Dodge Intrepid
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there are a couple tsbs recently out about poor a/c performance. you can look check em out at this link.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/Servicemmy5.cfm
mention these to your service tech when you take the car in for service...
old story substandard quality. One of the reasons
I remained hooked was the dismal tradein value.
No other dealer wants one of those on their lot,
but next time (in about 15 months) my 00 Intrepid
(both year and value = 00) will be gone and good
riddance to the shake rattle and roll.
Anyway...after some mild profanity and cut fingers, i managed to put the caliper back on. Next time I will pay to have it looked at. Besides, it's still under warranty. The calipers are covered, but not the pads. I am going with Bendix or Performance Friction. Any imput? GO BEARS!
one of five thousand model year 2000 Intrepid R/Ts. Have you checked out the Town Hall
section for Intrepid R/T enthusiasts ?? Also
Check out www.dodgertclub.com.
Well, fate finally got me, and my Intrepid got broken into at 6 Flags America in Maryland. Luckilly, we got back to the car just as they were still messing with it, or it could have been a lot worse. At least they didn't get a chance to get in the car. They took off, but we got pictures of them w/ a digital camera and the police took fingerprints. They pulled the whole door handle assembly loose on the passenger door, but thankfully it doesn't look like any major damage. In fact, it looks like I could just push the assembly back in and it would clip into place, although it looks like a piece broke off in the back. Anybody else out there had their Intrepids broken into yet? I'm kind of curious if they're that hard to steal, or if they're a very hot item among thieves. I'm taking it to the shop tonite to see how much it will cost to fix.
-Andre
My 99 DI ES is running great. 12.5K miles and no problems. I'm driving the car a little more aggresively (ie faster) and it really inspires confidence for a full-size car. The only thing I've noticed is that the car is somewhat reluctant to downshift when I want to pass, let's say from a cruising speed of approx. 40mph. It will just stay in the gear that it's in (which I believe is 3rd) and accelerate from there. I have to observe the behavior a little more and get more information (what gear, how many rpms, etc) to decide if it's a problem or not. Anyway people, enjoy your wheels.
The day I picked the car up from the garage there was a vibration from the front at speeds 50-60. As usual the dealer blamed the tires, but to keep this short between the dealer and the tire shop eventually they found the fault to be in a faulty wheel, replaced on warranty.
Next problem windshield motor decided to retire at a very awkward time.
Rattle appeared in steering column area, on rough service roads there is a constant noise and slight vibration. Garage has worked on this three times, no improvement and now I have a broken /scratched dash panel from repair attempts.
Next problem trunk release failed, could not be opened, complete assy replaced.
Next, it was there in the beginning but not noticed, the rear seat material has a flaw in the stitching it comes apart with very little pressure. New cover was installed and of course the color doesn't match. Dealer states it is impossible to match exactly as there is a slight color difference in each batch run. I'm not sure if I will live with that or ask for the front and rear seat back be done also so all will match.
Next fuel leak, gas fumes inside car, problem repaired quickly apparently its something the garage was very familiar with.
Next , for the last three weeks the trans is going into the limp mode, no faults are appearing when checked by the dealer. From the first the trans is slow to shift into fwd after being in reverse. I have become accustomed to this now and give it time to catch up before giving it gas. At first I had a few jerky starts, sure gets attention in a parking lot.
Next brake pads / shoes , rotors, and rear drums replaced at a very early age. This was an attempt to eliminate break squealing, vibration. The squealing is alot better but it still very evident especially in reverse.
In general the fit and finish is substandard. Body panels gaps are too large and uneven ie the gap on right side of hood is much larger than that on the right. Plastic body parts don't match the color of the metal ones. Maybe I am too fussy but Dodge has had plenty of time with this model to iron out the bugs. From my point of view they have done nothing except for a few cosmetic changes. The body style is getting outdated and the car just does not meet the quality of others in its price range. I am disappointed with the car, the dealer has given excellent service, but the car should have been put together better at the factory, its too late for that type of thing after the sale is made.
The only good thing about the overall picture is the sales of the infamous Decrepits are decreasing at an alarming rate, the sales figures for june are -16% less than May they were merely able to break the 10,00o mark even with the major rebate/ low interest rate program.
left interior push light bulb has blown. Does
anyone know if this is a big deal to replace?
Will Dodge try to rip me off to replace the bulb?
