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Chrysler 300M

1380381383385386507

Comments

  • muskateer3muskateer3 Member Posts: 103
    I think they are both wrong.

    The front brakes do more of the work because they have to. The weight distribution of the vehicle while it is stopping (car leans forward - puts even more weight on the front, reduces weight load on the rear) demands that the front brakes do most of the work. This is why the front rotors are almost always larger than the rear.

    If you try to do more stopping with the rear that you should, the rear wheels would have a tendency to lock up, which would create loss of control.

    I am very interested to hear your opinion of wagner pads as time passes.
  • cmyers300mcmyers300m Member Posts: 206
    The wife and I went looking around for a new car for tonight. We've been looking at smaller commuter cars since she drives more than me. I wanted her to look at a Honda Civic Hybrid since I've read good things about it. Well, we actually drove one tonight. Wow, what an amazing little car! Gets 48/50mpg minimum, it has only 93HP, however with the electric on it gets up to 127HP or so. My major concern was acceleration. NOT a problem. In fact it had plenty of get up and go, not what I expected at all. The coolest thing, for those of you that have not driven a hybrid car before, is when you stop a light the engine part goes off! You start with a battery when you accelerate again, COOL! And this means it is also extremely quiet. The batteries are guaranteed for 8 years and NEVER need charged. They are located behind the rear seat and barely take up trunk space.
    Don't get me wrong guys, the M is not getting replaced. It's just this car was so neat. If fact, it's the first hybrid car that is styled like the regular Civic and doesn't look like crap, as in the Toyota Pruis or Honda Insight. Oh and not only will the car save us $1000 a year in gas, you also get a $2000 tax credit from the government on your tax return!
    Okay, sorry, back to 300M talk.........
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    blonda-

    I was thinking of you yesterday. I saw the Sears TV commercial for this big tire deal. The lady is at the counter telling the service guy- I want a free alignment. He says OK. She says, I want free balancing. He says- no problem. It goes on and on something like this and then she says- I also want a Diehard battery! He says- NO problem! It was pretty funny.

    I don't suppose you asked for ANYTHING free? Wipers, windshield washer fluid?? LOL...

    fastdriver
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    Doesnt mean you're always going to get it: kinda reminds me of this joke :

    A married couple is driving down the interstate doing 55 mph. The husband is behind the wheel. His wife looks over at him. "Honey, I know we've been married for 15 years, but, I want a divorce."
    The husband says nothing but slowly increases speed to 60 mph.
    "I don't want you to try to talk me out of it, because I've been having an affair with your best friend, and he's a better lover than you."
    Again the husband stays quiet and just speeds up as his anger increases.
    "I want the house also." Again the husband speeds up, and now is doing 75 mph.
    "I want the kids too." The husband just keeps driving faster and faster, now he's up to 85 mph. "And I want the car, the checking account, and all the credit cards."
    The husband slowly starts to veer toward a bridge overpass piling as the speedometer reaches 90 mph. "You're taking this incredibly calmly," the wife says. "Isn't there anything that you want?"
    "No, I have everything I need."
    "What's that?"
    "The airbag."

    EZ
  • jab02lhsjab02lhs Member Posts: 122
    Ask that salesman the cost of new batteries, Ill bet he doesn't know, I'll go so far as to bet the service manager cannot quote you a price! Better figure in the cost to scrap the car when your through with it. Who is going to buy a car that needs thousand of dollar worth of batteries if they are even available? This is new technology and Honda may change direction and leave its customers holding the bag er battery. Remember the 99M had little nuisance first year bugs. do you think this car is any better window motors are a nuisance dead batteries a pain in the civic. Is that ok Pat?
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    It's good and it's not. One thing to really keep in mind - you are really not getting this car to save money. It's a $15k car that you're getting for about $20-21k. So off the bat you are spending a good chunk more up front. The $1k a year seems a bit much - at 20k mi/year thats about 666 gallons at 30mpg (about the range of a good $15k commuter)) gal at $1.40 ea thats $950/yr. At 50mpg, that's $560 (and that's being optimistic). So it's only about $500/yr. Also, I don't know, but is the tax break a reduction off of income or amount of tax owed - if it's the latter then it's not $2k actual cash.

