load. Knock sensors will retard timing and de-tune your engine ... the higher octane fuel reduces engine 'knock' under load, so the engine doesn't get de-tuned to prevent damage. (At least I'm reasonably sure that's how it works ... someone may correct me there. I don't really work on my own vehicles like I used to ... before they became packed with electronics!)

I'd say the sales guy is pulling your leg though. Manufacturer says 87, use 87 - unless you WANT to go with a higher grade. It won't hurt anything but your wallet. I'd be more inclined to think you might just have a bad tank of gas. It happens now and then. Try some gas line antifreeze ... then try another station. The quality of fuel DOES vary from place to place. Normally, the busier the station, the better the fuel, because it doesn't stay underground in the tanks very long.

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There is no point to using fuel with a higher octane rating than called for. As Chris pointed out, it only impacts your wallet.

One of the real curses is that they add corn alcohol to gasoline (at least to regular) in most parts of the country (the far North and Esso gasoline in Quebec being the notable exceptions). Ethanol gas goes bad quickly, and reduces fuel economy by more than the volume of gasoline it displaces - it separates out, scours crud from your fuel system into the filters, is hard on seals and sop on.

If you are in Quebec try running Esso regular.

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Thanks for all the great replies. I only every fill up at Costco and Co-Op which I thought would be quality gas (I'm in Saskatchewan). I put a tank of Shell premium in and a bottle of gas line anti-freeze and will see how it performs at the next fill up. If it's not any better then I'll take it in again ugh.

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Take a look here.. http://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/index.php?/topic/2561-rough-idle-and-a-couple-other-things/page__p__15399__fromsearch__1#entry15399

Since i've had the damper replaced, it has toned down quite a bit. Tech centre here in Windsor said that there was an issue with some of the engines that were built during a certain time ( not sure of the exact dates ) and they are addressing the issue. Show this to your dealership and ask them to contact the Windsor Ontario Chrysler Tech Centre for answers. I think they could ask for Bob Renaud as he is aware of the situation with these engines. Hope this helps.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just an Update: Went through a tank of premium, 1 1/2 tanks for mid grade and still no change. Took it in today and they say it's fine it's supposed to be like that. The service manager was really nice but I find it hard to believe that my $30k vehicle should have a noticeable shake in the steering wheel and seat that passengers can feel when it's idling. He said he talked to the Tech Hotline and they didn't advise him of anything regarding the engine. We are going to take out another Journey and see if they all behave this way or not.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

ours idles rough when the engine is cold. once warm, its gone. granted, in the first couple thousand miles, it ran rough alot. maybe that was what you experienced as well.

as a side note, i'm one of those who isnt really nit-picky. i look at a car as a mechanical device. its a machine and its going to make some noise or shakes or something. as long as its not "alarming", i dont worry about it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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