Hi all,


So here's the situation: last week, on sunday, my wife calls me saying Journey SE+ 2009 wont start... Radio, windows, lock-unlock door works fine so the battery is fine, but when she tries to crank, nothing happens... I got there ant tried with my own key but didn't start either...I thought it could be the starter but not much as I had it replaced last year...
It never started, I had it towed to our garagist...


He calls me next morning and says he started it at first try... And it started straight out the 15 times he retried during the day... He scanned it, and found a "key program code" so he told me maybe there's a bug and the keys should be reprogrammed, still I wonder how 2 keys could bug at the same time...


So we decide we'll see that later and go back home. We used the car daily the whole last week, starting like a charm each time, we had short and long rides and probably cranked it like 50 times without a problem.


Yesterday, on a sunday again, it started the first 2 rides, then it failed again... I put it in Neutral and let the car roll down 1 or 2 feet in the driveway, then put it back to Park, pull-out the key, try again and it started...! I go to the shop, then I'm able to start it again to go back home. 2 hours later, I needed to move the car so I try again and nope, doesn't start, and this time putting it to Neutral and letting it roll down didn't help...


This monday morning, wifey calls me to say journey started perfectly at first try...


So should I really pay to reprogram the keys ? I think it just would have never started if the keys needed to be reprogrammed ? What else could it be ? Could it be related to that L25 recall (key fob) that has never been done as they re still waiting for the parts ?


This situation is REALLY annoying... That feeling of "Will it start ?" is a huge pain in the a$$ !!!!

 

There have been posts in the past with similar symptoms
and one of the solution was the start neutral switch assy
being worn or just dirty.
Another cause reported was the brake switch which again is
part of the start enabling circuit.

 

montoya13,

I'm sorry to hear about your intermittent starting concern. Did your dealer provide you with the key fault codes that were present?

What engine do you have in your Journey?

 

No. RE-programming keys is nonsense. They don't lose programming. They only fail. If it's happening with both keys, I wouldn't suspect keys.
No..that's a detent ring that prevents the key from vibrating or falling to the OFF position.


Possibly a transmission range switch.

 

Thank you all for your replies.


My Journey engine is the 2.4 L / 173HP


I called the Dodge dealer and he also said the keys should not be related to the problem, and that I need to get my car to them so they can scan and test things... Just hope this will not cost me too much again... I've been spending quite some cash on that car since it reached 6 years / 120 000 km...

 

Ok so my Journey spent the past 3 days stuck at the daycare parking lot... It never started again after wifey dropped the baby at the daycare, we tried a couple of times a day with no luck...


We tried putting in neutral and moving it from one parking spot to another, we unplugged the battery hoping for a computer reset, we switched fuses in case the starter fuse was grilled, nope, it just never cranked again...


I'm really hoping for a bad starter... I wanted to hit it with a rod but I have NEVER been able to locate that thing !! If anyone knows or has a picture, I'd appreciate so I can try if this happens again.


So I had it towed to my mechanic yesterday, I tried again to start it after we arrived and "luckily" it still wouldn't crank so I'm waiting for my mechanic to call and hopefully the life warranty starter that was installed last year is the culprit...


I'll post here when I know more... wish me luck !

 

Can you believe that this stupid car started this morning when my mechanic tried it ?!?!


So we're gonna change the starter... and hope, hope and hope some more...


Also he said if the transmission switch was the problem, I could have started it by moving it a couple of times from P to Neutral. I've been able to do it only once, when the car started to fail 2 weeks ago, then never been able to start it again with this trick...

 

Starter changed. So far so good, but it's only been 2 days so...Fingers crossed...


I asked my mechanic to show me where it's located in case it fails again so at least I can try to hit it.

 

i had a very similar problem with my journey a few year ago with the exact same symptoms, eventually after several 200 mile round trips to the dealer it failed compleatly that fault was tracked to the wireless ignition node not getting a signal from the steering lock. here in ther UK ALL journey's have been recalled for the wireless ignition node/steering lock and keys to be replaced under warranty (mine's a 2009 2.4 se with 106k)

 

i had a very similar problem with my journey a few year ago with the exact same symptoms, eventually after several 200 mile round trips to the dealer it failed compleatly that fault was tracked to the wireless ignition node not getting a signal from the steering lock. here in ther UK ALL journey's have been recalled for the wireless ignition node/steering lock and keys to be replaced under warranty in 2015/16 (mine's a 2009 2.4 se with 106k miles)