service DODGE JOURNEY 2009 1.G Service Manual

WARNING!
Because the front wheels steer the vehicle, it is
important that you do not exceed the maximum front
or rear GAWR. A dangerous driving condition can
result if either rating is exceeded. You could lose
control of the vehicle and have an accident.
Overloading
The load carrying components (axle, springs, tires,
wheels, etc.) of your vehicle will provide satisfactory
service as long as you do not exceed the GVWR and the
front and rear GAWR.
The best way to figure out the total weight of your
vehicle is to weigh it when it is fully loaded and ready for
operation. Weigh it on a commercial scale to ensure that
it is not over the GVWR.Figure out the weight on the front and rear of the vehicle
separately. It is important that you distribute the load
evenly over the front and rear axles.
Overloading can cause potential safety hazards and
shorten useful service life. Heavier axles or suspension
components do not necessarily increase the vehicle’s
GVWR.
Loading
To load your vehicle properly, first figure out its empty
weight, axle-by-axle and side-by-side. Store heavier items
down low and be sure you distribute their weight as
evenly as possible. Stow all loose items securely before
driving. If weighing the loaded vehicle shows that you
have exceeded either GAWR, but the total load is within
the specified GVWR, you must redistribute the weight.
Improper weight distribution can have an adverse effect
on the way your vehicle steers and handles and the way
the brakes operate.
376 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
Driving with a hot cooling system could damage
your vehicle. If the temperature gauge reads “H,”
safely pull over and stop the vehicle. Idle the vehicle
with the A/C turned off until the pointer drops back
into the normal range. If the pointer remains on the
“H,” and you hear continuous chimes, turn the en-
gine OFF immediately, and call for service.
WARNING!
A hot engine cooling system is dangerous. You or others
could be badly burned by steam or boiling coolant. You
may want to call a service center if your vehicle over-
heats. If you decide to look under the hood yourself,
refer to Section 7 and follow the warnings under the
Cooling System Pressure Cap paragraph.
Engine Oil Overheating — 2.4L Gas and 2.0L
Diesel Engines Only (If Equipped)
On hot days the engine oil temperature may become too
hot during sustained high-speed driving or if towing a
trailer up long grades. If this happens, a HOTOIL mes-
sage will flash in the odometer and the vehicle speed will
be reduced to 48 mph (77 km/h) maximum until the
engine oil temperature is reduced.
NOTE:Although the maximum vehicle speed is re-
duced to 48 mph (77 km/h), you may of course reduce
vehicle speed further as needed.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 395
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JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
WARNING!
•Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle
close to moving traffic. Pull far enough off the road to
avoid the danger of being hit when operating the jack or
changing the wheel.
• Getting under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The
vehicle could slip off the jack and fall on you. You could
be crushed. Never get any part of your body under a
vehicle that is on a jack. Never start or run the engine
while the vehicle is on a jack. If you need to get under a
raised vehicle, take it to a service center where it can be
raised on a lift.
• The jack is designed to use as a tool for changing tires
only. The jack should not be used to lift the vehicle for
service purposes. The vehicle should be jacked on a firm
level surface only. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
• A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard
stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle. Always
stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the places
provided.
Jack Location
The jack and jack-handle are stowed underneath a cover
in the rear storage bin in the cargo area.
Jack Storage Location
396 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

•Refer to “Compact Spare Tire” and to “Limited-Use
Spare” under “Tires — General Information” in Sec-
tion 5 for additional warnings, cautions, and informa-
tion about the spare tire, its use, and operation.
7. Install the wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of the
nut toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the wheel nuts.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack,
do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until the vehicle
has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in personal injury or death.
8. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw counter-
clockwise with the jack handle. 9. Finish tightening the wheel nuts. Push down on the
wrench while tightening for increased leverage. Alternate
wheel nuts until each nut has been tightened twice.
Correct wheel nut tightness is 95 ft lbs (130 N·m). If in
doubt about the correct tightness, have them checked
with a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or at a
service station.
10. Lower the jack to its fully closed position.WARNING!
A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in
the places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire
repaired or replaced immediately.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 405
6

NOTE:Refer to “Maintenance Procedures” in Section 7
for information on accessing the battery for service or
replacement.
WARNING!
Any procedure other than above could result in:
1. Personal injury caused by electrolyte squirting out
the battery vent;
2. Personal injury or property damage due to battery
explosion;
3. Damage to charging system of booster vehicle or
of immobilized vehicle.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand, or snow, it
can often be moved by a rocking motion. Turn your
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then shift back and forth between RE-
VERSE and 1st gear. Usually the least accelerator pedal
pressure to maintain the rocking motion without spin-
ning the wheels is most effective.
NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Con-
trol, turn the system OFF before attempting to
“rock” the vehicle. Refer to “Partial Off Mode”
under “Electronic Stability Program (ESP)” in
Section 5.
410 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
2.4L Engine Compartment ................418
 2.7L Engine Compartment ................419
 3.5L Engine Compartment ................420
 Onboard Diagnostic System — OBD II ........421
▫ Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message ............421
 Emissions Inspection And Maintenance
Programs ............................422
 Replacement Parts ......................423
 Authorized Dealer Service ................424 
Maintenance Procedures ..................424
▫ Engine Oil ..........................424
▫ Engine Oil Filter ......................428
▫ Drive Belts — Check Condition And Tension . . 428
▫ Spark Plugs .........................429
▫ Engine Air Cleaner Filter ................429
▫ Catalytic Converter ....................429
▫ Maintenance-Free Battery ................431
▫ Air Conditioner Maintenance .............433
7

ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM — OBD II
Your vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated Onboard
Diagnostic system called OBD II. This system monitors
the performance of the emissions, engine, and automatic
transaxle control systems. When these systems are oper-
ating properly, your vehicle will provide excellent per-
formance and fuel economy, as well as engine emissions
well within current government regulations.
If any of these systems require service, the OBD II system
will turn on the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL). It will
also store diagnostic codes and other information to
assist your service technician in making repairs. Al-
though your vehicle will usually be drivable and not
need towing, see your authorized dealer for service as
soon as possible.CAUTION!
•Prolonged driving with the MIL on could cause
further damage to the emissions control system. It
could also affect fuel economy and driveability.
The vehicle must be serviced before any emissions
tests can be performed.
•If the MIL is flashing while the engine is running,
severe catalytic converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is required.
Loose Fuel Filler Cap Message
If the vehicle diagnostic system determines that the fuel
filler cap in loose, improperly installed, or damaged, the
word “gASCAP” will display in the odometer. If this
occurs, tighten the fuel filler cap until a “clicking” sound
is heard and press the TRIP ODOMETER button to turn
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 421
7

off the message. If the problem persists, the message will
appear the next time the vehicle is started.
A loose, improperly installed, or damaged fuel filler cap
may also turn on the MIL.
EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE
PROGRAMS
In some localities, it may be a legal requirement to pass
an inspection of this vehicle’s emissions control system.
Failure to pass could prevent vehicle registration.For states that require an Inspection and Mainte-
nance (I/M), this check verifies the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) is functioning and is not on
when the engine is running, and that the OBD II system
is ready for testing.
Normally, the OBD II system will be ready. The OBD II
system may notbe ready if the vehicle was recently serviced, recently had a dead battery, or a battery replace-
ment. If the OBD II system should be determined not
ready for the I/M test, the vehicle may fail the test.
This vehicle has a simple ignition key-actuated test,
which you can use prior to going to the test station. To
check if this vehicle’s OBD II system is ready, you must
do the following:
1. Insert the ignition key into the ignition switch.
2. Turn the ignition to the ON position, but do not crank
or start the engine.
3. If you crank or start the engine, you will have to start
this test over.
4. As soon as you turn the ignition key to the ON
position, you will see the MIL symbol come on as part of
a normal bulb check.
422 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

5. Approximately 15 seconds later, one of two things will
happen:a. The MIL will flash for about 10 seconds and then
return to being fully illuminated until you turn OFF
the ignition key or start the engine. This means that the
vehicle’s OBD II system is not readyand you should
not proceed to the I/M station.
b. The MIL will not flash at all and will remain fully
illuminated until you turn OFF the ignition key or start
the engine. This means that the vehicle’s OBD II
system is ready,and you can proceed to the I/M
station.
If the OBD II system is not ready,you should see an
authorized dealer or repair facility. If this vehicle was
recently serviced or had a battery failure or replacement,
you may need to do nothing more than drive the vehicle as you normally would in order for the OBD II system to
update. A recheck with the above test routine may then
indicate that the system is now ready.
Regardless of whether the vehicle’s OBD II system is
ready or not ready, if the MIL is illuminated during
normal vehicle operation, you should have the vehicle
serviced before going to the I/M station. The I/M station
can fail the vehicle because the MIL is on with the engine
running.
REPLACEMENT PARTS
Use of genuine Mopar
parts for normal/scheduled
maintenance and repairs is highly recommended to en-
sure the designed performance. Damage or failures
caused by the use of non-Mopar parts for maintenance
and repairs will not be covered by the manufacturer’s
warranty.
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 423
7

AUTHORIZED DEALER SERVICE
Your authorized dealer has the qualified service person-
nel, special tools, and equipment to perform all service
operations in an expert manner. Service manuals are
available which include detailed service information for
your vehicle. Refer to these service manuals before
attempting any procedure yourself.
NOTE:Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you.
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Only do service work for which you
have the knowledge and the proper equipment. If you
have any doubt about your ability to perform a service
job, take your vehicle to a competent mechanic.
MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain the requiredmaintenance
services determined by the engineers who designed your
vehicle.
Besides the maintenance items for which there are fixed
maintenance intervals, there are other items that should
operate satisfactorily without periodic maintenance.
However, if a malfunction of these items does occur, it
could adversely affect the engine or vehicle performance.
These items should be inspected if a malfunction is
observed or suspected.
Engine Oil
Checking Oil Level
To assure proper engine lubrication, the engine oil must
be maintained at the correct level. Check the oil level at
regular intervals, such as every fuel stop.
424 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE