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Dodge Intrepid

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Comments

  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    "but should replace the steering gear box."

    Why are you going to replace the steering gear box? Just wondering as I approach 130K miles. :shades:
  • bobe4bobe4 Member Posts: 12
    There is a few inches play in the steering and I've been told by my mechanic that there is no adjustment and to fix it the steering gear box should be replaced. At this age, 8 years and 152k miles, it is always a question of when to give up and buy another car. But, I really like this one.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    Has your mechanic given you an estimate on the cost to replace the steering box? Last time I had one of those done, it was on a 1968 Dodge Dart. Got a steering box and a power steering pump from the junkyard for $150, and my mechanic charged another $150 to put them both on. That was 11 years ago. Somehow, I have a feeling an Intrepid will be a few bucks more. ;)

    I'm around 139,400 with my 2000 2.7. And I'm in sort of the same predicament...a bit weary of throwing any more money into it, but at the same time, I do still like the car.
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    "There is a few inches play in the steering and I've been told by my mechanic that there is no adjustment and to fix it the steering gear box should be replaced. At this age, 8 years and 152k miles, it is always a question of when to give up and buy another car. But, I really like this one."

    Are you sure it's the steering box? The play in my steering was fixed by replacing the inner tie rod bushings and then aligning the front end.     :confuse:
  • bobe4bobe4 Member Posts: 12
    Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Any update? The original tie rod bushings were rubber inside steel, but the new ones were a harder plastic in the steel casing. They looked a lot more durable. The guy who did it (Treadquarters) was patient but had to lie atop the engine to do it, the inner tie rod ends are between the engine and firewall. Luckily he was wiry sort. ;) . It made a big difference. The steering was very loose and the front tires were being eaten up in less tha 10,000 miles.
  • lorib43lorib43 Member Posts: 2
    We have our vehicle for at least about two to three months. I know it is a used vehicle but we are having problems with it starting up. The Rack and Pinion went out last month and at least about three weeks later the car is not starting up. Is there a recall on the vehicle in the past that we don't know about? :mad: :sick:
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Recall about what? Yours is a 12 year old car that needs some repair. Good luck, but you need a mechanic. There is no relationship between the rack and pinion steering and the engine not starting. Best wishes. :shades:
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Chech camshaft and crankshaft sensors they tell the computer when to fire plugs. When either of them is faulty the car will not start.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    My Trep is at the mechanic right now, because its intermittent stalling problem got worse. A couple Fridays ago, I was going to use it to drive up to Carlisle, PA, and it died on me about 2 miles from home. And this time, it DIDN'T start right back up...which someone on this thread predicted it would eventually do. :cry: Finally got it started, came back home, and got another car.

    Well, all last week, I drove it to work and back, and it was fine. Then on Monday, I was ready to leave work, and it refused to start. It would crank and crank and crank, but wouldn't fire up. So I left it and got a ride home.

    Yesterday I tried it again after work, and at first it wouldn't start. Then, the weirdest thing happened. The trip odometer went totally blank, just all dashes. Then a "P" came up. Then it showed "DONE". I guess that's a sign from above, that the car is done for! :P

    Oddly though, right after that it started back up, and behaved perfectly on the 6 mile trip to the mechanic. So does this sound like it could be one of those sensors, like the camshaft or crankshaft position? I mentioned both of those to the mechanic, and someone else told me to mention a MAF sensor, or something like that? And something else, like a "Cold position start" sensor?

    Anyway, I hope it doesn't end up being too cost-prohibitive to fix. I know it sounds weird, but I'd almost feel better if the car died from something a bit more heroic, like an accident, tranny failure, engine blowout, or whatever. In contrast, a several thousand $ electrical repair just sounds kinda wussy. :blush:

    But, the car does have about 140,000 miles on it, so I shouldn't complain. I shouldn't, but I will. ;) Seriously though, I hope it lasts awhile longer. There's still really nothing out there on the new car front that excites me enough to get back into monthly payments.
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Andre, I bet they can get that fixed for you.

    Keep us posted. ;)

    I believe that is a MAP sensor (but MAF sensor may be right). :shades:

    Ed
  • cbusacbusa Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same problem with my 1998 Dodge Intrepid. cannot figure out what the problem is . Not only is it dangerous driving and stalling out at 45mph. It is frustrating spending money when all you can do is eliminate what everyone says is wrong .
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    Well it's been two weeks now, and my Trep is still at the mechanic. Haven't heard any progress reports, but I'm not that pressed because I figure the longer he keeps it, the longer it is before I have to pay for it. :shades:

    I have a feeling that what's happening is that he's driving it around, trying to get it to act up, but it's playing the perfect little angel routine for him. Naturally, I'm sure that if I got it back from him, it would leave me stranded within a day. :surprise:
  • herky011herky011 Member Posts: 7
    I have a '99 Intrepid that I bought with a locked 2.7 eng.(no giggles please). I replaced the engine with a 2.7 from an '04 Concorde. It was a nightmare until I finally ran across some one who would part with the information to make the engine run. Everything was fine untill three days ago. Climate control head stopped working followed by the emergency flashers and bak-up lites. Drove the car to the dealer, was told the Bcm was bad(758) for a new one, elected to go with one from A salvage yard. The car ran fine everything worked for about five stops. A total of about 25 miles, shut the car off went into the grocery, when I came out and started the car it went into Theft mode. Lights flashing horn honking and eng. shut down in @ 10 seconds. It did this four times then would not start at all.Cannot get the car out of theft mode. Eng will not start/turn. Inst. lights are dead ReInstalled old BCM, everythinhg works inside, but starter will not engage. Does the replacement BCM have to be programmed for the new Vin? It will obviously have to have the mileage changed to match the original BCM. Original BCM did not have RKE. Replacement BCM did. Removing the RKE modual does not change the situation. HELP!!
  • herky011herky011 Member Posts: 7
    It seemes that ever service manager has a different reason for the failure of the 2.7 engines. It should be obvious to even the most mechanically challenged person that building an engine with the waterpump in the crankcase is the very definition of insanity. When the waterpump fails so does the engine.
  • herky011herky011 Member Posts: 7
    I bought an '04 engine and transmission in '05 for $2800. Still have the transmission. The CARFAX on the car the engine and tranny came out indicated that it had 1(one) mile,but the invoice said that it had nine(9) miles.
    I don't like the idea of having the waterpump in the crankcase, but it is a strong nice running engine. I have mostly Northstar Cadillacs and they get a bad rap too, But I think that they are one of the best engines around, given the number that are on the road. :)
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    If you have an alarm disconnect it, The BCM has a core if I remember correctly you should get $150 back if you buy the new one.
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    When my water pump went bad the car went into a saftey mode. It would not go past 2nd gear. I limped it to my Dads and called for a tow.
  • herky011herky011 Member Posts: 7
    Apparently the BCM is not re-programmable. Once it is programmed with the vehicle Vin# it cannot be re-programmed to another Vin#. I guess thats why there were 63 pages listed at Car-Parts.com. Looks like $580 pluse labor for a new or remaned one. With a $120.00 core it must be repairable or re-programmable at the factory. :(
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    on Friday afternoon, I talked to the mechanic who has my Intrepid. He never could get the car to act up for him, but he tried replacing a few things just based on the problems I described...random stalling out and an occasional refusal to start.

    He told me to come pick it up for the weekend, drive it around, and then call him in a few days to let him know how it was acting. Well, I'll give the car this much...it made the 9 mile trip home just fine. And then got me out to the liquor store okay. So I thought maybe it was fixed. Until I was stopped, waiting for a red light on the way home, and it cut out on me. So, back to the shop it went. :sick:
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    Mine did the same thing, finally it refused to start at all. New crank sensor new cam sensor and new PCM and $900 later it has been good ever since. :shades: http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/- emotorcons/emo_shades.gif
    shades
  • herky011herky011 Member Posts: 7
    I'm still trying to figure out how the car knew it had water in the oil.

    When I took my engine apart, that was locked, it looked like someone had left it on the barbecue too long. The sludge, or what had been sludge, was now charcoal.
    Just crispy, flaky carbon that felt like saw dust. :)
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    mechanic called me today and said to come get the car and try it again. He never could get it to die on him, but he ended up replacing the camshaft and crankshaft sensors, and also found a broken vacuum line.

