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Dodge Intrepid

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  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    how many miles was on it when you posted a pic on Edmunds when you were at the car show in PA.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    that pic was taken. My roommate had put a bunch of pics on that site, but went inactive and they all got erased. I want to say that pic was taken in 2003, but it could have been 2002. If it was '02, it would've been around 66,000 miles. If it was '03, probably around 84,000 or so.

    Oh yeah, just hit 98000 on the way to my realtor's office. I think I'm around 98010 now.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    I bought four Goodrich Traction T/A's for the Civic to replace the Pirelli P400's. They got a good rating from Tirerack.com. If I like them enuf, I will buy them for the Trep.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I just put a set of those on my Intrepid R/T today. The car had 57,149 miles on the original Michelin Pilots, and the Pilots were crappy enough on snow when they had tread - I never had ABS kick on in a car on snow until this one. Two of the tires were worn down to the wear bars, and one had a slow leak that I always had to add air.

    The Traction T/A's were substantially cheaper, and hopefully will offer better snow traction. The t rated ones also have a 70,000 mile warranty.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    are a relatively new tire, having been out only a year or two, and I usually dont take a chance on new products. However, they received glowing reviews from car owners on Tirerack.com, plus Tirerack also conducted tests of the T/A's, Bridgestone 950's as well as two others, and the T/A's came out on top. For size 185 65HR14 I paid $55 per tire at Sears plus 8.99 for balancing, so the price was right. I almost bought the Pirelli's again, but was looking for a tire that supposedly does well in the snow since my girlfriend goes everywhere in ALL types of weather and really takes some unnecessary chances. Maybe she should consider buying a canary yellow Hummer H2 when the Honda dies?!
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    DC released the following statement concerning continued problems with the infamous 2.7L engine.

    "The 2.7 engine - ours or others - is traditionally in a group of engines that requires diligent maintenance and adherence to a regular oil change schedule as they are smaller and work extremely hard.......Consumers should note that any sludge that occurs in engines is the usually the result of not following the appropriate oil change schedule."

    9/28/2004
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    the Center for Auto Safety has written a second letter to DC about the 2.7L engine. DC had agreed to address similar problems in Mercedes autos but leaves Dodge owners stranded.
    www.autosafety.org/article.php
    Its amazing that Trep owners complain about exactly the same thing - timing chain affected by tensioner malfunction leading to dead engine.
    And yet DC denies responsibility.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    If nobody has anything to say they may put the Trep site into archive like the Concorde site????
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    blah-blah-blah-blah ;-)

    Sorry, I couldn't think of anything else to say! Nothing new to report here, except I'm around 98,700 miles and no real problems yet! I got about 8-900 miles on the new rotors, and no issues...at least not yet!

    Oh yeah, the brand of them is "Duralast" Hopefully they live up to that name!
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    Have you thought about replacing the timing chain tensioner and plastic guides. This is what supposedly kills the 2.7L engines. The engine is an interference design, which means that the pistons can contact the valves if the timing chain screws up. I know its expensive and may be alot of work on this particular engine, but it may be worth it if you plan on keeping the car. I am going to replace mine at 75K if the car ever reaches that mileage. I have done it before on other cars, ie the Celica and a Mazda 323, both of which had belts. Normally, you would not have to worry about the chain, but the design of the 2.7L engine is not very good.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    in fact, I think in the owner's manual it says to replace the chain and tensioner and guides at 105,000 miles, the same interval as the belt in the 3.2/3.5 models.

    However, a few years ago, my mechanic said that as long as I keep the oil level up and don't let it get too low, that it should be fine. I might get a second opinion on that, though!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    Happy anniversary to you
    Happy anniversary to you
    Happy anniverary dear INTREPID!!
    Happy anniversary to you!

    It was 5 years ago this day that I brought my Intrepid home. 11/6/1999. Come to think of it, it was even a Saturday!
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    where's the party?!
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Congratulations........ If memory serves the fifth car anniversary is the "carbon fiber trim" anniversary......or is that the "synthetic oil" anniversary.....can't quite remember. My 2000 ES will have her 5th on the 22nd. She's currently getting a thorough "going over".....most of it preventative in nature--transmission flush, filter and fill, oil change, coolant flush and fill. A clunking started in my right front suspension, which I thought was CV joints-apparently it's tie rod ends and stabilizer bushings. Nothing terribly expensive, just had to order a few smaller parts. Just shy of 103,000 miles...
  • rd_volvord_volvo Member Posts: 34
    Her speedometer needles sits at the bottom and
    goes up clockwise to the stopper at about 7:00 oclock when accelerating.

