bramfrank

Hmm - Geek Squad don't carry ladders, cable, tools, hardware, inventory and such in their cars full time - we do in our trucks. The GLK IS a truck, same as the DJ - SUVs and CUVs are classes of trucks because trucks are vehicles designed to carry cargo/goods - that's what the back of our vehicles do. Certainly you can drive around with passengers with or without stuff in the back - but any quad cab pickup can do the same.

I have 3 on the road for my alarm company. I didn't want to buy Caravans - they're a bit too large for our needs, which is why I bought the Journeys. They size out perfectly for our needs.

Small pickups and delivery vans, also based automotive platforms are still trucks, albeit small ones. And who among us would argue that full sized SUV's are also trucks (think Suburban, Expedition or Durango) and THEY have REAL carpet in the rear where the DJ has cheap fuzz. Not that it's a huge factor, but Wikipedia shows the vehicle in Dodge's truck product time line.

I call it a truck. My insurance company calls it a truck. A truck is not defined by what covers the cargo area and lots of pickups are more luxurious than the DJ.

I doubt the door panel says 50 psi - that may well be above the tire rating!!! Spend the $10 when they are on sale and buy a decent pressure gauge. As mentioned above, DJs want 36 psi (cold tire reading) - I run mine 1 psi over.

My DJ has issues with the cruise control power button - it is intermittently not responding to presses - when it decides to act up you can press all you want. If you cycle power it usually comes back to life - sometimes it will simply start to function after a few minutes of leaving it alone - not likely the clockspring because the other steering wheel functions are working when the Cruise power does not. So it seems to likely be a software issue - and I need to bring it in for a small oil leak in any case, so it is just another item for the list.

Thanks . . . Based on onecrazyfoo4u's comment, it does seem likely to be a defect - so I have 3 things to get fixed; - The vent issue; - There is a software update to eliminate short music drop-outs from the MP3 that was never applied and; - There is an oil leak from the rear side of the 2.4 litre engine. I suppose it'll take more than a few hours, so my extended warranty 'get a loaner' feature will kick in for this one.

My nearby dealer is an idiot - I had to sue him once already (and won). They warn people that if they run diags and don't find a problem that the customer pays . . . but the real issue is that they don't FIND the problems . . . . . That's why I bought my current vehicle from a less convenient dealer, but I prefer to avoid all contact with any Chrysler dealer if possible. So if nothing comes out the upper vents when one selects the bi-level mode (which seems strange to me, since there is an 'all to floor' and 'all to upper vent' position and they both work), then if it is designed that way and it took me 20 months to notice, then so be it.

DJ with front only aircon. When you select bi-level vents only the lower vents blow air. If you select upper, the uppers work. If you select lowers, the lowers work. If you select heat/defrost, THAT works. But when I select bi-level the blower makes more noise than it does in the floor or floor+defrost positions, so the system is recognising the reqauest, but the air only flows from the floor vents. Software? Hardware?

The back seats are no warmer than the fronts in any of the DJs I've been in. The rear seat vents deliver air at the same temperature as the fronts if you don't have dual air. And your dealer can't add in the rear controls to your vehicle, so if the solution is any different than either removing a couple of layers of clothing from the child or opening the windows it will involve replacing the vehicle.

I was amused by the comment that someone at the dealership assured the poster that he could safely exceed the specifications; as if ANYONE at a dealership has a clue. Here's the point: If Chrysler ever learned that you pulled more than 2500 pounds and you had a claim related anything that might be blamed on the load you will quickly discover what it feels like to be saddled with repair bills for things that might otherwise have been covered by the warranty.

I would hope you make a visit to the NHTSA web site (www.safercar.gov) and file a report with them - vehicles that die without warning on steep downhill grades are dangerous and since it appears that this problem is not unique, it should probably be investigated.

Rotors only cause vibration when the brakes are engaged. If they are warped and if your calipers are sticking it *might* cause vibrations all the time . . . . but not only when driving at 100 kph. The issue when turning, and based on the way you describe the problem could well be the CV joints (the universal joints that deliver power to the steered wheels). Let us know how it turns out..

poorebru All car manufacturers do this - it really is not much different than how printer manufacturers supply 'starter' toner and ink cartridges. The tire companies are in cahoots with the practice because they have an advantage in that many (perhaps most) car owners will install the same make and model as replacements when they wear out and they will almost certainly buy the same make and model in the event of a tire failure. They are 'numbered' the same, but I'm willing to wager a small amount that you will find the term 'spec' moulded somewhere on the sidewalls (and I'm not going out to the garage to check my vehicle).

