Journey_SeXT

Many posters frustrated with a problem vehicle will use car forums as their platform to vent there frustration and I get that. It happens on all forums but I still don't feel that is the majority sentiment with the Journey.....I love mine and other DJ owners that I know are quite happy also. My DJ so far has proven to be a real workhorse and I will definitely look to upgrade in the future.

Yup, I'm feelin pretty good now that I can keep up with the others on the road......the Pentastar engine is a beast at full throttle. I'm glad i opted for the bigger engine.

Welcome to the forum! I know 2 Journey owners that trading their 4 cylinder for a 6 because of the slow acceleration. I went with the 6 but if I had the 4 I wouldn't have complained as my previous vehicle (CR-V) was REALLY slow to accelerate....I must have got the finger from well over a dozen people trying to merge onto the 401.

Same here!

With a little research I have found that other Chrysler products with the "No Key Detected" have also had this issue as well. There is a TSB for those vehicles that involves flash reprogramming the Wireless Ignition Node (WIN) with new software. I'm not sure if the Journey also has a TSB for this issue but i'm guessing that would correct the problem.

I didn't even realize all the maintenance how to's in his link.....thanks for pointing it out!

Yup, lots of good info on Pentastar engines which is similar enough on all Chrysler vehicles to be useful for us DJ owners.

I stumbled upon this "how to" guide as I was trying to find out exactly what the felt tubes purpose is in the air filter box. Anyhow, replacing the engine air filter is a pretty easy maintenance job for a DIY'r but for someone new to car maintenance who wants to try and save some cash this step by step link should help: http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Dodge-Journey-Pentastar-V6-Engine-Air-Filter-Replacement-Guide/ BTW we need a How To section!

Is it not working with the vehicle on or off. I don't have my car phone charger to test but if I remember correctly when the vehicle is not running the cigarette lighter port will not work until you turn the vehicle on. My car is the same way but the GMC work van continues to work even when the vehicle is in the off position. If the cigarette lighter port is not working with the vehicle turned on try RTM's suggestion first and if your charger works then the fuse most likely needs replacing.

Better air filter than factory paper??? Are you sure the K&N's traps more dirt because most news articles don't seem to support this unless you are reading it from the K&N website or its dealers. http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

Actually, my Journey (brand new) didn't come with the owners manual but it did come with a quick reference guide and CD but not as detailed as the owners manual. That's why i provide the link for others so they know they are not SOL. People in their spare time should try to thumb through the pages as they would be amazed how much they will discover about the vehicle.

Why would you remove something if you are unsure what it does?

For any other questions about your vehicle you can also refer to your owners manual that I am posting in this link. http://www.autodealertools.com/quickQuote/manuals/2011/Journey.pdf

Addicted to Dodge is right the better your fuel mileage is the more your DTE is. During my road trip to Florida when I was averaging 7.8L/100KM my fill up gave me close to 900km DTE now we are at 600 DTE.

Next time this happens you can go to Autozone or Advance Auto where they will pull the code for free or you can invest in a cheap OBDII scanner (from Amazon) as the dealer charges a lot for reading the code. Even if the CEL light turns off it will still be stored in the computer until it is cleared from the system with the scan tool.

I've used a 15/16" socket with no problems on mine but I think the actual size is 24 mm. Here is a great how to oil change on a Pentastar engine: http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/2012-jeep-jk-wrangler-36l-pentastar-engine-oil-change-write-up

15/16" socket is required and the engine cover pops off and goes back in pretty easy so you don't need the extension.

Oil change instructions for Pentastar engines is here in this linik and shows the oil filter: http://wk2jeeps.com/engine/3.6L_oil_and_filter_change.pdf

If you look on this thread Frogbox posted a before and after picture of the small and big brake. http://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/topic/4974-successful-big-brake-upgrade-on-2011-crew/

Does this 2012 have the bigger brake package? I know at some point the 2012's converted to the bigger brakes and it would kind of suck if you got the smaller ones.

I know that the Bobistheoilguy website has many threads regarding these products and it's effectiveness. Personally, I would stay away from any oil flush products as it may cause more harm than good especially if you are planning on using a harsh, aggressive chemical. A milder oil cleaning would be the use of seafoam in the oil crankcase and drive around for 30 miles before your oil change (I still don't endorse this product for oil flushing either). Seafoam is also good to add to your fuel system for cleaning but I do prefer to use products like Lucas, Gumout "Regane" and too bad we don't have it here in Ontario, Chevron Techron. Also as Frogbox mentioned 15k is really stretching the OCI and you should be changing your oil at half that amount even with synthetic.

Does it lock the door when you press the button on the door handle?

I would change the battery first and then see if you are still having issues.

Did the dealer say what the code was? If so, what were they? They shouldn't be turning CEL's off unless the problem is fixed. Next time you get the CEL you could go to Autozone or Advance auto and have them check the engine light code for free or as mentioned by Mcgusto you can get OBD II scanner for fairly cheap and read the codes yourself.....check out code readers here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_sc_1_5/187-0253629-6202672?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=obd%20ii%20scanner&sprefix=OBDII%2Caps%2C162 Also as mentioned by others you need to find another dealer or begin to really press this dealer for answers and a final solution with no more diagnosis and turn off payments.

I took the Journey out on icy roads (with snow tires) yesterday and yes it handles like crap on ice whereas my tiny Aveo with snows plows through the same icy roads like a tank. I think the design and weight of the vehicle has a lot to do with its crappy performance BUT with many years of driving all kinds of vehicles that sucked in snow I just readjust my driving habits to the conditions of the road and no problems. As I mentioned before no matter what vehicle you have I don't think any of them you can do the highway speed limits with icy conditions. Just slow down and you'll be fine. BTW same old story today....Honda CR-V (AWD) slid off the ramp getting on the highway today. Another inexperienced AWD driver that doesn't give any respect to the ice.