    Now I'm not saying don't get it. I spent a lot of time last year looking into the prius and was very dissapointed in the amount of car you get for the money. But if you love the car and the amenities - go for it! Just realize you won't really save all that much money, if any. But it is an environmentally sound car and it may be very nice (I haven't seen the civic - the other one they had was too small).
  • sdmike2sdmike2 Member Posts: 2,909
    From Joe (300M01). The link will show up somewhere on this page in the next 30 minutes:


    http://community.webshots.com/user/bigred300m/1

  • glennbpglennbp Member Posts: 327
    sdmike beat me to it, but here's another link to those great pics!

    http://glennbp.bizland.com/glenns300m/id7.html
  • no1trustno1trust Member Posts: 151
    I figure I have nothing to lose by asking; I've gotten plenty of info here. A while back I decided to get the Garmin Streetpilot deluxe portable GPS system in anticipation of my car purchase. I want to get a laptop (not a handheld) to utilize the GPS & have internet access on the road. I want to use the laptop w/my SprintPCS phone. The experts at SprintPCS repeatedly instructed me to buy a laptop, buy their SprintPCS data kit, & call them back so they can talk me into how to hookup. After I bought the laptop & the data kit I called SprintPCS Wireless Web again, at which time and afterward they tell me that it wouldn't work w/Windows XP (which is everything new at the store). Apparently any older Windows version (Me, 2000, etc.) is okay. After a LOT of researching my best options seem to be refurbished Dell or Gateways, which do have Me or 2000 available on some laptops. Does anyone here have experience around the XP problem w/SprintPCS here and a possible solution? Or do you have any other workable suggestions? Thanks for any help.
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    when you can just change the software in the computer to windows me or windows 2000--Im sure you could get a copy of the program from somebody and of course apply to Microsoft and send them a check for the license ;-)
  • no1trustno1trust Member Posts: 151
    Circuit City had a "satisfaction guarantee" & returned all my money.
  • sdmike2sdmike2 Member Posts: 2,909
    try eBay for a slightly used or factory refurbished computer witn win2k on it. Avoid ME. I might have an "extra" copy of Win2k laying around here if you need it.
  • bigmike5bigmike5 Member Posts: 960
    Muskateer3 -- No, there was not a noise problem. e-mail me at michael.brawley@knox.army.mil and I will fill you in.

    Blonda -- When your wheels are off next time, check the shroud on the firewall above and forward of the tire where a rod goes through and let me know if you have any deterioration on the front part of the shroud. I am concerned that the 245 tires are rubbing there on tight turns and damaged the shroud. I'd like someone else running 245's to see if their shroud is chewed up a little too. Let me know please.
  • cmyers300mcmyers300m Member Posts: 206
    You guys had some interesting points on pros and cons. No I didn't ask the salesman about battery replacement. Since I wasn't there to buy it, I didn't ask yet. I disagree about Honda abandoning the idea. In fact, a hybrid Accord will be available in the next year or so. As far as money well spent(Splatt), or extra money spent for a hybrid...the new Civic Hybrid is exactly the same as any other Civic. The hybrid is 2k more than a loaded EX model, but it comes with all the standard EX options plus a few more(like Auto climate control). So no, it's not a 15k car going for 20K because it's a hybrid. And yes, I agree the Pruis and Insight were a rip off when it came to price and their size. As far as fuel usage, my comparison in savings was not with another small car, but rather the 96 Caravan my wife is driving now which probably gets no better than 16mpg. Now going from 16mpg to 50+mpg, that's where my savings is coming from.
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    ok - so it was a $17k car ;) (I checked the 02 prices here...) It's still $4k more. Also, if you were to get a new commuter car of the same size you can easily get 25-30mpg, so that's where you should really compare.

    But it seems you are looking for reasons to get the car - if you like it, get it. It is environmentally sound - and that's a good thing. It is very quiet, and there won't be many of them on the road. If you do get it I want to visit and check it out :D

    As for asking the techs about pricing, you can ask, but don't expect much ;) I asked about the prius when we went in to look (posted this a while back) after talking to the tech he said,"it should last about 3 years and costs about the same as a regular battery." I gave him a look like he was from mars, but he didn't get it.

    btw - Toyota has a 10yr/100k warranty on the battery (found out from an ad!) so check to see what they do offer.
  • fuzzywuzzyfuzzywuzzy Member Posts: 958
    What size? 245-45-17 on stock rims? If so, there is no rubbing at all. I had mine on for 14K miles.
  • cmyers300mcmyers300m Member Posts: 206
    Thanks for the input. That battery question you asked the tech was funny....I'll let you know what we decide to buy.
    But lets be honest here, there is NOTHING more exciting than driving a 300M!!!!! (Well, maybe a supercharged M would be more exciting. lololol)
  • bigmike5bigmike5 Member Posts: 960
    AS you may recall---When I went bigger, I started with 245/45ZR-17 Dayton Daytonas, but later changed to 245/50HR-17 Goodrich Comp TA4's. The change was made because I found out that the Daytonas in that size, [which rode great by the way], were not rated for 7" rims, altho the dealer swore up and down that they would work ok on the 7" rims when I confronted him on this issue. He changed them out when Firestone/Bridgestone/Dayton customer service rep told me "not to do it." I never have heard any rubbing, but the passenger side front shroud is chewed up pretty good, and the driver side just a little bit, and the Goodrich tires have pretty good "teeth/grooves" on the edge of the tire so I thought maybe it was getting the shroud on tight turns in my parking lot area. But, if you've got no damage, and Blonda has none, then I will have to explore further with the dealer next time I have it in.
  • grunschevgrunschev Member Posts: 106
    bigmike5 - I have 55k miles running 255's (on 18x8 rims). No rubbing, no damage to the shroud. But if you're running 245/50's your outside diameter is bigger and that might be the difference here. Not only wider, but taller as well.

