Chrysler LHS

njerald · April 2003

3 years old and 39,000 miles. First service today (except for tires) by me. Replaced input and output trans. sensors as failure insurance because of a 2,000 trip coming up. 15 minutes with a 1" deep socket, 25 minutes total with getting tools and running it up on my ramps.

Noticed my door seals starting to shrink (not badly) in the corners of all 4 doors. Not covered by my extended warranty, it seems.

Still 28+ highway mpg at 75-80 mph. 20-21 mpg in town. Not as good as my old Olds 88 but it drives much better now after the Badyears were replaced with YK420's.

I'll keep it another 2-4 years, I guess.

bb_lhs_2k · April 2003

Mine is 3 years old with 44000 miles. I, also noticed the door seals have shrunk quite a bit, I'd say about 1 inch from the corners. Hopefully they'll stop shrinking before they get in the way of the doors.

Another thing that got destroyed this winter (from all the salt) were the wheel center caps, they fell apart. I had to replace all 4 of them ($17.50 each from the dealer).

acco20 · April 2003

Thank you for your replies....Between the credit card trick, clean the window tops, and cracking the windows every week or so, I should be back on track. Thank you, I knew I could count on this board for help.

bb_lhs_2k · April 2003

Anybody know if there's a way to take off the Headrests of a 2000 LHS. Thanks.

lonestarsled · April 2003

position headrest one notch above fully seated.

On the right hand side head restraint sleeve/guide there is a small hole. You will need to insert a stiff wire into this hole to release a latch mechanism.

At the same time press the button on the head restraint sleeve/guide on the left hand side and pull upward to remove the head restraint.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

bb_lhs_2k · April 2003

Unbelievable, you know this car inside out! I don't know how many times you've helped me, thanks.
I already was able to take the headrest out, so easy when you know what to do! I want to install a bracket on the guides for the DVD Monitor, I don't like the idea of cutting the headrest and installing the screen in there permenantly.

It's amazing how helpful the dvd player is on long trips with a 1 year old in the backseat

Thanks again.

daffin · April 2003

My 99 LHS (68,000 mi) would not shift out of first this morning on my way to work, and the spedometer registered 0. I tried to get it to the dealership, but then the Check Engine light came on, then the Oil light--then the engine died! I was fortunate to be right by a service station, which allowed me to get the car out of traffic. I assumed that the car was undriveable and promptly called Chrysler roadside assistance. The car is currently in the shop. The dealership tells me the problem was due to a bad speed sensor, which is fortunately covered under my extended warranty*. I should have my car back on the road sometime this afternoon.

At the time this occurred, I wasn't aware of the problems the LH platform cars have apparently been having with the speed sensor. I likely would have been much calmer about it had I not been neglecting these message boards

*I highly recommend that anyone who purchases or owns an LH-platfrom vehicle (LHS, Concorde, 300M, or Intrepid) should strongly consider picking up an extended warranty. I am not criticizing the build quality of the vehicle--the issue has more to do with the way the platform is designed. Every possible smidgen of available space in the engine compartment has been sacrificed for more interior and trunk space. Thus, any service work that is needed down the road will involve more hours of labor than you might otherwise be accustomed to. As of today, my extended warranty has paid for itself!

I am looking forward to the LX cars, now. I plan on purchasing the RWD V8 300 (or its Dodge counterpart) just as soon as it can be had at near-invoice price.

valhs · April 2003

Extended warranty - Amen.

I am currently car shopping, finally getting rid of the LHS. Looking at:

Ininiti Q45, BMW 540, Lexus GS430 and Mercedes Benz E class. I'm ready for a car that lasts and holds its value.

mileshoover · May 2003

DC just issued a recall to inspect/replace the bolts which hold the reclining seatback to the seat assembly. Apparently, they can break under certain stress conditions, causing one to lose control which driving.

This recall is separate from the earlier issued seat bolt (which held the seats to the floor) replacement recall; that one didn't apply to my car but did to some other LH bodied cars.

I had my early build (4/98) '99 LHS into the 5* yesterday; the bolts, in my case, didn't need to be replaced.

The bolts in question, are sturdy, about 1/4" diameter, with recessed hex heads. There are two per seatback.

This recall is a free one. Bolts can be seen easily if you tilt each seat upward at the rear. The bolts are at the bottom of each seatback, just under the rear of each seat fascia. The upholstery is not involved and shouldn't be touched.

tksatksa · May 2003

I got the recall notice for my 2001 LHS and I'll be making an appointment soon. When I do I also want them to check for a loose seat mounting: it seems to me that occasionally I can feel a little movement when I first accelerate. I recall that this problem has been discussed here and that there may even have been a TSB on the problem. Does anyone recall the TSB number?

