4.3s to 8.4 Uconnect and Backup Camera installed

[Johnson]

Well, I finally upgraded my 2014 SXT. I took out the 4.3s and installed the RE2 receiver, the 8.4" screen, the new bezel, and the lower stack. I also installed the factory backup camera as well.

The receiver, screen, lower stack, and bezel were pretty straightforward and easy to install. '14 Charger receiver, '13 Journey screen, '14 Journey bezel, and '11? I think, lower stack. I included some pictures below of some things I hadn't seen others include as far as how to remove the trim and whatnot. My wife and I really enjoy the upgrade, makes the interior feel much less "base package" and more complete. I, like others, haven't fixed the temperature controls on the screen but I haven't given up yet. I've talked with guys from my dealer and realized they're not going to be much help as this is the first radio they have even unlocked. Thanks to this forum I had more information than they did. I've talked with Uconnect who did not have info for me, and talked with Dodge corporate and they referred me to a larger dealer in the area but I haven't gotten a hold of them yet.

I played with the controls and found that when I "sync" the temps, the front and back hvac behave as one. That's nice as we have small kids in the back. If the knobs in the back are turned then the sync is broken and the rear acts independently. It also seems that even though the sliders on the climate screen maintain the nefarious "22 degrees" mark, if you slide them up or down it seems to lock that temperature in even though the slider moves back to the middle a few seconds later. The satellite radio still worked fine, so the free subscription apparently didn't get kicked back.

The dealer charged me for 1 hour labor for the combined unlock code and flashing the backup camera. Like I said above, this was the first one they've done. I had all the info they needed (even though they didn't know they needed it) thanks to this forum.

I bought the backup camera from the dealer (they were able to have it the next day). It came with detailed instructions that, at times, were not completely accurate as it was written in 2011. It was pretty involved to install - let's say it's not for the faint of heart. I took some pictures of that process that I've included below as well. You really do have to remove quite a bit of trim and one of the rear seats (If you have the third row). It's definitely doable if you're handy though, and I learned a lot about the car while doing it. I fished the wires a couple of times so that is one thing I would recommend if you're planning on doing it. My wife and I REALLY enjoy having it. The blind spot behind the car is especially bad without the camera if you have a car seat in the third row.

I couldn't figure out how to insert larger pictures....

[Lobitz68]

Looks daunting... Nice job. Did you have to remove the third row to get the rear side panel off?

[dhh3]

My dealer had to remove the left side third row seat to remove the side panel. Installing the camera was part of my deal. There were pieces of the car all over the place! LOL

[Johnson]

Thanks for the props Lobitz, daunting is a good word for it . I had to remove the seat to remove the panel. The instructions said to remove both seats but I didn't figure the passenger side needed to be removed and in the end it didn't. The nice thing is now that I know how to remove the seat, it's pretty easy - I can do it in about 10 minutes. And yes, there were definitely parts of the car everywhere, ha ha

Edited October 29, 2014 by Johnson

[Lobitz68]

Thanks for the props Lobitz, daunting is a good word for it . I had to remove the seat to remove the panel. The instructions said to remove both seats but I didn't figure the passenger side needed to be removed and in the end it didn't. The nice thing is now that I know how to remove the seat, it's pretty easy - I can do it in about 10 minutes. And yes, there were definitely parts of the car everywhere, ha ha

How much room is there between the panel and the wheel well?? Any room to squeeze a subwoofer behind the panel?

[Johnson]

I think so. There was a space behind it that was a cut out in the body as well which seemed to indicate there was room for a sub. And from the grille look of the panel it looks like there was supposed to be a speaker behind but there wasn't.

[Lobitz68]

There is the option with the "premium" stereo to have an 8" sub... I'd like to upgrade the stereo a bit, but don't want to lose cargo room as we camp a lot and are a hockey family (lots of gear and big bags). My thought was to sneak something back there. Thanks for the info, sorry about the thread jack.