    hybrid - While I was waiting for the dealer to rob me on my speed sensor the TV in the lounge had a local auto program. They compared the Civic hybrid to the normal Civic. The price difference they stated was about $2k. They ran both on a dyno to get 0-60 times and the hybrid was not much slower. And I think you should do the math on the fuel savings vs the gas Civic, which means your difference is even smaller. I was figuring about $200/yr in savings. One other question I'd need answered before buying is how it would affect insurance rates (if at all). If I was in the market for an economy car, I'd give this one serious consideration.

    Igor
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    HEY Roger , did you get that email with the info on the tour I sent you?
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    Not sure how they came up with a $2k difference. The tmv on the hybrid (auto) is $21k (manual $20k) whereas the fully loaded ex from 02 is $17k auto ($16 manual). That is more like $4k ;)

    But the insurance question is a good one.
  • cmyers300mcmyers300m Member Posts: 206
    Okay, I was at the dealer last night. The pricing is like this; the Civic EX LOADED is 18,500(not 17k), the Civic Hybrid I tested was 20,500 WITH the CVT. So there is your 2k difference. Check the Honda website and you'll see. Prices may differ a little depending on where you live.
    I've done the math on the fuel savings, true it's not a major savings as far as a regular Civic goes, however I was comparing it to a minivan we have that gets a crappy 16mpg. Now that's a big difference.
    I haven't checked on insurance yet,but in Ohio,insurance is not a big deal as far as prices go.
  • mrl859mrl859 Member Posts: 168
    If you're looking for a good 300 MHZ computer, I have one. E-mail me for more info.
  • mrl859mrl859 Member Posts: 168
    Okay, I checked my wiring last night. According to the posts, the #1 slot on both sides should be the x color with the black stripe (presumably ground), correct?
  • tkneelandtkneeland Member Posts: 1
    My black 300 has black molding between the windows and chrome around the outside of the windws. It looks like crap. Have had it replaced 2 times. Is there an after market part or what has Chrysler said about this?
  • toms99toms99 Member Posts: 252
    I've been converting all of my machines to XP this summer. XP has a special "compatibility mode" for older applications. Just right click on the app's .exe file and you can specify whether you want it to run as if it were under "Windows 98", "Windows 95", "Windows ME", etc. The Sprint app should work under one of these compatibilty modes just fine.
  • on1wheelon1wheel Member Posts: 68
    hi all! been a while since i posted but now i have a problem. my ac blows cold out of the left, left centerand center vents.the right center,and far right blows out hot air.anyone else ever have this happen? i think im gonna tear into the dash and see if its a vent door problem. anyway,i`ll try to get on tonight in the chat if its still happenning there!
    andy
  • guesswho1guesswho1 Member Posts: 209
    don't want to ruffle any feathers but could we please keep the computer talk offline, i understand that it has some very distant relationship to car talk, but take it to some other board PLEASE!!!
  • guesswho1guesswho1 Member Posts: 209
    i've heard several complaints about this problem. what did the dealer say caused it? how did they replace it? is it just a stick on? i think a good auto detailer should have some remedy for this problem as i've seen it on a lot of expeditions and navigators.
  • wire2wire2 Member Posts: 188
    There should be a calibration mode for auto A/C. Check with service at the dealer's. It used to be just holding a combination of 3 buttons and it would open and close all HVAC doors to "learn" positions.
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    ok - but I think you're getting ripped on the standard civic ;-D (checked edmunds tmv).

    On another note (trying not to be negative, just forgot this since it's been over a year since I looked into it) The prius had low-resistance tires and regenerative brakes. Both of which would have higher than normal maintenence costs. Ask about it on the civic.