Andre. Sorry to hear about the attempted theft of your Intrepid. Good work with the digital camera and police fingerprinting. I'm forced to wonder what they thought they were doing? Especially with the Sentry Key option!
Just got back from a 1,400 mile road trip during which my 99 Intrepid ES turned 20,000 miles, so I figured some impressions are in order. Having now owned a new vehicle from each of the "big three" within the last three years (97 Explorer XLT, 98 Grand Prix GTP Coupe)I can say in my experience this is one of the best cars I've ever owned, possibly with the exception (believe it or not), of a 1990 Dodge Shadow ES Turbo.
Although I certainly wish it had the power of that GTP Coupe, my Intrepid is comfortable, roomy and perfect for the long road trips I purchased it for. On this last trip, I managed 85 mph for about three hours through central and eastern Montana, and still ended up making 26 mpg. The car is confidence-inspiring, rock solid and completely vibration free at that speed- whoever balanced my tires at the factory should be given a HUGE bonus. To date, absolutely no problems at all, with the exception of a no-charge installation of a redesigned differential vent tube. On top of all that, the car still gets compliments on its looks despite the base model's apparent availability at every car rental location in the country!
It was interesting to note how much more powerful it felt at a lower altitude. This past trip was the first time this car's been driven much below 5,000 feet in elevation, and the power increase at 800 feet elevation is remarkable.
Anyway, for those of you considering this vehicle, I'd recommend it without hesitation!!
Thx,
A.D.
I don't know how or where you drive your Intrepid, but if you're looking for a higher performance all season tire than the Eagle GA's that come with the ES, I'd suggest you look at the new Michelin Pilot XGT V4 or Z4.
My parents have a 99 non-PHP 300M, that originally came with Eagle LS's, and they had the same vibration problem talked about so much in the 300M forum. Four months ago, the OEM tires were replaced with the Michelins Z4 - what a differenceð
Anyway, ADF, I've driven my parents' 300M several hundred miles before and after they made the switch to the 17" Michelin Pilot Z4's. I felt they were much quieter with better handling compared the Eagles. They've got a pretty stiff sidewall (which looks awesome), so they tend to be somewhat harsh over expansion joints and the like, and they are kind of expensive, but it really made the car handle better. I can't wait for my Eagle GA's to wear out so I can get a set.
From personal experience, I've had several sets of BF Goodrich Comp TA VR4's I've been happy with. The tread and sidewall design is somewhat dated, but they are relatively inexpensive, fairly quiet, and offer a great compromise between snow, wet and dry traction.
Good luck with your search...
Most dyno tests of the drop-in K&N filter for the stock air box show no significant hp gains. Some drivers report 'feeling' a gain, others do not. The surface area is really too small for the cfm of the engine; a conical element has much more surface area and thus is much less restrictive.
Jay T
00 IR ES
Thanks!!
Well, I dropped my Intrepid off at the bodyshop today to have my door handle fixed. In the meantime I'm driving my grandmother's battlecruiser 1985 LeSabre...not the best handler in the world, but man can you stretch out on that crushed velour sofa they call a front seat!
Jason5, what is the Sentry Key option? My Intrepid is a base model w/ no options, so would it have it?
Interestingly, the Intrepid hit the 20,000 mile mark on the way home from its attempted break-in at 6-Flags America (see my post #17 if you need a recap), so the event was less-than-memorable. Still, I can't complain. Nothing has broken on the car yet. At least nothing that was the car's fault. I've gotten a flat tire, a dent in the front-end, and a dent in the rear-end (from backing into a snow bank, I'm ashamed to say), and a few parking lot dings. The tranny still refuses to shift into reverse every once in a while.
Most of what IS wrong with this car, I attribute to the way they build 'em nowadays. Someone else mentioned that the paint on the plastic doesn't match the paint on the metal. Mine has this problem, too, but I've noticed that a lot of cars are like this. I saw a gold Maxima out in the parking lot with the same problem. I've noticed it more on lighter colors than dark, but it's a problem not unique to just the Intrepid. Kind of makes me wonder how they got the paint to match on the plastic and metal parts of my grandmother's 1985 LeSabre, though.
Also, the bumpers are too easily damaged...my bumpers have more damage in 20,000 miles than her LeSabre in 150,000 miles (or my 1968 Dart in 337,000 miles, for that matter!), but again, they're all plastic nowadays, so I guess it just goes with the territory.
Well, I better get back to work now...I'll keep y'all posted on the bodyshop progress, and if the police ever catch the punks that tried to break into it.