    Anyone see this before or have any input?

    thx

    rd
  • masonmimasonmi Member Posts: 148
    Well i'm trading in my 2004 Intrepid 2.7, ive had several issues that I haven't had my dealership resolve, such as clicking noises in the steering wheel when making turns and suspension noise when going over bumps, since it was a formal rental someone else can have the headache, i'm going for a 2005 Impala.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    Good luck with the Impala. They seem to have better engines than DC vehicles, Chevy was always known for its great engines, with one noteable exception, the mid seventies Vega cars. Keep in touch and let me know how you like the Impala. I test drove one a few years ago, was impressed with the engine but could not stand the looks. As Andre said awhile back, it looks like GM took the nose from a Monte Carlo and spliced it with the rear end of a Celebrity, or something like that?
  • masonmimasonmi Member Posts: 148
    Thanks, The Impala does have a plain look to them however i'd rather have plain then the troubles i've had with my Intrepid.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    exactly what I said, but that sounds like it might be close! Still, there's an old saying that goes "Handsome is as handsome does" or something like that.

    I'm not a very big fan of the Impala, but I do think they're a decent car for the money. One big issue I used to have about them was the interior, which was just too plasticky. But that was comparing it to my 2000 Intrepid, back before they started de-contenting the 'Trep. I think I still like the 'Trep's interior better, but they're a bit more equal now.

    The Impala also felt a bit cramped inside to me, mainly because the high beltline made it feel claustrophobic, and the back seat just felt tight to me, legroom-wise. I fit fine in the driver's seat, though.

    I'm guessing the Impala is better in front-seat headroom as well, because my great-aunt just traded her '01 'Trep for one. She has one of those helmet-hair/beehive hairdo's, kind of a taller version of how Betty White used to wear her hair in "Mama's Family". She said that the 'Trep messed with her 'do!

    Masonmi, which Impala are you getting? The base 3.4 or the LS 3.8? Or maybe the supercharged SS? My Dad has an '03 Regal LS, with the 200 hp 3.8, and it feels like it has plenty of kick.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    What kind of incentives is GM offering on the 05 Impala? Maybe buy one, get one free?!
  • masonmimasonmi Member Posts: 148
    Just the Impala base 3.4 model which has most of the options as the Intrepid did, the 3.8 was a bit out of my price range. I enjoyed the Intrepid for the short time I had it however I must have just had bad luck with mine.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    and keep us posted on the details. I'm curious to hear about how it compares to the Intrepid, and how it holds up. Back when I bought my Intrepid, around the same time a guy in one of my online Mopar clubs bought an Impala. We were going to compare notes, just to see how the cars both held up over time. Unfortunately we lost contact though.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    Just kidding about the 'buy one, get one free'. Chevy makes a pretty good car. Just curious as to how much they offered you on trade-in for the Intrepid. Almost any make vehicle hold their value better that DC cars.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    Motor Trend just named the Chrysler 300 as the car of the year. I wonder how much DC stock M/T owns? Or maybe they could not find a better 'significantly redesigned' vehicle. If DC would improve its quality, maybe, just maybe, I could see it. If I remember correctly, awhile back M/T named the Intrepid R/T as car of the year.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    the Car of the Year was never about reliability or durability. If you check out this link http://motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/cotywinners/ you'll find plenty of cars that ended up being losers in the long run, or cars that are at least easy to make fun of.

    A few examples:
    2002 T-bird
    1991 Chevy Caprice Classic LTZ
    1983 AMC Alliance
    1981 Reliant/Aries
    1980 Citation (the most recalled car in history)
    1978 Omni/Horizon
    1976 Aspen/Volare
    1974 Mustang II
    1971 Chevy Vega
    1960 Chevy Corvair

    Usually the car of the year ends up going to whichever car they deem the most significant at that time. And it's limited to all-new cars, which could very well exclude some much superior cars. For instance, in 1971, the Vega seemed like a good idea at the time! Lightweight, sporty, with an aluminum OHC engine. GM's big cars were redesigned that year, and so were Mopar's intermediates, but there was nothing revolutionary about them at the time. They were just more of the same old thing, just bigger than the outgoing models, heavier, thirstier, and more fuselage-ed in the styling! The Pinto also came out that year, but was pretty dowdy compared to the Vega, which looked a bit like a scaled-down Camaro.

    BTW, the Intrepid never won Car of the year, but the '99 300M did.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    thats a pretty interesting list of cars, and certaintly has it share of complete losers, ie Citation. Im surprised the AMC Pacer or Gremlin did not win honors. And, yes, the Vega was a certain loser, could not even get out of its own way. My sister used to pull into gas stations and tell the attendant to fill the oil and check the gas. Maybe the Trep R/T earned Car and Driver's honors.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Car of the Year is just like any other award they name - what works for a car magazine that drives a new car every week may not be the same as what a private owner is looking for.

