Chrysler 300M

grunschev

I have the PHP. When I had the Eibachs installed and drove out of their parking lot I thought I would be in big trouble with the wife. There was no mistaking that the car rode much stiffer. (It turned out she couldn't tell the difference, but she's not in the car that often anyway.)

When I test drove the PHP vs standard, I couldn't tell much of a difference. There is a significant difference between the PHP with stock springs and PHP with the Eibachs. I'm not saying "don't do it," I'm saying "it's not for everybody."

I have no regrets; I have no problems scraping the air dam. I had to be more careful entering and exiting driveways when we were in LA but not in Phoenix or Denver.

Igor

memphis300m

Picked up this link - is this the new future of DC?

http://public.wsj.com/sn/y/SB982187607526911576.html.

If that link does not work, go to Yahoo Finance and search on "DE". Look for the latest news story from the WSJ.


Memphis300M

rogor2k

Dustin - yep, first time for the M in the snow. I was passing the snowplows on the way to work this morning. This is the most snow we've had in 5 years. Temps back to the 50s tomorrow, so it won't last long.

fnguyen

There is no Hemi 300C in their plan. See story:

http://www.auto.com/industry/dccash16_20010216.htm

denverm

I'm not convinced that the author of the story linked in #454 knows the current status of the 300C, as he merely briefly quotes "analysts," and nothing indicates how current his information is. It's not a story mostly about the 300C.

This story indicates that the car is up in the air, but it's hopeful:

http://www.car-truck.com/chryed/buzz/b012201.htm

Sounds like there may be more definite information coming soon.

jgoodson

I recently bought a 1999 300M with 28,000 miles so the extended warranty was important to me. I bought the 5 yr - 50,000 mile extended care warranty. I particularly wanted the Chrysler warranty because my greatest concern was breakdowns on the road. A cheaper warranty is not worth much if you break down on the road and not close to a service center that will accept your warranty. It's hard to be very far from a Chrysler dealer.

irakleinfeld

Thanks to those of you who responded to my post on mileage,,,,My experience does seem to be in the bounds of the others', so I'm relieved that here's no problem. I do live in a hilly area.

beach15

I was surfing the web and came across two dash kits for the 300M that caught my eye. One is for beige interiors and is bronze/burl wood dash trim with special floor mats, and exterior badges and the other is the same but it is for gray interiors and comes with stainless steel/carbon fiber pieces. Each covers the factory faux wood trim plus a few more areas on the dash. They can be found at:

http://www.autodash.com

(fill out the info to get to 300M stuff and the kits are the last 2
items listed.

beach15

They also have many other just wood kits that cover the existing factory wood.

http://www.autodash.com

denverm

Like Race, my last three cars have come from DC, and I'm looking forward to the next one: 300 Hemi C! (not sure I'll have enough headroom with the top up, but my wife is quite captivated by the photos of the concept car!)

L8_Apex

Some inappropriate posts have been removed.

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Host
Sedans Message Board

rklass

Thank you very much for clearing the "inappropriate post(s).
The AOL Autos message boards were destroyed because AOL failed to control the few miscreants who insisted on making them personal forums for venting hostilities.
Now if you could just alphabetize this board by brands so we could find our favorite more easily...

L8_Apex

If you click on My Preferences at the top of the screen, you can set your sort order to alphabetically. Since we can now edit topic titles, over time the titles should get more consistent so this sorting order will be more significant.

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Host
Sedans Message Board

pster

RUSS, I'll post when work pace slows down a bit. FYI, my 1999 300M now has 28,000 miles and is still humming perfectly. No problems. Looking forward to good three coat Zaino wax next weekend (I hope!).

Phil

murfster

Haven't seen much activity on the Consumate forum, so I'll ask here: Has anyone heard of more perf upgrades for our 'M's yet (besides springs, exhaust, air-filter).
Some things I'm looking for: perf chips; TRUE Xenon light replacement (yes, makes it go faster...heh); throttle body replacement...etc.
I will make that 300HP sooner or later...looks like later...

dustinnewton

It started out as an exciting day with the first real NASCAR race with the new Dodge teams, but quickly turned tragic with the death of Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Racing has lost a legend.

kzrsix

While applying another coat of Zaino Bros. products last weekend to my M, I noticed the CHRYSLER letters on the left side of trunk lid looked "rusty". The letters are not metallic, so could not be rust, but they looked bad. Long story shortened; removed letters, adhesive and some of the paint. Contacted dealer for set of replacement letters. Also searching for a "decal" to cover the paint pits. Be careful if you try such a remedy. Note to self: leave car alone except for routine maintenance...

easyrider300m

Did you use a hairdryer on the letters before trying to remove them--I heard that helps loosen them and you can remove them using a thin string or strong thread--others here have removed them with no problems just because they wanted the bare look without Chrysler badges===in its first year many admirers of the car would wonder who made the car if there were no badges--you could always lie and say its a Mercedes!

Racefan: were you at Daytona on Saturday--I couldnt believe the news about Earnhardt--first Petty and now him--he is without a doubt one of the most famous racecar drivers of all time--First Petty and now this--a sad day in the raceworld.

Easydriver

beach15

I am on my last straw with my $32,000 piece of Chrysler trash. I just went to another dealer today, this time a 5-star one who has always treated me well before. The whole way there the instrument cluster rattled and pinged, the rest of the dash rattled, creaked, and crunched, and the passenger's door panel clicked and rattled. Amazingly once I got there and the service tech drove my car to drop me off at Wal*Mart not a single noise came from the car and it ran smoother and quieter than it usually did before.

I was very frustrated and told the Tech and he just laughed and said that it's usually what happens with the cars. For the next two hours I walked around Wal*Mart (the dealer lobby was already crowded at 9:00 in the morning). I finally called the dealer and was hung up on. I called again and they said it could not be repeated. They had someone drive my car and come pick me up. On the way back I could hear the rattling again.

After we got there I signed the papers and just as before the car started rattling, creaking, and crunching once I hit the road. I drove down the same street twice before finally going back to the dealer. I got there and someone ended up coming with me for a little ride. He listened and said that he could clearly hear something but couldn't tell where it was coming from. We got back and I had to schedule the third appointment for my 3-month old junker and once again I have to try and borrow somebody's car after I drop it off Wednesday night. They said it will take them a while to find and fix the annoyance.

I visited the dealer three times and the service window six times in a three-hour period. If it is not fixed after Thursday, the car is history with no ifs, ands or buts. I am going to start looking at new cars and try to figure out a way so I don't get completely screwed in the process.

A solution--I could have just kept my paid-off 1997 Grand Voyager base that had a $20,000 sticker and been much happier with no car payment or irritating rattles/buzzes (among other things). I'll try to keep in touch with this board as much as I can over the next week.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1172860&a=9559248

rogor2k

that you're having so much trouble with your M. I have an identical twin and I'm feeling almost guilty that I haven't had a single problem in nearly 12K miles.

I don't know the details, but there IS a direct telephone # that the service department can use to contact someone in DC engineering when there is a problem that they can't resolve. I know information has been posted here, but it was before the software changeover, and I have no idea how many archives back it might be. Maybe someone recalls the details on this and will give you some info you can pass on to your service manager.

Best of luck, I feel your pain.

dustinnewton

Are you out there anywhere? Long time no hear.

sleepymw

hi everyone.. been gone a while.. ok. A LONG TIME.

it's been nasty here in western new york and so's HellMary.. i've been doing the big "no no" by running her through the "touchless" car wash. i couldn't stand her anymore. she was just too nasty to even get into.

I am looking forward to a good day to go through the one thousand steps of zaino... might have to stock up on some of the stuff. and no doubt, the salt, sand .. ect has done a job on her already...

questions : HOW do you get the dirt out from INSIDE the wheel? ya know, the part that you see ONLY when you have the car up on a lift?

now, this one is serious... i went to synthelic about 10K ago. last week i took my car in to have oil change, no biggy.. car was DRIVING AND SOUNDING great still.

while there, the tires were at 30 pounds so i had it inflated to 35 pounds.

without sounding like an idiot... now my car has this LOUD humming noise. is this from the tire and the road? i sure hope so.. i'm about to go out there and let the air out of it just to see. this is the only thing i can think of that was different ... all other oil changes NEVER cause the car to SCREAM at me when i go over 25 miles an hour.. when i came to a stop, the sound slowly fades away when it stops.

ok..i think you all got the idea...

rklass

Many questions, not enough info:
1. Did you raise the tire pressure when the tires were COLD?
2. Were the tires rotated? If so, in what pattern?
3. If the work was done at a Chrysler dealer, did you go back to complain?
4. Are your wheels chromed or painted?
5. Are the paint scratches deep, or just "swirl marks."
Clear up the questions and we can certainly provide sone helpful answers!

gumby6

Thinking about the borla exhaust for my 99. Thought I saw a link on here earlier that was cheaper then the 800.00 direct from Borla. Anyone know of that link? thanks

racefan9

www.summitracing.com
1-800-230-3030

racefan9

no i wasn't at daytona and glad i wasn't, would have been hard for me to make the drive home. i am still in shock along with millions of other NASCAR fans.

rklass

Let's put it in perspective, Racefan9:
1. He was not a god, he was a great race driver.
2. His tragic death was not in the same league as Kennedy's, as equated by one fan.
3. At the time of the crash he was blocking other cars to give his son an edge.
4. And, most tragically, he was not wearing the latest "optional" crash helmet which may have saved his life. I say most tragically as he should have set an example. His wearing the helmet would have set an example that would have caused rhe majority of other drivers to follow. That may have saved 1 or 2 other drivers lives over the past year.
As I said, let's keep our perstective here.

