bramfrank

Your Journey is under warranty - why in the world would the dealer charge you for anything (including the map)? After all, it was part of the diagnostic process.

Now you know . . . . it is because the engine does not need to be running for the outlet to be powered.

Your vehicle may be different than mine, but I have FOUR outlets - (Instrument Panel; Inside the console; on the rear of the console; and one more at the rear of the vehicle on the left side) only one is powered full time and that is the one on the back of the console, as indicated . . . . yes, the switched units work in accessory mode and are subject to the delay off setting.

Consider that it cranks for as long as it takes to start the vehicle, whether you are holding the button or not, so - it just sends a coded signal to the vehicle controller which in turn handles the engine.

Thanks for the link. Interesting. I haven't moved my subscription to the new radio yet (heck, it works, right?) Who knows? Maybe the PO bought a lifetime subscription?

I guess I was lucky - aside from the fact that the tech couldn't find the cable and they called me in to explain it to him, he managed to spend 1.3 hours . . . but they knocked it back to 1 hour. I paid and left and it works just fine. The tech asked why I didn't connect the power in the rear, considering how accessible it is, we both felt that running the power up to the front was wasteful. So If you are planning to add the camera and you run the wiring yourself just pull the power leads from the harness and wire them to either the backup light circuit or to the rear outlet. Still looking for information on traffic - anyone in Canada getting it? I wonder if there's another module, for traffic reception that is missing for Canadian users? There is a multi-pin connector on the radio that is empty in my installation. I plan to get on the phone with Sirius later this week and ask them about it.

Have you dealers tried re-installing the maps? Perhaps they became corrupted.

Thanks . . . . I decided to bite the bullet - I have an appointment tomorrow morning to have the dealer do the instrument panel connections - it's all of 5 wires and they have the removal tool, so it should cost me an hour of labour ($110/hour?) - if they mess up the wiring harness it becomes their problem and they have to add in the sales code to make it work anyway. I'll have the trim tabs pulled before I get there to save the tech valuable minutes - all of 6 screws to remove to get the radio out. One thing I did discover from reading the manual is that it uses dead reckoning in addition to GPS . . . very neat. I'd still like to know how the traffic on the nav works for us in Canada. I saw no traffic data when I was out on this bitterly cold day.

I suppose I could make two posts, but the one involves a double upgrade. NAV RADIO I managed to buy an RB5 radio from a 2014 Journey and dropped it into my vehicle which had an RE2 - all well and good, but does the traffic feature work for you? Is it the FM traffic? Or is it SiriusXM? It is the weekend and there is no traffic today - the unit says it is enabled and that I will get alerts - for a unit with Garmin's software it works just differently enough to be annoying. And that includes the fact that there's no volume/mixer control specifically for the nav, though the way they handle it in the radio is actually rather neat - if only the announcements were higher wuality. And why don't they show album art on the left when the map is up in player mode? The unit does need to be updated, but first a map update . . . . maybe there's something in the 5.1 release that adds features. BACKUP CAMERA While doing things and spending money I figured I would add in the backup camera - purchased the kit and did the install this afternoon - it was not complicated - as far as I got. And that's where the questions come in: The connector on my radio already has wires on the video input pins - the pin lock is engaged and I can't get it to release . . . what have YOU done? Did you cut the wires that go to the connector and splice them to the camera leads? I really don't like the concept of replacing the connector with the one from the kit, since that means literally destroying the existing one. I can't for the life of me get out the front cigarette lighter socket to splice in the power leads . . . what they could have done is to use the switched cigarette lighter in the rear left side of the vehicle - and you need to disconnect THAT one when installing the wire harness anyway . . . . . so, what is the trick to getting that front socket out? Or shall I cut those wires and connect to the rear socket. All experience welcome. I have yet to make those last camera connections, but the radio comes out in 3 minutes anyway.

Well, a couple of points, since the topic has become active again: You can't REALLY blame the parts supplier for supplying the wrong size rotors and pads because Chrysler changed the dimensions midway through the model year - I suppose that if you are a DIY it is up to you to know this sort of thing in advance. I always include my VIN when ordering online parts, just in case. The good news is that apparently you can get the right parts from the supplier as a swap. As to claiming rotors and brake components, Chrysler simply does not warrant these parts beyond 20,000 km - they never have. But for the tire problem, considering that it was brought to their attention as soon as you discovered it, your claim should be valid - maybe . . . . Usually small claims has a time limit (in Quebec it is three years) to file. However the question becomes one of 'who is liable?' In this case you had a misdiagnosis at a dealer in an eastern province. It led to the premature wear of the tires. Chrysler, as a corporation did not deny the original service claim and their warranty does exclude consequential damage. So technically, they can hide behind that statement and claim that they did honour their warranty because they ultimately fixed the problem at no cost to you. Certainly Chrysler COULD have replaced your tires as a goodwill measure in view of the abnormal circumstance, but it seems to me that your claim would be against the original dealer who failed to locate the undone bolt. As to issues with the engine, I seem to recall that there was an issue with engine misfires in the early Pentastar engines and that there was some sort of unofficial goodwill repair program - here is one article on the topic: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/dealers-repairing-chrysler-v6-engines-some-pentastars-need-new-cylinder-heads There's a reason I suggest to people that they consider buying OEM extended warranties - these vehicles are complex, filled with expensive electronics and the dealers are not as savvy about diagnostics as they could be. Good luck

