redtomatoman

Thanks bram! I pulled the trigger and got one. Peace.

Is that a Dodge item or did you fabricate it from something? Peace.

Holy $#!+ that's a lot of cars. I've owned a 1981 Toyota Celica, a 1992 Chevy Corsica, a 1991 Dodge Dakota (still own), and my 2011 DJ(obviously still own). I buy vehicles that I NEED. I guess that's why I still own two of them. While I did love my celica, not sure I could own another Toyota. Chevy, yeah. Mopar, surely. Peace.

I agree. This was going to be my next suggestion. Press harder. My DJ is not my daily driver and if it sits for a week or so, the pedal becomes stiff. I just give it a firm press and it starts. Mine has never been so stiff that I couldn't get it to start with just a little extra push, though. The first time I felt the stiff brake pedal, I wondered if it was a problem. Now that I have experienced it over time, I know its just part of the DJ characteristics. If the problem continues or worsens though, I would have it looked at by someone. In my mind, there is still a small possibility that there is a brake problem. Just monitor it for now. Peace.

How cold was it? Suspect something with braking pedal or system that would not allow a start because the pedal was not depressed enough. Brakes working fine? Check the fluid, I'd suggest. First thoughts. . . Peace.

Right. I knew there were advantages to leather. I know our dog's claws have scratched the leather seats in my wife's Saturn. That's a disadvantage that I saw prior to purchasing the DJ. I won't allow our dog on my DJ seats. She gets the third row cargo area. Peace.

I have cloth in my '11 R/T. I think the Lux that year was leather. R/T came with more sporty cloth & red stitching. I preferred the black cloth and stitching. In general, I think cloth is better than leather. Warm in winter and cooler in summer vs leather. Cheaper too. I'm sure leather has advantages, but whatever. From what I've seen on this forum, I'm glad I have cloth. The leather in the DJ seems cheap. Smooth leather seats should not develop wrinkles in the first year. My cloth seats still look perfect. Peace.

Cool.

Taking the DJ to sea level (San Onofre) for a surf this weekend. I guess I'll have to get after that Pentastar while I'm down there. Ha! Peace.

Great advise. My manual goes to 152K. At 120K, there is a recommendation for changing the accessory belt(s). Not sure if that includes the timing belt, but I will insist that it does when I get there. Peace.

I live at 7000 feet elevation in NM and I also fare worse. The winds are strong here, the terrain is hilly, I always have roof cargo, and I use cruise control. I can get 25 mpg reliably at 75 mph if I drive without cruise control and pay attention to efficiency. Add a head wind, roof cargo, or an overall uphill drive and mpg suffers at 75 mph. Driving at 65 mph, I can reliably get 27-30 mpg. The speed limits here are generally 75 mph, though. I like to get good gas mileage, but I love the cargo room and power. I do wish our DJs had more power from 75-100mph. Sounds fast, but with speed limits at 75, people drive fast. If I need to get around someone in a hurry, short bursts of 75-90 or 100 is not that uncommon. That doesn't help gas mileage, either. Ha! I also wonder if higher elevation has something to do with it. Maybe the computer runs a little leaner at higher elevation. Not sure. I do most of my driving at elevations of 5000 to 7000 feet. Peace.

Ditto. I have been very careful to complete the scheduled maintenance and have the dealership complete the maintenance records. I hope to go lots of miles on my extended warranty. I plan to look at the pattern of previous requirements and repeat. Hell, if dodge hasn't come up with a schedule, how can they complain about us duplicating the first 120K? Best of luck to you.

255/50/19 is the way to go. Peace.

I've been thinking about putting speakers back there. I'm an AV idiot. How do you get speaker wire back there? I've thought about a setup like the caliber. I've even thought about getting a rear speaker setup from a caliber. Post when you have yours done. Peace.

I went with Continental DWS 255/50/19. They seem good. Drove 80 mph through slightly snowy roads while on my way to Vegas. I was in a serious hurry. Not a slip or problem. Only patchy snow, but 80mph was way too fast. Tires were great. Peace.

Wow. Being on this forum since 2011, I've seen a lot of posts regarding tires. Too many. Some love the kumhos some hate them. I think the kumho solus tires are a good tire. I forget how many miles I got out of mine. 40,000? Anyway, when tires wear out you get new ones. That's just how it works. Did you complain on a triathlon forum last time your nikes wore out? Doubt it. There are nike and addidas people in this world. If your nikes wear out, then get some addidas. Hope it's better. Peace.

Why not try some dynamat? I haven't looked, but it seems entirely plausible that the wheelwell liners could be removed and a layer of dynamat or some similar material could be applied under the wheelwell liners. That may do a lot to dampen the sounds. Just a thought. Peace.

My back yard.

Oops. . . here's the pic.

My smoker. 2 chickens and a rack of ribs over cherry and hickory.

Check the oil when the engine is warm. Probably not hot, it would read low, I believe. Twisting is incorrect. You may break your dipstick. Ha! Seriously, have you had a vehicle that had a twisting dipstick? I have never seen one. My 2011 dipstick comes out easily when the engine is hot. I suppose the last person to reinsert it may have forced it into a place it didn't belong. Who changes your oil? Peace.

Mine almost never drains water. It does drain occasionally, but not every time I drive. I have checked the drain holes numerous times and they are clear. Not sure what the difference is. I guess it's just being in the desert where water dries up quickly. Ha! Peace.

Would it be possible to easily retrofit the third row of seats to convert a three row DJ into a two row DJ? I never use the third row of seats. It has always bothered my that I am constantly lugging around the weight of those seats. If I could easily convert my 7 passenger DJ to a 5 passenger DJ with a purchase of parts, I would certainly consider that. I don't want to lose any rear compartment space. I've never seen a 5 passenger DJ, but I think they have extra storage space where the seats are positioned. Am I right? If anyone could post a diagram of the parts that would replace the seats, that would be great. I'm not sure how much those seats weigh vs the replacement parts, but potentially getting rid of significant dead weight may be an efficiency and performance upgrade. Peace.

I had that issue with my 2011. Dealer replaced the steering wheel switch first. When the problem persisted, the SCCM (steering column control module) was determined to be the problem and replaced. No problems since then. The SCCM and clockspring are both possibilities in your case. Good luck. Peace.

Our DJs do well on mpg with a light foot. If it is driven hard, the efficiency drops significantly. Most auto testers, I believe, really get after the accelerator because there is plenty of power under the hood, and they get mediocre efficiency. Most auto testers also will complain about the lack of downshifting on hills. I, like you, appreciate the computer programming to conservatively downshift. Dodge included the manual shifter for a reason. Head winds and hilly roads will decrease the mpg's significantly. More so than other vehicles, I think. But we have all experienced it, great efficiency with a powerful V-6 when we drive sensibly. Peace.