easyrider300m

easyrider300m

did you register the name Emily.com for your 300M. I just saw a heading on Yahoo welcoming "Emily.com." Was that you?

lflowers

No optional helmet would have saved Earnhardt's life. The full face coverage helmets are heavier than the open face helmet he used. That extra weight would probablyhave been a detriment not a life saver in this particular accident.
However, there was an optional device available called a "HANS" device (Head And Neck Support device) which could have possibly reduced the severity of his injuries. Earnhardt reportedly tried that device in practice this month and didn't like it. The device is a brace to which the helmet is connected by straps that keeps the head from being snapped forward or to the side by a heavy impact. In a lot of racing accidents, the sharp snapping of the head from the impact is the cause of serious injuries or death. I'm not certain that is what caused Earnhardt's injuries, but I think it very likely that it was.
Lynn

sleepymw

ok...

1. the tires were inflated after cooling the mechanic's garage for 40 minutes.
2. tires were not roated
3. chrome tires, no paint chips.. dirty right now tho

i deflated the tires today at the gas station and still .. she's making that humming noise.

it starts to whine pass 20 mph and is consistant. when it comes to a stop, it slowly whines down, as if the engine is reving itself down.

i have put the car in neutral and rev the engine and did not hear more humming or whining .. the engine sounds fine. trans shifts great.

rogor2k

Last week I posted an announcement (Post #435) for the newly formed Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club (http://www.300mclub.org). As things usually happen, we had a server glitch later in the same day that took the site down for the balance of the day and well into the next morning.

If anyone tried to view the site and got an "under construction" or other error, I hope you'll give us another look now that we're back up. In addition to being an information source for the 300M, we plan on signing up Chrysler dealers and other auto parts and service retailers to offer discounts to club members, so membership in the club could be a money saver for you.

We're currently conducting a membership drive with a $5.00 savings on your first years dues, so be sure to check us out and see what we have to offer as well as what we're planning for our members.

Thanks,

Roger Waters, President
Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club
e-mail: prez300mclub@hotmail.com

pjyoung

The HANS device might prevent a neck injury, but the proponents are overlooking the fact that the BRAIN is still moving at 180mph, so while the neck won't snap, the brain could suffer damage from decelleration, even if the neck did not snap.

sugar300m

No matter how you feel about the optional safety equipment, it's a tremendous blow to those who follow NASCAR. No, he wasn't a god, but was admired because he did what he did very well. I love to drive & love to see driving taken to the next level like NASCAR,CART,FORMULA 1,IRL guys do. My Southern friends can relate; my Northern friends don't relate as well 'cuz auto racing is not very popular in the Northeast. Kennedy more tragic than Earnhardt? Equally sad. Condolences to all who have lost.

rogor2k

This definitely sounds like something in your drive train, either the transmission or the wheels/axles. When they changed the oil, did they also check or change the transmission fluid. I'm thinking maybe they left the drain plug loose and the fluid leaked out (I HAVE had this happen to me many long years ago). That would make the tranny growl like crazy.

The other possible thing is a wheel or axle bearing. I don't know how the axle and wheel bearings are set up in the 300M, but they can cause a whining/growling noise.

If this is a LOUD noise, I wouldn't drive it very far before having a good mechanic check it out. Loud noises are never good for your car.

sleepymw

i will definitely have a mechanic check it out. he did check the transmission fluid, and it was still pink and full.. nothing there. didn't change the transmission fluid...

but the wheel or the axle, now, i'm wondering... thanx!

sleepymw

it was the wheel bearing!!!

took it in tonight, they took it for a ride, came back and while they're working on it, i did some catching up with old aquaintences there and when i got to it, it was washed and polished and no more humming!!!

wonder what caused the wheel bearing to blow like that?

anyhow.. thanx for the trouble shoot!

and ya know.. i have read many posts about dealers from hell, but these guys were wonderful... tho, the "appointment girl" was giving me the run around earlier today, when i asked for the manager, he was great.

skahuna99

I've seen references to replaced power window motors. I have 99M, 38,000 miles. Lately, I've heard a muffled "thump...thump...thump..." as I raise and lower the driver side window. Is this a sign the motor is going. Also, just lately, I hear a high pitched whistle around driver side window at speeds 40+mph.
Can anyone help?
skahuna99

rklass

There is a TSB on the motors, have the dealer check it while still in warranty.
There is also a TSB on shrinking weatherstripping around the doors. This causes a gap in the weatherstrip that can result in a whistle.
If you check carefully around the doors and find a gap, have the dealer replace the weatherstripping under warranty.
Good luck!

skahuna99

rklass,
thanks for the tips. Looks like i'll be putting my extended warranty to use here.

easyrider300m

my Y2K drivers window also makes some noises when I raise and lower it but I attibute it to the strip of material along the lower edge. Noise is just rubbing of this piece against glass. I dont think its anything to worry about if thats whats causing your noise. Its something I just attribute to type of materials used.