Nice of you to offer the parts on a pay it forward basis, but I have a suggestion: People may well be creeped out if you leave it on the car itself and it may well piss them off. If you leave it on the ground they could miss it. If I was looking to do what you are I'd write up a nice cover letter with an explanation and an inventory of what I have, put it into an envelope addressed "to you, the owner of an Aveo" and tell them that the parts are available for the asking at no cost on a first come, first serve basis - I'd have a few of these handy in my vehicle and simply place it under the windshield wipers, like a ticket. Do not use an inkjet printer for the letter or envelope - the inks are not quite as soft as they used to be, but many are still water soluble.

Interesting . . . I did the same with a set of rear pads and a set of hardware . . . I thought I'd need to replace the rear (less pad left compared with the front for some reason) then got my '14. What DO you do with that sort of thing? Anyone in the Montreal area need a set of rear pads and hardware and want to buy them for a reasonable price?

OK, I stumbled across this while Googling something else: As it happens, the BT module is a separate device - it is connected to the radio on one of the two USB connectors on the back of the radio (one is for the BT module and the other for the USB connection in the console - not sure which of the two goes to which application) and is held in place with a plastic lock. Apparently there is a second connector between the radio and the BT module which also has a locking pin. If either of these connectors that go to the BT module (or the one in the actual module itself - and I don't know where that is) becomes disconnected or if the BT module itself stops working the radio will think you don't have Bluetooth . . . . if the lock is broken, possibly because someone with Gorilla hands forced the connector apart without properly depressing the release, the connector can work its way out and break the connection. So, if you've had any work done behind the dash that required pulling the radio or may have disturbed the wiring behind the dash, the connector may have been 'hanging by a hair . . . you can pull the radio module (it is behind the air conditioning controls) and check that out. Good luck

If you are having radio issues (or even if you are not) and plan to keep the car you should seriously consider an extended warranty. You do not want to know how much some of the modules in these vehicles costs - like C$1700 for the nav radio (you can find used ones out there for less, but . . . .)

The brake issue goes back to the initial release of the vehicle, and as noted was mitigated in the late 2012 model year when they put in bigger disks (and by extension needed to put in bigger calipers). If you needed to change your disks anyway, you might decide to go with new, later version calipers and pads. But you can still warp your brakes and smoke your pads by driving like a hooligan. I had no issues over the 55,000 km I ran my '11 - and there was lots of pad left when I traded it in. Given the salty, sandy environment we drive in here for a quarter of the year you'd think that this would be one of the places where the problem would present most often.

You can sue her personally - though it may take a few years to get paid. And your car ought to be covered in full for the first 90 days - but a valuable lesson learned - replacement cost insurance will provide more than just a new vehicle for however much it will cost to replace - it also provides for ONLY new OEM repair parts when you have an accident for the duration of the coverage and usually a rental car and other benefits.

It occurs to me that you might well be able to get a headliner AND a console from a scrap yard . . . if you can find one locally you'll find it easier to get it home clean and in one piece.

Nah - every vehicle in Canada has DRLs and the way Dodge sets them up does not lead to any failure - first of all they run the high beams at half intensity - since you rarely use high beams at night, running them in the daytime at 50% will let them last almost forever. And because of the way they work, they make your turn signals more conspicuous - the headlight on the side that your signal switches off extinguishes, making the signal stand out - AND they are only on when the vehicle is in gear. Beyond all this, in the US they are rare enough that that DO make things even more obvious. Besides, a couple of high beam bulbs will set you back all of $20 - how much did your vehicle cost?

The best tip I can offer is to take the user manual into the throne room with you and read it through at your leisure.

Personally the only lighting changes I'd make are to install HIRs up front and I'm leaving everything else stock no matter what.

or a new vehicle

That was truly a great return . . . . . big belly laugh when I read that!!

Well, first of all, did it start when you used the 'when your fob isn't working' trick described in the manual?

It's not that stupid a question if you take the thought a bit further . . . . if the switch on the brake pedal was intermittent you would not be able to start the car, assuming everything else was working. This is likely the first thing your dealer should have checked if he was on the ball. So when you pressed the button did the accessory circuit come on? Or was the car completely non-responsive?

I suspect that the vehicle was not in motion. And if the door was already open and the OP was reaching into the console, there is no way he can be found at fault. However if he opened the door into traffic as the other vehicle approached that can be quite another matter. Door skins didn't used to be available from Chrysler as a part and you wouldn't want one for your vehicle in any case because the spot welds never take paint properly, so you want a new door (complete). If you have replacement cost insurance it should pay for new OEM parts and you'll be good to go.