Thanks for your time.

mileshoover · May 2003

The tech bulletin # is 23-019-01 issued Aug 01 titled "Power Seat - Moves Fore and Aft Slightly When Driving". NOTE that this is a Service Bulletin rather than a RECALL as is the seatback bolt thing.

That tech bul # should be enough for your service rep to look it up.

Web site is:

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/12/011226EO.html

But no other data is available there unless you subscribe which is rather expensive for non-technicians/dealers.

(base web site is:

http://www.alldata.com/recalls/index.html

And you're most welcome. :^))

pat · May 2003

The Town Hall is fortunate to have a mechanic named 0patience as a member. He has always been very willing to look up, post and advise about any TSB's. Check out Technical Service Bulletins over on the Maintenance & Repair board - he'll look up and post whatever you need.

daffin · June 2003

Has anyone added Sirius satellite radio service to their LHS? I have a strong interest in it, but I don't really know how best to proceed.

mileshoover · June 2003

"...added Sirius satellite radio to their LHS?..."

The ones I have seen will fit into the small bin just under the radio. That's where I'd put it. Mine is a '99 and the bin is an empty open box. If you have part of a tape deck in there, then decide which you want more. In my case, I have a 10 disk magazine Sony in the trunk remotely operated by IR via the Infinity.

Another thought -- could the radio be put in the trunk and operated remotely? Hookup would be the same as my tape deck with an RF amplifier in back of the Infinity and playing through the amplifier using the LHS's speakers. In that case, I'd check out Crutchfield (1-800-555-8151). Pp14-15 of their current Summer catalog gives a lot of options, including installation kits. Pp 16-17 shows antennae for those radios. If you don't have that catalog, give me a yell e-mail (see my spec above) and I'll e-mail or fax you those pages.

The front fascia over the Infinity just pulls off the whole pod unit. It'd be easy then to fish a power wire back to your present Infinity and "Y" it in. The antenna, if any, should be able to be done the same way after mounting the antenna unit just above the rear window and fish the wire down the side and under the mat to the same place.

pat · August 2003

I'm reopening this discussion which closed itself after 45 days of inactivity ....

fastdriver · August 2003

pat HOST-

WHY? It's dead like so many others! The interest in DC has disappeared, at least in TH.

fastdriver

mileshoover · August 2003

My view --

Have to agree with fastdriver to a degree. Apparently, a very minimal amount of persons have any further interest in the LHS, now a dodo.

I still have mine with 53K on it, still holding up after many initial problems (a 4/98 build). Must say that I received much info about this car from contributors. DaimlerChrysler appears to be heading the same way, to become another dodo. The stuff they are producing now leaves much to be desired, even the Benz's. Dunno what my next car will be -- maybe none -- since I'm now 74. :^))

But I won't buy Japanese.

Thanks for the attempt, though, Pat. Doubt if you'll see any other input in substance.

pat · August 2003

I reopened it by request. If no one posts, it will inactivate itself again.

wilburbud · August 2003

I noticed this discussion is dying down, but I'm thinking about buying a 97 LHS with 60k miles on it. I test drove it and I think it's a beautiful car. I was wondering if there's anything I should know before buying this car that any of you have experienced or typical problems with this car. Please let me know.

Thanks!

mileshoover · August 2003

The '97 model was the last year that the original LHS body was built. Then they skipped a year and issued a '99 with the current6 body in the Spring of '98. That first iteration of the LH body was very spacious and actually was built off the Concorde/Eagle body as is currently done but it was extended about 4 inches in the rear leg room area and included a lot of standard goodies.

Problems toward the end of that model run were minimal. They did have some tranny problems, but if that car is 60K, those should have been discovered and fixed. However, if they weren't, you want to be very careful. Have the dealer (or you do it) give you the history of that car. Look for whether or not the tranny was fixed around 40 to 50K mileage. If it was not, get some kind of warranty to cover that transmission, at least.

Otherwise, it's a good car, and very unique. Be aware though, if the rear center brake light is not fully lighted or if you have problems w/it, repair/replacement is about $250 (least it was when mine was replaced just after the expiration of the 36K warranty). Chrysler helped out because I bitched like hell.

Mine was Inferno Red w/a dove gray leather interior, what color is the one you are looking at?

wilburbud · August 2003

Thanks for all the info! Unfortunately, the current dealer bought it at auction from a new car dealership that doesn't deal in used cars. There's not even an owner's manual left in it. I checked it out on CarFax, and it looks to have been treated fairly well. The only little blurp is that it began life as a leased vehicle, but that shouldn't be that big of a deal, should it?