Easyrider

titanman1

Just bought a new 2001 300M, inferno red, upgraded interior, big stereo, moonroof, 17" wheels.

I love the vehicle so far and have received many compliments. Had the whole neighborhood ogling it in the driveway!!

Does anyone know if any of the problems noted on the 99 and 00 models have been resolved in the 01 (i.e. window motors, pulling, wind noise, etc.) would appreciate any insight.

Glad to be a member of the "300 club"!!

sleepymw

someday to see a car manufacturer that is sooo sure of their product that they'd offer 15 year 200K warranty?

welcome titanman1... i had to admit when i first saw your alias i only read the first 3 letters.. i had to RE-read your alias again to be sure i wasn't needing glasses..

saw some concept car pix at the dealer today.. one has to wonder what the designers were drinking when they dream those up... i just wanna be sure i don't drink the same thing!

denverm

Congrats on your new M! Enjoy!

I think the window motor problem was confined to some of the '99's. I'm less sure of this, but I think that may also be true of the pulling problem. I understand DC did improve the soundproofing either with the '00 model or the '01 model or both, but wind noise is probably either inherent noise or the result of ill-fitting weather stripping (which my '00 had, and was fixed under warranty).

Bottom line: only some M's have had those problems anyway, and a lot of folks posting here have had basically trouble-free experiences with their cars. I wouldn't worry about those issues; just enjoy driving a great vehicle! (I was originally shooting for inferno red, but couldn't find one with the options I wanted, so I got garnet red - pics at http://btjdesign.com/300m )

ruski

someone driving a Park Avenue was not too old to challenge my 300M. It put up a good fight, must have been the Ultra version.

Later, I caught up to a fast moving GTP, shifted to 3rd and saw him disappear in the rear view mirror. He was not interested in racing I guess.

300michael

For many of you old AOL 300M board members who remember dair I say her name (Becca) said that Chrysler is paying us to advertise the 300M. Well I have to admit that she is now correct.
In the past couple of months Catallac ($50), Saturn ($25), and now Chrysler ($50 davings bond=$25) is paying me to test drive their vehicles. If this keeps up I should be able to quit my test driver job, and retire in another 200 years I will test drive an 300M and an Sebring convertable if they have any. No wonder the C&D, R&T, and the rest of the test drivers love their jobs.
Did any one else get one of these, or the coupon for a $.99 oil and filter change. What they will not do to get some of their money back. Well I guess it is off to the dealer.

rklass

I've heard about these coupons, but haven't received any yet. Where are they coming from, and how are they being delivered?
Also, welcome David (titanman), hope your experience with your 300M is as good as mine was with my first one. I'm now on my second, an '01, and find the improvements very worthwhile.

mykem

I got it in my email yesterday.

The URL I was given (and subsequently went to) has my address tied to it, so I guess it's non-transferrable and a one-time deal.

It also has the following "deals" attached:

Want more? If you do decide to buy or lease, you can choose a generous cash allowance instead of the financing terms, including:

- $1,500 cash allowance on the all-new 2001 Chrysler Town & Country, The Best Minivan Ever(3) as certified by Automotive Marketing Consultants, Inc. (offer applies to all Town & Country and Voyager minivans except Town & Country EX).

- $1,000 cash allowance on the 2001 Chrysler Sebring Sedan that was recently awarded Five Stars, the NHTSA's Highest Front Crash-Test Rating (4). And that same $1,000 applies to the 2001 Sebring Coupe.

- $2,000 cash allowance on the 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, recently named Petersen's 4Wheel & Off Road's 2001 4x4 of the Year.

- $2,000 cash allowance on 2001 Jeep Cherokee

Valuable cash allowances are available on other vehicles as well.

-m

Karen_S

All the Club chats are set up on

Tuesdays: 4-5pmPT/7-8pmET

-or-

Thursdays: 5-6pmPT/8-9pmET, 6-7pmPT/9-10ET, 7-8pmPT/10-11pmET
(The latter may be rather late for East Coasters, but is available if you want.)

Let me know if you are interested in a chat and the day/time convenient for you.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

hayneldan

The $50.00 savings bond deal was also sent to me for filling out an information card on the 2001 Chryslers. To date I have recieved;
1 Chrysler single use camera with film.
2 Chrysler flashlight.
3 Sample brochure of minivan power rear hatch with real sound effects.
4 Sample brochure with 2001 minivan with operating headlights. So far no pestering dealer calls.