[RaptorsFan]

Woah, that looks like some serious work. Nice job OP, definitely not something I would ever consider doing myself since I am not very handy and would be afraid of screwing something up. I'm looking to add a backup cam to my DJ as well and know the labour is not super cheap for this job (I appreciate the labour charge more after seeing your post).

For example, this is what is listed on a local dealership's website:

Rear View Camera System

So sleek, you`d hardly notice it is there. State-of-the-art, wide-angle lens video camera that improves rearview visibility. Innovative plug-and-play design allows for fast installation.Production Back Up Camera system that integrates into the Back Up camera ready radios (CTP RE2 or RE4 only), includes camera, wiring and instructions

Price $440.00

Price Installed$797.0082212553

Edited October 31, 2014 by RaptorsFan

[Mikes14sxt]

i know you said you didnt have the auto button for the climate control. so in this case what happens is the climate still able to go from hot to cold or does it stay set on a certain temp, this is the only thing thats stopping me from doin the upgrade which i am unclear of, i dont have the auto button neither in my 2014 sxt

[Johnson]

There is the option with the "premium" stereo to have an 8" sub... I'd like to upgrade the stereo a bit, but don't want to lose cargo room as we camp a lot and are a hockey family (lots of gear and big bags). My thought was to sneak something back there. Thanks for the info, sorry about the thread jack.

Sorry it's taken me a while to respond - no apologies needed. Ever. I appreciate the discussion that new posts spur on and one of the main reasons I documented this was to help anybody doing projects. The cardboard cutout that you can see in a couple of the pictures seems to be in line with where a sub would go so I think you'd be good to go on that. And I agree, love the trunk space and would hate to limit it!

Woah, that looks like some serious work. Nice job OP, definitely not something I would ever consider doing myself since I am not very handy and would be afraid of screwing something up. I'm looking to add a backup cam to my DJ as well and know the labour is not super cheap for this job (I appreciate the labour charge more after seeing your post).

For example, this is what is listed on a local dealership's website:

Rear View Camera System

So sleek, you`d hardly notice it is there. State-of-the-art, wide-angle lens video camera that improves rearview visibility. Innovative plug-and-play design allows for fast installation.Production Back Up Camera system that integrates into the Back Up camera ready radios (CTP RE2 or RE4 only), includes camera, wiring and instructions

Price $440.00

Price Installed$797.0082212553

Thanks for the props, yeah it is a big job but definitely a great upgrade. And a pin did break in the process of fishing the wire so I had to take one from the old tailgate insert and replace it. (It was ten at night and no place was open to get a new pin) If you do consider doing it yourself I'll definitely help with any questions you may have. My dealer charges $305 pre-tax for the kit and roughly 6 bills for install included. I didn't save a lot doing it myself but I learned a lot about the car.

i know you said you didnt have the auto button for the climate control. so in this case what happens is the climate still able to go from hot to cold or does it stay set on a certain temp, this is the only thing thats stopping me from doin the upgrade which i am unclear of, i dont have the auto button neither in my 2014 sxt

I actually did add the lower stack with the auto button to the car. I don't know for sure what the outcome would be if I stuck with the original panel but I am able to adjust the temp up and down from the manual buttons below. Although the digital display doesn't show an accurate slider position for where you've adjusted the heat/AC, I THINK that if you move the slider to a position the car adjusts the heat up or down even though the slider bumps back to the middle. And if you hit the sync button it will adjust the heat for the driver, passenger, and rear climate all combined but as soon as one of them is changed the sync is broken. Hoping that answered your question... If not, shoot a reply

[nmsuman]

Johnson,

Appreciate this thread. I have been weighing in on doing this for a while, but havent taken the detailed time to find a post of someone doing both. In the new year, I intend to finally order the parts and do both of these. As we pre-ordered the vehicle back in 2011 it got hung up in two paint changes and a lack of parts as originally ordered. I was actually kind of pissed to see the car showed up without 3 of the options requested, RE2 Radio, Back up Camera, and Back-up Sensors.