My old car (totalled in a crash last week) was a '93 Eagle Vision TSI. So this car, while being definitely more spacious, feels very familiar and comfortable. It's white with grey leather inside. I can't believe how amazingly cushy the seats are! It's like they took seats out of a Cadillac and plunked them into this car.

This dealer is a very small time guy. I didn't ask if he gives warranties or not, but I would be surprised if he does. Is there any other way to check repair records and see if it had any tranny problems?

tksatksa · August 2003

Pat: Thanks for re-opening the group. I regularly check here for talk about the LHS. I've had very few problems with my '01 but this group has been very informative nonetheless. Even Fastdriver has been helpful.

Why lurk around and complain about the group being sustained?

mileshoover · August 2003

fastdriver is correct; the source for maintenance records is the local 5* Chrysler dealer. The CarFax info should indicate major problems and is pretty reliable IF the info was put into your State's DMV or Chrysler records bank.

He can also order/give you another manual or one similar enough to get you by. Any manual from '93 through '98 will contain the correct info. Ensure that it covers the 3.5 litre engine; all LHS's had that engine in the US. Also, try a local junkyard for a suitable manual.

I wouldn't let its prior life as a leased car scare me away by itself.

Not said in my last was the fact that my red one was a '94; currently on a '99 with 53K on it and hoping that there are no tranny problems in my future. DC quit making the LHS by name in '02 but it still exists as a Concorde Limited.

The two transmission sensors, each about $20., regularly go out in the 40-50K mileage range. I keep one of each in the car since my earlier LHS did have them go out. The indicator of this is that the tranny goes into limp mode, or you cannot get beyond second gear. But you can drive it to a dealer for the sensor repairs. They are simple to replace but require crawling under the car. Any decent auto mech can do this and should be explored first before letting anyone tell you that more extensive work needs to be done. Replacing the entire tranny can cost as much as $3000 though a rebuilt/used one would be less.

If you want more info on this, yell and I'll dig out the sensor stock numbers and give you an e-mail source where you can buy them for the $20 each; Some dealers want as much as $70 each.

In any case, all things else considered and since you had an Eagle, you will enjoy the '97 LHS. It is a perfectly fine auto. BTW, the Eagle became the 300M in 1998 as a '99 auto.

Miles

wilburbud · August 2003

I appreciate all your help and insight. I took your advice and checked the warranty info with the local dealer. Unfortunately, even though the dealer with the car knew I was interested, he sold the car sometime after I spoke with him yesterday. As I was preparing to leave to go get the car earlier today, I called to make sure he was there only to find out the car was gone. sigh... Back to the paper tomorrow...

mileshoover · August 2003

You're most welcome. Guess you just weren't meant to have that one. There will be more, I'm sure. Keep lookin'.

fastdriver · August 2003

wilburbud-

Something else will show up for you. If it's a DC product, e-mail me for further info.

fastdriver

nadavi · September 2003

is it possible to upgrade LHS 1994 premium radio to one with CD. can I use any aftermarket radio with CD or I might get into troubles with the amplifier?

walt15143 · September 2003

Can anyone out there recommend a reliable and not overpriced service and repair facility in the Pittsburgh, PA area for my '99 LHS? Thanks in advance for your help.

tksatksa · September 2003

jmqidoc: Look at #1090 of this discussion group. Go to the Technical Service Bulletin discussed in #1090 and look for the description of your problem. There will be an associated TSB number. Tell the Service Manager about the TSB #. That should help him get to root of the problem quickly.

pat · September 2003

Don't miss the "go to msg #" feature on the page bar at the top and bottom of the message list...

tc1973 · October 2003

Newcomer to the boards! Wondering if anyone has had this problem: My '99 LHS (56,000 mi)is extremely hard to turn wheel only to the left when driving under 15mph. Fluid is good with no leaks. Will turn to the right just fine. Jacked the vehicle up on jack stands to look for problems under vehicle while having someone turn wheel side to side. Turns just fine both directions while wheels are off the ground! Everything looks ok. When this problem first started, I also noticed a couple of taps? or dull clunks when turning wheel both ways. Purchased the car at 50,000 mi and noticed that when turning the steering wheel from left to right or vice-versa, there is about a 2 inch gap in turning before you could feel the steering actually start to turn the wheels. I just dealt with it thinking it wasn't a big problem. Fortunately, I did purchase the extra warranty and will be having these problems looked at Monday. Will be checking the boards regularly for any help on this matter. Thanks to anyone in advance.

mileshoover · October 2003

There have been quite a few reports of damaged tie-rods and bad rack and pinion difficulites on these LH models, all occurring around 50K miles. Your dealer should be able to fix easily and should have the parts in stock.

