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I have no complaints about my Valentine One. Still think most users and objective testing would say it's the "state of the art"...
Sunday morning the check engine light flashed on and off for about 3 beats just as I was starting to move. It went off, has not come back on and it runs fine. Should I have it checked? Will the computer remember what happened?
Thanks for the input,
ES
Top speed on the Intrepid - Car and Driver tested a 2000 R/T, topped it out at 139 mph. Obviously the R/T is not speed-limited.
Turns out the seat bolts for the backrest of the driver's seat could break, causing the seat to fully recline while driving.
If that wasn't bad enough though, when I got married, the wife made me give up a collection of about 4 boxes of old Playboys! Now that I REALLY regret...I guess that'd be worth something nowadays! I'm divorced now...too bad I didn't just stash those boxes away somewhere, or store 'em at my grandmother's house >:-(
The state of the art in American automobiles has come a long way....well...except that Ford and GM insist on recycling their V-6's and V-8's based on the 1960's and updated in the 1970's (the 3800 series V6 and 5.0 liter V-8)..oh yeah and the Mustang chassis from the Fairmont...and the Cavalier still based in the 1980's... oh..yeah and the..........(wink).. Couldn't resist..
The 2.0 and 2.4 engines are (very) loosely based on the 2.2/2.5 4-cyl engines from the '80's that were rampant in K-cars. The minivan 3.3/3.8 also date back to around 1990, and I think originally, the 3.5 OHC engine was very loosely based on that same block.
I think Chrysler has come the furthest though, from those dark days of the late 70's and early '80's. I've had a few Mopars from that era, and while I do like them, they left a lot to be desired. Sloppy build quality, huge, uneven panel gaps, premature rusting, squeaking, rattling, horribile emissions controls, etc. They've cleaned a lot of that up nowadays, but when I look at some Ford and GM products, it seems their build quality, fit and finish, etc, is still stuck in the Jurassic era!
One exception though...I checked out an '04 Pontiac Grand Prix yesterday. I gave a friend a ride to the dealer to pick up his car, and figured I'd check out the '04's. While it's not perfect, it looks like it's a big improvement for GM. I'd say that the fit and finish (how well the body panels line up and go together) is better than on my Intrepid, and about on par with what the best of the Japanese are putting out. The interior still had a lot of cheap bits in it, and a few other annoyances, but they've improved some things, like some of the plastics, cloth, front seat comfort, and the dash display.
I don't think it's enough of an improvement to sway me from the Intrepid, as the 'Trep is a roomier, more comfortable car all-round (although the GP's front seats went further back). I also didn't get a chance to drive it, so I can't comment on that.
I wonder though, if GM is finally starting to get a clue. Of course, by the time they do get their act together to match the best cars of today, today's best will be totally re-done, and even better ;-)
I've heard that too, though, that it's common for a car to use oil when it's new. I think some manufacturers say up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is "normal" even once a car is broken in!
As for fit and finish, I am pretty happy with mine, too. I really didn't notice it when I first bought the car, as my previous cars were an '89 Gran Fury, an '85 LeSabre, an '86 Monte Carlo, and a '79 Newport. Compared to those beasts, the Intrepid is a precision instrument! Still, compared to something like a Camry or an Accord, I can tell that some things are off just a little...seems like Chrysler has always had problems aligning their doors just right!
As for the oil though, I use Castrol 10W-30. I dunno if that would make much difference in consumption. It might, since it's a thicker oil and may not burn off as easily.
you are prolly stressing out over nothing. do you have the 2.7 or 3.5l??
i must admit that i had 3 intrepids ('96, '98 and '00) and never had to add any oil between changes at 3-4k miles. if it continues to use oil over say 5k miles or so, have em check the PCV valve and maybe even do a compression check on all the cylinders. btw, i don't think your car sitting on the lot for an extended time would really hurt anything...fwiw.
good luck...
All my body panels seem to line up just right. I have looked at Camrys and Accords in the parking lot, and they don't seem to be any better than this Intrepid. There is a manufacturing defect in the Intrepid where the interior plastic near the driver's left foot doesn't line up with the dash just right. You have to be looking for it to notice.
ES '99
Perhaps Emale might be helpful on this one--I remember several threads where the 2.7l was being discussed and regular maintenance was emphasized. I certainly think you can use the factory specified scheduled maintenance as a starting point. That being said, the number of 2.7 liter equipped Intrepid rentals that are about--and likely used very hard--strike me as testimony to this engine's durability. I live in the NE and use synthetic 10-30 in 3.2 and it performs flawlessly--no cold start problems or other difficulties.