-Andre
check out this link...
http://www.autosite.com/editoria/asmr/svolfc.asp
It lists auto sales volume for the month of June 2000, YTD 2000, June 1999, and YTD 1999. Indeed, Intrepid is down somewhat, 10,224 units for June 2000. I forget what May's figure was, but I think it was around 15,000 units. Intrepid is still up for the year, though.
-Andre
i've been out and about too. just got back from a long weekend out of town. trep made an incredible 27 mpg average, most of the time going 75 to 80 mph on the interstate! granted winds were light but i'm completely satisfied with the fuel mileage this big beast gets! everything on the car working a-okay. well, it's off to wyoming, hopefully northworst will be on time?!
Dave
A standard modification for many current cars is a low restriction intake. Factory intake/filter assemblies are usually quite restrictive, this to quiet down induction noise. But the assembly restricts the volume of air the engine can ingest, limiting its performance. The current LH engines are high-rpm, high-output designs which need all the help they can get for low-end and mid-range power, and more top-end is nice too.
The following intake was installed on my 00 ES 3.2 engine with excellent results. I noticed improved throttle response from 3000 rpm up, and top-end power seems improved too, although I have not taken any acceleration times to quantify performance. The intake noise is less than I had expected - under full throttle it's just a modest sound easily lost when the stereo is playing low. Noise at cruise is almost as quiet as stock. I am very pleased with the new intake. Total cost is around $60, and installation is surprisingly easy. It took less than an hour to do, and most of that was waiting for the glue to dry.
1) Buy a K&N #RU-3130 conical filter element ( 7" long and 4" diameter with 3.5" attachment ). This can be from Summit, Jegs, or another mail order house, or a local parts store can order it. I got mine at Schucks for $42.
2) Buy a 3" ABS 45 degree elbow with one male and one female end for around $4.00, one 3" size black rubber pipe connector ( comes with 2 stainless clamps - get the heavy type with 0.25" thick rubber ) for about $5.00, and a length of 3" black ABS pipe from the local plumbing supply store for $7.00. This last only comes in 10-foot lengths, and you will need only 5". A small can of ABS glue is all that's left to buy. [ Note: 3" ABS pipe actually measures 3.5" OD. ]
3) Remove the factory intake assembly by loosening the clamp on the air intake hose and pulling it off the rear intake assembly ( which is attached to the throttle body ). The intake hose, air filter and resonator assemblies can now be pulled out of the engine compartment in one piece. They are held in the engine compartment by rubber plugs which can be pulled loose from the body.
4) Assemble the new intake as follows: cut a 5" length off the pipe and de-burr the ends, then glue the elbow onto this piece of pipe. Let dry at least 30 minutes, then clamp the K%N filter element to the end of the pipe. Slip the heavy rubber connector onto the rear intake assembly - it's a tight fit - and tighten the rear screw clamp securely. Slide the male end of the 3" elbow into the connector and rotate the new intake assembly until the filter is pointed slightly down into the open area above the battery. Tighten the front hose clamp and you are almost ready to go. K&N recommends disconnecting the negative battery terminal for ten minutes to reset the computer; I did this at the negative "jumping" connection on the fender well before I installed the new intake.
5) Take the car for a short test drive to verify that everything clears and is tight enough. Now enjoy your new intake! [ Note that nothing on the engine is modified irreversibly, so if you need the factory intake for IM tests, etc. it can be re-installed in just a few minutes. ]
ADF1/Davidu--I think I'd be inclined to try out the 16" version of the tires being used on the R/T. Believe that they are Michelin Pilot MXM's. If not, several good alternative come to mind that have been mentioned including the GY Eagle LS, Pirelli Grand Touring and others. Check www.tirerack.com and others..
Emale---Sounds about right. Glad your trip went well. My mileage is matching up with yours on longer trips...drops to about 25 when I go to warp (i.e steady 80 with occasional foolishness). No CD changer yet.. keep you posted.
-Andre
thanks for the link. but, be sure to also post the good news once the new minivans and cloud cars hit the streets this fall. and don't forget the knockout success of the pt cruiser!
davidu,
flaming gorge is beautiful! just got back from there today. you are right...not much else to see around green river but a few deer and sage brush. but, visiting family and friends and the beer sure tastes good!
emale (in wyoming)
-Andre
I can't help but wonder how things will change when Chrysler turns it attention to their transmissions. Perhaps that new "5 speed Autostick" will be the transmission we should have had all along!