Suggest you browse back into the archived msgs for other items to check and watch for in the near future. Since the Intrepid, Concorde, LHS, and 300M are essentially the same, it would be a good idea to check through those forums also.

pat · October 2003

The keyword search on the left side of the page will search all the Town Hall discussions, active and archived, and will return links to messages that contain the keyword(s) specified.

tc1973 · October 2003

Miles and Pat,
Thank you both for the info. Going to the dealer Monday. Will reply back with the solution. Only one other issue that is driving me insane is the small dash board speaker near the windshield which is blown. Can't stand the rattling, so I have to adjust the sound to the rear speakers. BTW, I believe I have the upgraded Infinity system with 9 speakers. The problem is I cant seem to figure out how to get to that speaker! I have pulled the center console out, as well as the glove box and the drivers side under the steering column. I just cant get to it to pull the leads off the speaker. I am guessing that the entire dash will have to be pulled out and I am hoping I dont have to go that route. Any ideas on this?

Thanks again in advance...

Tim

tc1973 · October 2003

In response to Slick's post #588:

I glanced over some old posts and this one caught my eye. I have a Honda Accord (in addition to my '99 LHS) that had gas in the oil. Turned out to be the ECU (electronic control unit, $80 used from junk yard) My Honda was puttering and billowing smoke out the exhaust that reeked of gas. Once I replaced the ECU, plugs, and the oil, it ran like a champ. (195,000 miles) May not be your specific problem, but I have heard (and saw for myself after opening the old ECU to look) that the solder contacts for the injectors turn to reddish brown color that reflect burning of the contacts. My ECU was causing my injectors to stay wide open. (Went thru 3/4 of a tank in just 18 miles!!) Hope this helps..

mileshoover · October 2003

The '99 LHS upgraded Infinity had 11 speakers (3 on top of dash, 1 each on door mirror post, 1 each in each door, and 2 on the rear package shelf). If one bought the non-upgraded version, the 2 small tweeters on the door mirror posts were omitted. In addition, the amp power was lowered from 350a to about 200a or so.

Busted speaker cones are not unusual; mine was delivered with a bad one in the driver's door.

To get to your bad left dash top speaker, yes, the dash must be removed. Not an easy job and you stand the chance of many rattles if you try it yourself. But get a tech manual for that year and it tells you how to go about it. Perhaps your extra warranty will cover it? Worth checking.

Good luck,

Miles

tc1973 · October 2003

Hello Miles,

I did some research and the warranty does not cover the speaker. I have the 9 speaker setup with the mirror post speakers and the Infinity amp in the trunk. There is only 1 speaker in the dash. I have the Haynes manual for the car. (should have bought a Chilton) The Haynes does not even mention the dash speaker, only the door speakers. I cant see spending a bunch of money to have one of these stereo shops remove the dash just for 1 speaker. What's your opinion about the factory head unit? I put a Pioneer head unit and speakers (no amp) in my Honda and the sound is very powerful with it only a little over half volume! The LHS with the Infinity setup can be turned to full volume and it's nothing to me. I like the factory head unit only because the memory settings it has for 2 different drivers and the feature buttons it has. I am wondering if the head unit is not powerful enough or can I just upgrade to a bigger amp and maybe better speakers. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks again...

mileshoover · October 2003

Sorry, but you are enquiring about car stereo's from the wrong guy. I usually put in the best offered by the factory but have never installed anything after-market except that I always move my Sony CD magazine player from car to car and play it via infra-red through the existing car stereo.

My Infinity setup with the 11 speakers and 350a or so is quite adequate for me as it will drive me out of the car at full blast. :^))

Only problem with leaving that bad speaker active as I can see it, would be the irritant of having its buzzing output messing up the sound level in the car, whatever amp you install. If you could get access to that area to cut the wires, that would be a solution. But such access, IMO appears to require removal, at least, of the dash top. Maybe you could stick something in the speaker slots to totally wipe out the speaker cone, thus perhaps cutting any output whatsoever.

Personally, I have never messed with the speakers on any car other than to replace bad ones.

Sorry that I can't offer you any more assistance in that line.