    But it really sounds like you like the car a lot - go for it :)
  • luch1luch1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi. I'm new to this board. I have a 99 300M with 41k. It truly is a great car but I am experiencing a cruise control problem that my 5* cannot fix. The service manager is calling in the regional service rep to help diagnose the problem and I have searched the various boards but could not find any help. I'm hoping someone here might have a clue. The cruise has an intermittent problem where it turns on but does not always set. Sometimes when it does set it later turns itself off. Sometimes it doesn't set but just turns itself off. The dealer was able to duplicate the problem and thought they had a fix by first replacing the speed control servo then the main computer module. Neither fixed the problem. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • kosh_2258kosh_2258 Member Posts: 338
    That's right, slot 1 => wire with black tracer
  • kosh_2258kosh_2258 Member Posts: 338
    I'd go for the simple solution and guess the switch on the steering wheel is bad. Probably some sort of internal short. Changing out the servo, or the computer wouldn't have been my first choices.
  • denvermdenverm Member Posts: 358
    Sorry I can't help with your cruise control problem, and I don't mean to make light of it either, but I generally don't have much use for the cruise control. Since it's designed not to set to any speed higher than 85, I usually don't bother. If it's clear enough sailing to use cruise control, I'm probably going faster than that.

    I don't recall seeing anyone else post about this problem in the last two years. Good luck with finding a fix!
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    one thing to check is that you are not in autostik mode when using cruise control--often you cannot set the cruise if in autostik---be sure you're in autotranny mode when using cruise-
  • blondablonda Member Posts: 542
    I've seen that Sears commercial too. I haven't had a chance to ask for anything for free yet as I they still don't have the tires. Michelin promised them they'd be delivered by Friday. I do intend to try for something free. Especially the mounting balancing as the woman gets that for free in the commercial correct? When I ordered the tires they told me $16 per tire ...hmmm something's wrong there.
  • blondablonda Member Posts: 542
    Are you talking about the rubber stuff where the arm goes in and out? Both sides are just very slightly torn where the elbow touches (not really chewed up at all). The elbow has a bolt on it and I assume it's just normal wear and tear from that. But I do have 245/45's not the 50s. I'll keep an eye on them to see if they get any worse after the 50's are installed.
  • no1trustno1trust Member Posts: 151
    Too bad I checked in so late tonight; I was out window shopping for computer software I was planning to get, as well as look at the laptop I returned. Now I have to wait till tomorrow to try it out. SDMike, you're the 2nd person to warn me about Windows ME, so regardless how this turns out I'm at least avoiding it (I heard 2000 was good).
  • no1trustno1trust Member Posts: 151
    I appreciate the offer, but I prefer to see/buy closer to home w/a dealer I can rant & rave to if I have a problem. Hopefully by this time Friday I'll be trying to find the best place to put the Garmin in a 300M w/o butchering the dash.
  • bigmike5bigmike5 Member Posts: 960
    Luch1-- I had a similar problem with my 93 Regal GS. Exact same symtoms. After changing out an Electronic Control Module twice [under warranty, thank God] with no correction of the problem, the dealer's electronics guy finally did the volt/mulitmeter thing, and low and behold there is a little switch associated with the brake pedal, so when you hit the brake the cruise goes off, and that $12 part was kaput. I expect that there is a similar switch on the M, so see if they can check for that.

    Blonda--Yes, I think we are talking about the same area, where the rod goes thru the firewall. The extra width and slightly higher sidewall height on the 245/50's may be the culprit. I think I will chalk up the inside of the tire sidewall and do some tight turns to see if there is any transfer of chalk to the shroud area. I can live with the problem [don't know how the shrouds are held in place] if water, dirt, etc. does not get to someplace it shouldn't thru that shroud.
  • russklassrussklass Member Posts: 389
    Today is the release date for the block of rooms we have reserved for Aug.18 at the Holiday Inn Select in Brampton, Ontario.
    Don't miss out on the tour of the 300M assembly plant!
    Rate is US $70.00, phone #905-792-9900.
  • sdmike2sdmike2 Member Posts: 2,909
    lighten up. His computer issue is related to something he's trying to do to his car.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    blonda-

    Yep, the lady in the commercial gets everything for free! ;-)) MAYBE, they have to give her all that to sell the Goodyears? ;-))

    fastdriver
  • muskateer3muskateer3 Member Posts: 103
    There's not enough stuff they could give me to make me put GY's back on.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    muskateer3-

    How about a 300M "Special"?? ;-))

    fastdriver
  • muskateer3muskateer3 Member Posts: 103
    OK... so I was wrong!

    How long would I have to keep the GY's on my free special before I swap them out?? ;-}
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    muskateer3-

    Just until they started to pull LEFT!! That could be from day one! ;-))

    fastdriver
  • hickoxkhickoxk Member Posts: 4
    I have a 1999 300M with sport suspension and a little over 16K miles. I suddenly have gotten a lot of "play" in the steering wheel -- about an inch to each side. This has posed problems on windy interstated driving (like the PA Turnpike) because any sharpness in the turn tends to lead to overcorrecting when I'm used to "instant" response. Any others experiencing this problem. Is it possibly something simple, like an alignment?
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