    For instance, in 1994 the COTY was the Ford Mustang. Not a bad car, and I'd love to own a 2005 Mustang, but it is not practical enough for everyday life.
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    Got the title for our 2000. I usually do not go so long on a car loan but with 0% why pay any faster? The car is coming up on 50000 miles and has been great so far.
    So far the only dissapointment with the car was the OE Goodyear tires. Got rid of them at about 35000.
    Somehow feel it is a real pity that the replacement for my car is rear wheel drive...I will have to look for a FWD Ford or GM as a replacement. Too bad.
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    Kind of quiet on this post lately. Are you still driving your Trep?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    still driving it. I just got the lien release stuff from Chrysler Financial last nite, so it's officially all mine now! For better or worse. It hasn't given me any fits yet, and even those cheap replacement rotors I put on it seem to be doing fine. For now, at least...
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    Does anyone have any advice about changing the battery on an Intrepid? Wheel off or on? Does not look as easy as my truck!!!

    Gotta love the PAID FOR feeling.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    that I need to start thinking about as well, since my 'Trep is now over 5 years old and still on the original battery. Under normal circumstances I would've changed it by now, but have been procrastinating because of the awkward location. Anybody have any experience doing it?
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    I have not tried it yet but I was told if you remove the air filter box and ductwork it can be done from the top without removing the wheel.
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    Someone suggested if you just turn the wheel all the way to the left, it will allow enough room to access the battery.

     

    I'm still on the original battery as well; a 2000 R/T with about 58,500 miles. Too bad the car won't start - mechanic thinks it is the starter, but I don't think so. The starter turns, but it feels like the engine is not turning over - felt like the timing belt broke or something when I tried to start it last night. Also, the accelerator pedal feels like it is stuck; it is very difficult to push. They must just be a coincidence.

     

    I've already had the evaporator rot out on the a/c, forcing a dashboard removal and replacement - at least Chrysler generously offered assistance on that repair, as the car was barely out of warranty.

     

    I'm glad I've got my old 94 Mercury Grand Marquis. It is kind of sad that an 11 year old car that I bought for road trips and as a backup car is more reliable than my Intrepid or my wife's 2000 Corolla. I put 120 lbs of sand in the trunk, as I'm assuming my old gal will be pressed into service close to fulltime this winter.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    that I had my Intrepid, whenever we got snow, I'd usually put the Trep up and put my Grandma's '85 LeSabre into service. When the snow was light, the Trep would hold the road better than the LeSabre, although the LeSabre was still good enough for me. But once the snow piled up, the LeSabre could push through it better than the 'Trep with its marginal ground clearance.

     

    Plus, it wasn't my driving I was worried about, but the rest of the idiots on the road. I'd rather some buffoon lose control and bounce harmelessly (for me at least) off that LeSabre's bow, than get my Intrepid totaled out, with 50+ payments still on the books!

     

    Since then, the winters really haven't been that bad, with the exception of 2003 blizzard. But that one was bad enough that everything closed down, so there was no sense in going out, anyway!
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    The Intrepid turned out to have a badly gummed up intake system, and fouled plugs. We got our first bad cold snap Sunday, and the intake throttle plate was so gummed up it froze in place, and it was like a sticky, gummy residue. I literally had to push on the accelerator to the point I thought I would snap the cable before it moved.

     

    Car required a intake system cleaning, and new plugs, and runs fine. What is odd is the fuel injectors are fine. Mechanic said it was the air side of the intake system that caused it, not the fuel side.

     

    We're back on the road, and good to go.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    that it wasn't TOO major of a repair, after all. Any idea of what could have caused the intake system to gum up like that?
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    I specifically asked the mechanic if the problem was gasoline related. He stated it was just a product of time and poor air quality. I've changed the air filter regularly, but it seems there was just some unusual quirk on this car's particular air intake system.

     

    I tried to get a radiator flush and fill, but he told me the car has 100,000 mile coolant, and it would be a waste of money to do so.

     

    As an aside, I drove my parent's 2002 Honda CRV EX across town tonight - I actually disliked it. The ride was choppy, and the interior was possibly more noisy than my Intrepid; certainly much more so than the Grand Marquis.

     

    I was very happy to get back into my Intrepid.
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    The only real problem with driving in winter is the ABS and TC make you believe that conditions are better than they actually are. I usually disable the TC to see how much traction I really have. Then adjust my speed accordingly. Funny to watch all the SUVs in the snowbanks....those are the idiots to watch out for. Some people

     never learn.