    So far so good, although I've only driven it home so far. Guess the big test will be to see if it leaves me stranded at work tomorrow. :surprise:
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Does anyone have this:? An air rushing sound that changes in pitch and intensity as the brake pedal is pushed. The master brake cylinder is good (recently replaced). I looked up under the dash for a vacuum line and all I see is a rubber boot that is torn. That boot is around the steel where the brake mechanism runs through the firewall. What do you think?
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    Most of the time water in the oil means a blown head gasket
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    it's been four days since I got my '00 Intrepid back from the mechanic for its intermittent stalling/no-start issue. Might be too soon to tell if it really is fixed, but it got me home on Wednesday, and back and forth to work on Thurs/Fri. I did have a dream last nite that I was in it and it stalled, though. :sick: Hope that's not an omen!
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    Quoting myself "Does anyone have this:? An air rushing sound that changes in pitch and intensity as the brake pedal is pushed. The master brake cylinder is good (recently replaced). I looked up under the dash for a vacuum line and all I see is a rubber boot that is torn. That boot is around the steel where the brake mechanism runs through the firewall. What do you think?"

    Now that I understand how power brakes work (howstuffworks), this sound must mean that there is a leak back toward the passenger compartment from the air side of the vacuum booster. The brakes work fine, but the sound can be disconcerting.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    Is that sound kind of a little hissing noise whenever you press down on the brake pedal? My Intrepid doesn't have it, but I've had a few cars that did it. Seemed to be mainly a GM thing. I never paid attention to it, but I guess if your car never did it before, but then suddenly starts doing it, it can be a little disconcerting!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    My 2000 Intrepid finally crept past the 140,000 mile mark on Saturday night, coming home from PA. It'll be two weeks tomorrow since I got it back from the mechanic, and it's still behaving fine. Fuel economy was around 32.1 mpg going up, around 31 coming home. I drove a bit faster going home, and had to use the a/c more, which probably made the difference.

    So, hopefully it still has a few good years left in it!

    My neighbor had a party the other day, and someone pulled up in a red Intrepid. I started talking to him, and found out it was an '02 2.7, and he had around 126,000 miles on it. He had bought it used at CarMax, with around 18,000 miles on it, and has had good luck with it.
  • maxwedgemaxwedge Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1997 Dodge Intrepid with the 3.5 liter engine with 104,000 miles on the odometer. It has been a great car but recently it has developed a slight vibration between 55-70 mph the worse right at 62 mph.
    I had the tires rotated and checked to see if they were out of balance and everything checked out OK.
    What should I be looking for? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank You
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    I would check the tie rod ends first
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    Could it also be a bearing hub? My 2000 Intrepid started picking up a vibration that seemed to be coming from the front driver's side. Mechanic checked it out, and it turns out it was the bearing hub. I probably should have had them both replaced at the same time, as it's often good to replace suspension components in pairs so you don't throw off the symmetry. I had to have the passenger side replaced about 6 months later, though.

    I forget now how much it cost to do the bearing hubs, as I had other work done at the same time. All I know is the first time around, it was $1053 total, but that included a lot of other work. Second time around it was around $590, but that also included an a/c recharge and replacing some other minor part in the suspension. Again, I probably should have had the mechanic do both sides on that minor part (forget what it was, now), but he said the other side was okay. The part only came as a pair though, so he gave me the one he didn't use and just said to keep it in the car, in case it ever needed it.
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    Wheel bearings could be the problem. Its just that ever since manufacturers went to sealed bearings failure is not very common. In the old days you could check the wheel bearings by jacking up the wheel and grabbing either side then try rocking the wheel side to side. If you can feel any play then I would go with the wheel bearing.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    Wheel bearings could be the problem. Its just that ever since manufacturers went to sealed bearings failure is not very common.