The 2.7 also has the highest hp-to-liter ratio of any of the LH engines, but at the same time, it really doesn't have much torque. It has to really rev to get power out of it, whereas the 3.2 and 3.5 are torquier, and can pull off the line with greater ease.
I'm guessing that since the 2.7 works harder than the 3.2/3.5, that maintenance is more critical? It's also more complicated, being DOHC, versus SOHC for the 3.2/3.5, so there's more to fail, more places for crud and sludge to develop, etc.
I must confess to being a bit of a "no replacement for displacement" kind of guy, but I've been pretty happy with the 2.7's performance. For an engine not much bigger than some 4-cylinders to move a 3500 lb car like it does, I think that's a testimony to how good the engine is!
I always thought those T-birds from that generation were fairly heavy though...around 3700-3800 lb? I think most Intrepids only run around 3500 lb, tops.
They only had one Intrepid on their lot! I wonder if the factory has finished their run of Intrepids, and is now currently switching over for LX production?
This particular model was a purple SE, and stickered for about $22600, which I thought was kinda high. It was almost identical to mine, which in '00 stickered for $20950. I notice that cruise control is now listed as a $235 option (it was standard in 2000). It also had a CD player, which I think added $125, and a remote entry (forget how much that added).
And this is just a minor nit-pick, but I don't like the way they replaced the cloth on the door panels with vinyl. And the new-style wheel covers, I'm not too crazy about, either. I mean, I've seen worse, but I just like the old "twisted star" pattern better.
LX production doesn't begin until around nov/dec of this year. i've noticed that my local dealership really never has very many intrepids on his lot either...:(
Looks like a nice color.
i kinda like the butane blue. i've seen it on recent minivans. reminds me of a steel blue, if you will...
My 2000 ES is Steel Blue and one of the reasons I waited for the 2000 model year. For my tastes, I believe the manufacturers rather "overthink" the color issue. Anyone noticed that with the exception of the standard "gold" and "silver", most of Honda's colors seem extremely dark for 2003? Getting the same impression of some of Chrysler's colors.. Ah well... Sure sign I'm nearing 40..
I put on my new weatherstripping last night, for the rear door. This is the piece that is famous for shrinking up and popping loose in the corners. One thing I never realized is that the piece isn't molded to the shape of the door...it's just one long, straight, flexible piece that you kind of force-fit into place. You just put it in so that both ends are underneath the plastic sill panel.
I discovered though, that an easy, free, fix to this is to just pop the sill loose and re-fit the existing molding back into place. Since it shrunk, it'll leave a gap at the bottom, but the sill will hide most of that. I did that with my driver's door seal.
It's amazing how much quieter the car is, now! Since the seals shrunk up gradually, I guess I didn't really notice how much the noise level had increased. Big difference now though, with the seals fixed!
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Yup Butane blue is a new color for us, also we have started building midnight blue . It is a lighter version of the old Sappihre blue they had in 03, very nice.
Thanks, it is great to have someone with the inside scoop. I am a little sorry to see the old LH go away. We have really enjoyed ours, and continue to do so. Somehow I think this was the last car of the real Chrysler. The new ones may be great, and I will consider when it comes time to buy once again, but there remains a hole in my heart.
Ed
I'll definitely consider a new one when they come out, once my '00 Trep is ready to retire. It's only at around 79,000 miles now, so hopefully that's a long way off!
This is kind of a minor nitpick, but I was just wondering...does anybody know if the rear windows on the LX models will roll all the way down? (that's always been a pet peeve of mine) Anyone? Ottowrkr? Bueller?
What police jurisdictions have used Intrepids? I'm sure the Crown Vic is still getting most of them, mainly because the cops prefer a V-8 and RWD. I'd guess the Crown Vic might also hold up to police abuse a bit better, because it's cruder and there's less high-tech stuff to break!
Have to say I'm consider buying a 2004 Intrepid ES or ordering one--in the fall. I suspect, however, that trade in and resale value would take a devastating hit once they discontine the model. Ah well...decisions! Hey EMALE--check the 2005 300C, Intrepid, LX thread for our new version of "Jeffie"..
if you plan to keep the '04 for a long time...i wouldn't worry too much about resale. anyway, the one thing that could make the LX cars viable in my book would be AWD. and i think that's on the burner. i'll have to mosey on over to that other forum and see what's going on. thanks for the tip...!