    Tires made a huge difference on my Intrepid...I have Yokohamas and they are MUCH better than the Goodyears. Cheaper too.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Seems like a number of us got our titles back. My last payment was in November and my 2000 ES is now mine. I'm surprised by the battery stories--my original battery crapped out at about 18-20 months and was replaced under warranty (with the usual pro-rating system). I changed out my GA's for Goodyear's from Sam's at 29,000 and recently went with Goodyear GPS's from Sam's at near 100,000 when the other's gave up the ghost. The GPS's are louder but also have more grip. I'm officially at 104,600 miles and plan on keeping her for winter and trips--we'll see what the market has to offer in 2005 or so.

       Only problem now is a noisy rear door lock and a buzz in the speaker mounted mid dash on my Infinity system. Cheers and Happy Holidays to all.
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Reading the above posts, I guess I should start to worry about the battery replacement. It is in a `99 ES of which I took delivery in March, 1999. That means it is pushing 6 years and the starts associated with 92,000 miles.
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    I always seem to have better luck with the original batteries in my cars. I do not know why. Better quality?? I usually change car batteries every 4-5 years just to be sure. Intrepids pose a special problem...really no good way to inspect/tighten the battery terminals when changing the oil as I do with my other vehicles. Not so sure about the remote location for jump starting either. My(wifes) car only has about 50k miles. Hope to get another five years at least.

    For those with 100k miles...don't forget the timing belts.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    tk...I had my belts changed dutifully at 65K after an inspection revealed cracks and glazing. Better safe than sorry. She continues to run well--had a thorough service done at 100K with transmission, alignment, etc. Perhaps using synthetics really has made a difference..
  • mike372mike372 Member Posts: 354
    with my Intrepid SE. Just passed the 15,000 mile mark. I am now running fully synthetic oil now, hopefully it will make the engine last longer. Probably going to store it in the garage for the winter and drive the Celica around. Plus the Celica is alot easier to keep clean since it is about one half the size of the Trep.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Happy Holidays group.. Had my Intrepid at the dealer yesterday for the passenger side rear door lock/actuator and a mid dash speaker buzz. The buzz couldn't be specifically traced and has stopped. The dealer removed the dash cover, checked the speaker, reapplied the felt padding and closed her back up! The door lock actuator was a bit pricey but I'd have paid to stop the annoying BUZZ when locking and unlocking. That's all--at 104,700 she's still running strong. Season's Greetings to all..
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    that I'm going to hit the 100,000 mile mark on Christmas Day. Last time I checked the car it was around 99,800 miles, a few days ago. I let one of my housemates borrow it, though, so I dunno what it's got on it now. He had been using my pickup, but then one morning it wouldn't start...alternator loosened up, let the belt turn inside out, and just wasn't spinning fast enough to put out enough juice to keep everything charged up.

     

    Anyway, hope everyone has a happy holiday, and may all your Intrepids live long and prosper!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    time to gloat and show off!!

     

    image
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    Nice Pic.

    Next one a 199999?

    That is my goal!
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    releasing my 2000 Intrepid back to its rightful owner, the leasing company...probably by January 15...it has 72K miles on a 75K lease, well maintained, someone should have a decent car when they buy it...I had to repair a $500 dent in the hood cuz someone backed into me in a parking lot and drove off, so I had no idea who did it, but somewhere some SOB will get his karma...a small chip in the windshield, had it repaired in a glass shop, hopefully it will be OK with leasing company...front and rear tires are different brands, but similarly only slightly worn, hope that it passes muster...it has been a good car, would average 28-30 mpg on highway (70-75 mph), one tank I really got 31 mpg...I have replaced it with a Dodge Ram 1500 Hemi Quad Cab (wife wanted a pickup truck), which doesn't QUITE get 28-30 mpg on highway...actually it doesn't QUITE get 20 mpg on the highway...maybe like 19 highway, 12 in the city...weekly fillups for the Trep were $8-10 weekly, now closer to $20-25 weekly...did I step up or step down???...who knows???
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,673
    for something that size, I think 19 on the highway actually IS impressive! I have a 1985 Silverado that my Granddad bought new, and back when it was fairly new it would get maybe 20-22 on the highway. It was a dog, though. 305-4bbl with 165 hp, a 3-speed automatic, and tall gearing...2.56:1, I believe. It's been awhile since I've taken it on a long run, but in short, around-town trips, I'm only getting around 10-12 nowadays!

     

    My trep would normally get around 22 mpg in local driving. I think I did get just a hair over 30 once on a trip. I really had to baby it to do that, though. It was springtime, before it got hot, so no a/c. And I was driving close to the speed limit on those highways. The way I normally drive, highway is more like 27-28. And twice, I've gotten just a touch below 20 mpg on a tank. Both times were in the winter though. Cold weather, short trips, etc.

     

    I've been impressed overall though, since the worst mileage I've ever gotten on a tankful with the 'Trep is actually better than the best that I've gotten with a few of the cars I've had!
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