    Yeah, I guess nowadays those things don't go bad like they used to. And if it's any consolation, mine did last a fairly long time. Driver's side bearing hub got replaced around 130,000 miles or so, while the passenger side was around 138,000. Heck, once upon a time, most cars were in the junkyard by that time. Although I guess back in the day, if people actually serviced those bearings and kept up on it, they could theoretically last forever.
  • junesmommyjunesmommy Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I'm just looking for some advice. Yesterday I was turning my '95 Intrepid in a parking lot, I heard a slight pop and then the car would only move forwards and baqckwards. It would not turn left or right. The steering wheel moves easily left and right but the wheels don't move at all. Any ideas?
  • smithedsmithed Member Posts: 444
    "Hi, I'm just looking for some advice. Yesterday I was turning my '95 Intrepid in a parking lot, I heard a slight pop and then the car would only move forwards and baqckwards. It would not turn left or right. The steering wheel moves easily left and right but the wheels don't move at all. Any ideas?"

    Something broke at the rack and pinion. Have you had it looked at yet?
  • fogtownfogtown Member Posts: 1
    Hi, all. I have done some minor searches in this forum, but car problems seem to require individual advice!

    At the beginning of this month, I helped my mom buy a used 1995 3.5L 6-cylinder Intrepid off of Craigslist. It only has 82,000 miles on it and seems well maintained by the service records. A car-handy friend looked it over well before we bought it. Its only noticeable defect being a significant dent on the corner of its front bumper.

    The other night, my mother was driving downhill and pulled off into a gas station, and the car immediately stalled. She tried to restart it, but it wouldn't. Only after putting the car in park, taking her foot off the pedals, turning off the ignition, and starting all over again was it able to start. She drove the next mile back to her neighborhood, but as soon as she turned off the highway, the car stalled again. This time, when she tried to restart it, it made some weird choking noises. The ABS light came on and then went off during part of the fail. Once again, it only started after she pretty much parked the car and started over. She drove down the street and turned her corner, and the car stalled again. She cruised it over to the side of the street and parked for the night.

    The stalling seems to be related to turning or braking (or both), possibly in relation to the ABS

    My mother took the car to her mechanic today who said he can't really find the problem and suggested taking the car to a dealership for repair, as he suspects a sensor or main computer problem. She will be doing that.

    However, cost is of course an issue. I'm wondering if anybody has experience with or an idea of what could be causing this problem, what would need to be fixed, and if this is a really expensive problem. I feel so bad that I steered my mother to this car that is causing headaches already.

    Thanks!
  • bobe4bobe4 Member Posts: 12
    I finally got my steering fixed. The tie rod bushings had already been replaced with the new style. I had a rebuilt rack and pinon installed. I did just what the gov't wanted, I stimulated the auto repair economy with my stimulus check. I accused the service manager of knowing the amount and trying to get it all. :-) Runs great now. Going for another 50K miles.
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    I had the same experiance with a 99 2.7L. New PCM, crank sensor, and cam sensor $900,00. Car runs great now. I might try a used PCM and replace the sensors yourself or have your friend do it before going to the Dealership.
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    The old 2000 is coming up on her 75000 mile oil change. I am going to have to replace the tires this summer, also front and rear brakes. The car is well worth this expense. Still runs very well and 30+ MPG on the highway. I am also going to have the trans fluid done too, coolant and brake fluid replaced last year.
    Hopefully another 75000 to go-car still looks/runs great. :)
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    Glad to hear the car is working out well for you. My 2000 2.7 has a bit over 140,000 miles on it now. I had to get the crankshaft and camshaft position sensors replaced back in May, but it's been behaving fine ever since. I took it on a short trip up to Pennsylvania back in June, and got about 32 mpg going up and maybe 30-31 coming back.

    It's not really getting driven that much these days, though. With the nice summer weather, I have a few antique cars I've been driving. Plus, my commute to work is only about 3.5 miles, so it's hard to rack up any considerable mileage these days. I doubt if the Trep will see 5,000 miles this year. Around 150,000 miles, I'll probably get the belts done and the transmission serviced, and it might need new rear brake pads by then. Just to be safe, I like to get the tranny done every 30K. Belts were last done at 86K. Rear brakes were done at 51K and 102K, so I figure around 150K it'll be time again.