You could have bad fuel - maybe picked up water - enough to make things run bad but not so much that the vehicle stalls out. Take it to a local garage (it doesn't have to be a Chrysler dealer) and ask them to read the codes and check the fuel for contamination - the filter may be clogged (if that's the case you're in for a new fuel pump IIRC - the filter is paper but it isn't replaceable as far as Chrysler is concerned).

Vehicles are certified by their manufacturers to meet the requirements. Changes to a vehicle 'break' those certifications and are thus not legal. While there may well be a mechanism to recertify a modified vehicle, it would require a lab and likely be prohibitively cost inefficient. So many people blindly make changes (note that many web sites that sell lighting have disclaimers) and hope for the best. Most get away with it, but like I said, a cop looking for a reason to write a ticket may make you regret your investment. The best mod is to stuff in an HIR bulb - doubles the light output and is otherwise undetectable.

OP is in Canada. They are mandatory. We have no option to disable them.

Interesting post webslave; What you may not realise is that basic headlight approvals are part and parcel of the vehicle as delivered to the dealer by the manufacturer. There is no such thing as a legal headlight conversion. in fact you can't even legally substitute a high wattage bulb for the OEM bulb. So technically you already have your wish - conversions are banned. Unfortunately the ban isn't enforced much except where the conversion is blinding or the officer has stopped you and has nothing else to ticket you for. Similarly DRLs are also approved as part of the package - at least in Canada where they are mandatory. I can't comment on what the US allows, since DRLs are a user option. In any case HIDs are not used for high beams by OEMs, except as part of a single bulb solution where they are controlled by a solenoid - HIDs simply take too long to turn on, so manufacturers with two reflector designs use conventional bulbs for the high beams.

Don't do it. DRLs are required by law - and even if you decided to re-engineer the vehicle and install your own separate DRLs it isn't legal to do so. Then again neither are headlight conversions. About the only thing that you can do that is legal is to install auxiliary lighting and even that is subject to limitations. If you decide to proceed, you'd be well advised to install a relay that will completely cut voltage to the ballasts if the low beams are not on . . .

Most DJs use 'regular'. Read your manual. Use what it specifies. Using other than what is recommended is a waste of money

The low fuel light is supposed to come on when the vehicle has less than 50 miles (on mine it is 60 km, or about 40 miles) or so range left - and even if the vehicle sputters to a stop the tank will not be empty - there is always *some* fuel left (keep in mind that running dry is not good for the pump, since it is cooled by the fuel in the tank). At about 22 mpg, this means slightly more than 2 gallons of fuel left in the tank when the light goes on - so 18 gallons is not unreasonable.

Perhaps there's something in the CANBUS that can be fooled into adapting to load changes by implementing new lighting incrementally, but there is no such thing as 'charging up' a ballast.

I have the husky for the 2nd row - never considered the weather tech at all. I have no 3rd row. The mats do extend under the front row seats - my carpets are perfect after 2 winters. No splashing at all.

Kuhmo tires are generally excellent - they wear well and grip well for normal duty applications. Of course your wheels could be out of round too, or your dealer could have used a tire bead lubricant that allowed the tire bead to twist on the rim if he used too much and you 'accelerate briskly' before they set (BTDT). Or his balancing machine may need calibration. As to swapping summer/winter tires, I had an issue with another Chrysler I owned that was equipped with Pirelli tires that NO ONE could balance . . . except for Pirelli themselves (their head office used to be near my home). No one does on car balancing anymore - but Pirelli had a setup - they picked up the vehicle, did their magic and I had no problems since. If you store tires standing up they WILL develop flat spots. If your tire changer doesn't clean the wheels before balancing, then if there is a clump of dirt you can get vibration if/when it washes away. I simply have 2 sets of wheels with the tires pre-mounted. I have a small hydraulic lift, an impact driver and a torque wrench and do my own swapping for both cars each season - takes an hour and I don't need to schelp tires and wheels and they are stored lying down, stacked. The beads last and they don't need to be rebalanced. Tire pressure is a key - note that a lot of pressure gauges are not accurate. Many places will set your pressure to 27-29 pounds - the DJ wants 36 pounds - that'd do it. I have a very accurate electronic gauge and run my cars at 2 pounds over the manufacturer's recommended settings for better rolling resistance.

Maybe in Yonkers. Elsewhere they may not be quite so tolerant.