Worst part is since I have had it the local "Fiat" dealership has been unable to order repair the "pausing" of the radio that occassionally causes it to lock-up and not play at all. We'll see if they finally received the update CD to repair it this week.

[dhh3]

Your's look like mine did at the dealer when they installed my camera. As far as the auto climate control, where the fan circle is at the bottom of the screen, when you push the Auto button, the fan logo grays out and there is a capital "A" in the center. You would also need the 3 heat sensors: LF, LR, and Rear.

You have a lot more courage than I do. Very good job. The camera is very accurate, and I am very glad that I was able to talk my dealer into it as part of my deal. They paid for the camera; I paid for the labor. The book says 2 hours to install, so all I paid for was 2 hours labor. They had my car 3 days + weekend, and they paid for a rental for me! I have no idea where they got 2 hours! LOL

I looked at the space also for the sub. I'm not taking that rear panel off! I found and amplified Kicker sub that will slide under my powered driver's seat!

Edited November 21, 2014 by dhh3

[Johnson]

Johnson,

Appreciate this thread. I have been weighing in on doing this for a while, but havent taken the detailed time to find a post of someone doing both. In the new year, I intend to finally order the parts and do both of these. As we pre-ordered the vehicle back in 2011 it got hung up in two paint changes and a lack of parts as originally ordered. I was actually kind of pissed to see the car showed up without 3 of the options requested, RE2 Radio, Back up Camera, and Back-up Sensors.

Worst part is since I have had it the local "Fiat" dealership has been unable to order repair the "pausing" of the radio that occassionally causes it to lock-up and not play at all. We'll see if they finally received the update CD to repair it this week.

Geez, I'd be pissed too if I ordered a car and it didn't have the options I picked. I definitely enjoyed doing the job myself. It wasn't easy but I feel like I know a lot more about the car now, which will really be beneficial if I want to make any changes in the future. If you buy the Mopar kit you get 12 mos. warranty on the parts. If you decide to do it let me know; I'll be happy to be a resource if needed.

Your look like mine did at the dealer when they installed my camera. As far as the auto climate control, where the fan circle is at the bottom of the screen, when you push the Auto button, the fan logo grays out and there is a capital "A" in the center. You would also need the 3 heat sensors: LF, LR, and Rear.

You have a lot more courage than I do. Very good job. The camera is very accurate, and I am very glad that I was able to talk my dealer into it as part of my deal. They paid for the camera; I paid for the labor. The book says 2 hours to install, so all I paid for was 2 hours labor. They had my car 3 days + weekend, and they paid for a rental for me! I have no idea where they got 2 hours! LOL

I looked at the space also for the sub. I'm not taking that rear panel off! I found and amplified Kicker sub that will slide under my powered driver's seat!

Yeah, I need the heat sensors and have been told I need a new harness as well. I have informally inquired to Dodge about a fix for this but don't know if they'll get back to me on it. I would like to just be able to use the sliders like on the 4.3 because I didn't need sensors for the 4.3 so it seems like they should be able to do the same with the 8.4, just display the sliders to indicate the temperature setting. To be honest, it is a little annoying to not be able to see what the temperature is set at.

Thanks for the props, I love projects so while it was a little intimidating I did enjoy it. And yes, parts were EVERYWHERE! It is a little challenging to take off that rear panel but If you decide to do it I do have a step by step manual on how to remove it. Sounds like you have it dialed already though. Let me know if you need any info on it

[Robramm]

I'm so glad thisthread came up when I did a search.

I am at the moment doing an aftermarket cam install. It took me a day to mount it and fish the wires to the top drivers roofline just inside the liftgate cargo area. Before I go get the vehicle again to finish up, I was hoping for some tips on routing the wires up to the front. I am thinking of bringing them down the rear panel, then under the kick plates / carpet.