Miles

tc1973 · October 2003

Hello Miles,

That part about removing the defroster grilles led me in the right direction. The grilles themselves are not removable but I was able to pry up on the black part of the dash just enough to rip up and cut out the cone completely! Now my sound is much improved due to being able to adjust the balance. Still not powerful enough for me but it will keep me happy until I decide how to go about upgrading. BTW, how can I find out what size amp I have. I pulled out the amp awhile back but I don't recall ever seeing the the wattage. Sometimes all it takes is someone else to give you a different view on how to approach a situation. Thanks again!....P.S. I saw somewhere about the live discussion board chat on Wednesdays...Do you know what time the chat is?...

Tim

pat · October 2003

The Town Hall has a live chat every third Wednesday of each month - http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html - is that what you are asking about?

You'll find a list of all chats scheduled under "Chat Events" which is appears on the Town Hall welcome page - http://townhall.edmunds.com/TH/townhall. Scroll down just a bit and look over to the right side of the page.

:-)

mileshoover · October 2003

Glad you were able to solve the speaker problem.

Regarding the amp wattage, there should be a label on it giving its wattage. Other places to look would be the Owner's Manual, or last resort, the Parts Department of a Chrysler/Dodge dealer should be able to look it up for you from their parts manuals. You'll have to find a cooperative guy, though. Some won't give you the time of day.

I see that Pat gave you the info about the live chat times.

ottowrkr · October 2003

mileshoover . the 99 LHS does not have 3 speakers on the dash . The only speaker on the dash is the center channel one , right next to the sun/alarm sensor light. You do not have to remove the dash to replace that 1 bad speaker . The top cover comes off , you just have to pry it up and off and you will see the speaker

mileshoover · October 2003

OK, Otto, I stand corrected. :^))

tc1973 · October 2003

Now why couldn't the manual have mentioned that the black cover is removable byprying it up?!!!

mileshoover · October 2003

I "think" ottowrkr meant to pry up the entire dash top. Now that I think about it, I believe that was mentioned at one time or another as a way to get inside it.

ottowrkr · October 2003

the part that comes off is the part closest to the front window. The dash is split into two sections . You have the I.P top cover ( part that comes off) and the dash pad

tc1973 · October 2003

Regarding the I.P. cover, is it held in place by clips?

About my hard steering...It is fixed now. The dealer replaced the "steering rack" and it seems to have fixed the 3 problems I was having. Except...now my drivers side door was dented on the very bottom lip. Kind of hard to notice unless you really get to looking, but once you know it's there, it stands out. Some of the paint is chipped off and there is a slight indention. I took it back immediately and was told to bring it back Tuesday and they would fix it. I asked about the dent being repainted and they said it would probably have to be. Not sure if I should just blow it off or let them fix it. I am worried that if they repaint the door, is the paint job going stand out as far as matching the rest of the car's paint? The paint is somewhat of a goldish brown with glitter in it. Do I need to notify the warranty company or my insurance company to make sure I am not screwed in this deal? Or am I being to picky and I should just let it go? My beef is that it had no dents when I purchased the car and will this dent cause my resale to go down tremendously? I've never been in this situation so I'm kind of just wanting some of your opinions. Maybe someone has been through this before.

mileshoover · October 2003

I would definitely have them fix the dent; after all, it appears from what you have stated that it happened on their watch.

So, it shouldn't cost anything... And if they are a decent dealer, they can match that paint quite well, even perfectly.

Proper preparation also should ensure no later peeling, etc. But check it out thoroughly in sunlight, sighting along the door for both repair quality and paint match. Feel around the painted area with your bare hand for overspray that they may have failed to mask or remove. And have them fix that, if there is any.

I would call both the insurance and warranty co. just to CYA.

Regarding resale value, around here in No. VA, that same car is now only worth about 9K, anyway you look at it. Chrysler products do not retain much value, unfortunately.

99lhs1 · December 2003

WHAT IS THE TOP SPEED FOR A 99 CHRSYLER LHS? AND DO ANYBODY KNOW HOW I CAN MAKE MY TOP SPEED FASTER AND HOW TO MAKE MORE HP FOR A LOW COST OR CHEAP WAY?

seeburg222 · January 2004

Hello to all, I'm posting this here because the Concorde discussion is no long active. A good friend of mine owns the above Chrysler with 85K miles. It has always been well maintained with oil changes every 3K miles and oil level never going below 1 qt. low. This past week it suddenly siezed up solid! No oil light on beforehand and no strange sounds. It just suddenly stopped. Thier mechanic told them that this is somewhat common for the 2.7L. Anyone know what actually fails on these engines? I own a 2000 300M with the 3.5, was this problem corrected in that engine? Thanks in advance.
-Frank

Chrysler LHS

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