    I've never had the brake fluid changed, but it might be a good idea. I had them flush the power steering back in February, when they also changed the spark plugs and did something else that I'm drawing a blank on right now.
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    I have a feeling it will be time(rust) that finally catches up with the Intrepid. I try to keep my cars up, and do most of the work myself so the mait. costs are minimized. Synthetic oil every 3K etc...just a small investment to keep them long after the payment is gone!! Just priced tires- looks like another set of Yokohama Avid Touring unless my local tire guy sharpens his pencil some more.... Most people are surprised when I tell them how well the Dodge has treated us. Just like my old Ford, I used to laugh giving my friends a ride to the dealerships to pick up their "reliable" Toyotas and Hondas.
    Should probably do a battery when I do the brakes, the first tire rotation will be in the middle of winter. Gonna try the from the top approach this time. Read the instructions on a mopar forum.
    Might just jump the gun and schedule the cam and crank sensors soon. I have seen many posts about problems there. Already had the trans speed sensors replaced. I really hate breakdowns.
    Greatly appreciate the INFORMATIVE posts from other owners. Such as yours. Sadly as the cars age we get more and more of the "car is junk" "don't run don't know why and too stupid to do anything sensible about it" posts.
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    Brake fluid is definitely worth replacing. It will keep the calipers from going bad, its cheap and easy. You will be surprised at the crud that will be in the old fluid.
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    I doubt if I can change you mind but if you are using synthetic you really should go at least 5,000 mile before you change it. The book on dino juice is change it every 3,750 miles you can go longer on synthetic. I run synthetic and I change mine every 6,000 miles.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    I'll have the mechanic check my brake fluid next time it goes in the shop. And I have a feeling that's going to be soon, because on Saturday the air conditioning started to get kind of weak again, and was even worse on Sunday. :sick: It had failed last summer, but the mechanic couldn't find a leak, so he just charged it back up and it had been fine until just recently. I guess I could just have him charge it back up, but I hate the idea of wasting that stuff if it's just going to leak out again. And while R134A isn't as harmful as the old R12, I'm sure it's not exactly ozone-friendly!

    A little voice in my head is telling me to use this as an excuse to get a new car, but fixing the a/c is still a heckuva lot cheaper than a new car payment!
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    Sounds like similar problems to what I had. Mine was the evaporator coil. I put in the ultra violet dye and I could see it leaking out the drain hole. I could also smell it slightly in the car. At the time the dealer wanted $1,100 to pull the dash board and replace it. I did it my self it was not had but it did take two weekends. Parts cost me $250 so I figure the time was well spent.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,684
    I dunno if I'd have the talent or patience to pull the dash on my Trep, if that's what it needs. I could see myself doing more harm than good, as I wrestle with some part and break it or, with my luck, deploy an airbag or something! So I'll probably just have my mechanic do it. He's always been pretty reasonable, price-wise.

    I've thought about just not getting it fixed and dealing with it, as-is. I'm masochistic enough, I guess, that I could probably put up with it! But I know I'd get constant complaints from passengers. People would refuse to ride in my car, and if I was going out somewhere with friends, they'd insist we take one of their cars instead of mine. So maybe leaving it broken isn't such a bad idea, after all! :shades:
  • tkfitztkfitz Member Posts: 95
    You are right about the longer service interval for the synthetic. However, the car is now 8 years old,with only ~75,000 miles. So with the mileage we put on the car a 5000 mile interval would almost mean just two changes a year. It also does a lot of short trips and so I consider the driving to fall under the "severe" maint guidelines. Oil is $20 for 5 quarts............three time a year........
    I do run the oil in my commuter 5000 miles between changes.
  • roger924roger924 Member Posts: 40
    My Intrepid does get 2 oil changes a year. I consider it a blessing. I try do do all the work on the cars myself and between the cars and the house its tough to keep up.

    There is no reason for you to change " If it works dont fix it"
  • luvasmylluvasmyl Member Posts: 3
    Hi..Recently while driving my "brake" light comes on while driving. Then the "airbag" light came on while driving. Now, when i frist start driving my car, all the transaxel lights (PRND32) stay on, all the gauges read zero, and the car says its in drive, but wont shift out of 3. Finally when it feels like it, it shifts into drive and all the gauges start working. Any ideas?
    thanks
    ohh by the way...i have a 93 dodge intrepid
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