My question is, do you remove the floor to get the drivers rear panel off?, and are there hidden clips, screws, etc. This 2012 Journey does not have the 3 rd row seats. I don.t have the vehicle with me now (father's) and I am trying to figure out how much time to alot to bring the wires forward. I dont want to continue up high as I don't want to mess around the airbags.

Thanks,

... Rob

[bramfrank]

If you search you can find the installation manual for the OEM camera kit - it shows which panels and where to route the wiring. It doesn't look to be all THAT bad - at least not if you have a 5 passenger vehicle.

[Robramm]

If you search you can find the installation manual for the OEM camera kit - it shows which panels and where to route the wiring. It doesn't look to be all THAT bad - at least not if you have a 5 passenger vehicle.

thanks so much for telling me the manual existed on this site. After doing a lot of searching I found a link for the detailed installation manual and thought I would post where it was located to save someone else the search time, because it was buried in numerous posts.

Try this link:

http://starparts.chrysler.com/info/default/K6861161.pdf

..thanks again,

Rob

[Johnson]

Hi Rob,glad you found the directions, if you have any questions along the way either post them here and I'll try to get back before too long or PM me. I'll try to answer any questions you have. It's a great addition to the rig!

[bigtsr]

Documentation like this should be grouped in technical section

so as to make ease of retrieving a simple process.

[thom848]

Noob here, thinking about upgrading from crappy 4.3s to undetermined. Biggest issue for me is the bluetooth to stream audio. Can anyone point me towards the directions to pop the dash to free the radio and swap. I have a 2012 SXT. Decently handy, so I'm not afraid just need to know where to start. Thanks

[bigtsr]

There is a video @ coastaletech.com that may help you and you do its

on Youtube.

http://coastaletech.com/LOCKPICKC8.htm

Edited January 8, 2015 by bigtsr

[thom848]

Thanks. It looked pretty easy but that was for the 2009 Journey. Doesn't match my trim package. I need some more guidance. As I think about the controls, I want to make sure I have everything. So now let me add, another question, recommended places to find radios that include the environmental controls.

[Johnson]

You can go on car-part.com for the radios and the lower assembly with climate controls but be forewarned - if you don't already have the setup for the auto climate features you won't gain it without adding sensors, flashing your radio, and changing out your wiring harness. (The wiring harness part was told to me by the dealer, the cost was over $1000 just for the wiring harness bundle). I think I still have pictures of when I was removing my dash, I'll have to check when I get back to the states. I just used an 1 1/2" putty knife and started at the radio and carefully pried up. The silver pieces are just grommeted in, no screws.

[thom848]

I have the screen controlled climate, assuming that's what I need. I don't want to take apart everything only to find out, I'll lose out on some of the nicer features. The pix would be a huge help too. Thanks for the advice

[Lobitz68]

Noob here, thinking about upgrading from crappy 4.3s to undetermined. Biggest issue for me is the bluetooth to stream audio. Can anyone point me towards the directions to pop the dash to free the radio and swap. I have a 2012 SXT. Decently handy, so I'm not afraid just need to know where to start. Thanks

Post #16 (just 3 posts above yours) has a PDF of the Mopar instructions...

Edited January 8, 2015 by Lobitz68

[Mcgusto82]

I have the screen controlled climate, assuming that's what I need. I don't want to take apart everything only to find out, I'll lose out on some of the nicer features. The pix would be a huge help too. Thanks for the advice

No. You need the AUTO button on the center knob for the 8.4 to work properly.

I've been giving this a lot of thought.. I did this a couple years back.

I think what's needed, isn't a wire harness, it's the auto temp sensors, (3 w/ 3 row), and the rear control with AUTO knobs.

Then flash.

I can't imagine dodge manufacturing 2diff harness. 1 for auto temp, one for non auto. Specially with today's tech that can run either just based on software instructions.

Just simply, not install the sensors.