Chrysler 300M

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Comments

  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    According to the dealership:

    Noise 1: The shift cable was rubbing against a linkage in the suspension.

    Noise 2: They noticed a sound coming from inside the intermediate steering column and have one on back order. There are ten orders ahead of me, it might take a month before I get mine. The shop guy said that there must be a problem with many Ms for this part to be so backordered. The dry squeaking sound seemed to come from both inside the steering column and somewhere up front in the engine compartment.

    Window: They said my window switch is bad, which could very well be the case from what I saw. That doesn't explain the generally bad sound when the window stops going up or down when I last tested it, but they'll look the whole thing over when they install the part to see if anything's loose.
  • phases78phases78 Member Posts: 471
    i found a different body shop thats on state farms "A1" list, they're estimate for the body work, is cheeper, and they say they can have it done in five days.

    on a different note, im considereing going against my own rule. im looking at a 2001 slate blue (gorgeous car)M to trade for, with 35 miles on it. i know in know, in a couple months the 2002 will be out, i suppose ill worry bout that then though. im getting one of those, or at least putting all the new features it has on my car. the bad part, id hate to tell you guys what the difference id have to pay is. id have to finance it. i dont much care for that idea, but.. well, we'll see..
  • wesley1derwesley1der Member Posts: 49
    If you can order 2002 now when do you exspect delivery? That is on the 300M Specal.
  • dyadincdyadinc Member Posts: 21
    Just a thought regarding the bodywork on your car... make sure the shop will remove all the trim prior to re finishing and not just mask it off. Also, you want the adjacent panels blended and if any welded sheet metal is to be replaced see if the shop has a spot welder. Nothing wrong with a big welder but the welds will be ground down and easily detectable to the trained eye. Sorry if I'm repeating something you may have heard, I just jumped into the conversation.
    Good luck
  • mikeyjohnmikeyjohn Member Posts: 365
    In regards to your questions, I was told by my dealer that only the top of your wheel is wood, also I live in snow country and would not waste my time with snow tires, you might want to throw some chains in the trunk, but I haven't bothered. You learn to drive with different road conditions. My .02 worth.
  • thill381thill381 Member Posts: 64
    Don't take the leather off your steering wheel!!! The steering wheel has a thin tubular piece of steel in it surrounded by foam padding then covered in Chryslers cheap pleather (plastic leather). There is no wood in it. Event the luxury package wheel with the wood on it has a steel core throughout it w/ just a wood laminant applied to the top portion of the wheel.
  • adplusoneadplusone Member Posts: 66
    What is the build date on the 2002.5 Tuner package??? Thanks in advance!
  • sibesibe Member Posts: 102
    Thanx Mike. I was trying to avoid the chain bit for the wife. My FT 4WD Durango should do great up there though

    Thrill381, thanx! I really dislike that two tone wood/leather. Just has a weird feeling to it. How did you find out? Did you take yours off?

    Sibe
  • 300mlover300mlover Member Posts: 132
    I also have the Borla exuast installed. It is a definite gain in HP. And it is an easy do it yourself job. The entire system is stainless steel including all the hardware. Guess this is how they can give a milion mile warrantee. I tried to post earlier that I wanted to sell my Borla (8 months old)for a dicount to my fellow 300M friends so I can do the dual exaust set up, but our friend PAT said that I cannot do this so I wont. In my oppinion the venturi's are not needed. I rather enjoy the growl of my Borla! And I do drive around 80 on the highway anyway.
  • 300mlover300mlover Member Posts: 132
    I run Perelli Winter Ice snows on factory steel wheels in the winter. The difference in handling and braking is amazing over the stock tires. I never knew this till I bought these! My M handles the snow better than my Grand Cherokee did. The whole set up only cost me about $500 at Tire Rack. All I had to do was take the stock wheels off the car and install the winters!
  • sibesibe Member Posts: 102
    Are these year round or just winter?

    Sibe
  • sirharpersirharper Member Posts: 112
    Email me with the details of your current Borla setup I may be interested. Was there any change in gas mileage? Who cares really I already get a wonderful 18.3 mpg now (sarcasm).
  • phases78phases78 Member Posts: 471
    ok guys, thank you all for putting up with my whining and complaning about my car. thanks for all the advise i recieved from all of you, you really are an excellent group of friends, even if i've only had the privilage to meet two of you.. i hope one day all of us can meet (dont think i can make the next meet, ill be in the field), but perhaps one day we can..

    so it looks like im just purchasing a new M tomorrow. 2001 black with i dont know how many miles on it. it had zero on it last time i checked, but almost a month ago gary mathews, the big man in charge, made it his demo. im sure its around 3k now.

    anyway, ill have to finance the difference. which is just short of seven grand. at least this way i can build some credit. however i believe thats a good deal, hell thats a good deal, even if the car wasnt wrecked. myne has 10k on it now.

    just thought id let everyone know whats up, and that im gonna have to start all over on my mods, however ill have the chromed grill, side marker lights, and custom clock done by tomorrow afternoon.

    also, the 2002.5 special comes with HID's.
  • 300mlover300mlover Member Posts: 132
    You missed some info in my winter tire post. These are snow/ice only tires that I run only in the winter
  • 300mlover300mlover Member Posts: 132
    I would need your email address buddy! hehe
  • sirharpersirharper Member Posts: 112
    Sorry about that I thought I had it posted in my profile...It's there now!
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Sorry to hear about your situation, but I hope it gets better. At first it seemed like you would be getting everything fixed that needed to be, you lovin your car and doing all those great mods. Don't mind me asking but what is going to happen with your current M? Is it going to be fixed or what? How are you going to get all those mods done by tomorrow afternoon? Whatever you do, I hope it all turns out for the best!

    On another note, what colors and options are available for the 2002.5 Special? What about the regular 2002 300M? Any other new options? Also, what's with the HID's on the Special? Any pricing ideas yet?
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    The gears sound real interesting. I have to investigate further on this. If the gears are the weak link then I will probably replace them. It would be nice to have a 5sec. 300M.
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    Had an artical about the 2004 Chrysler LX. It shows a picture of a streached 300M with a rear wheel drive (page 33 of August issue).
  • sdmike2sdmike2 Member Posts: 2,909
    Make sure you're doing this for the right reasons, not just as a knee-jerk reaction to your car being hit. $7k isn't pocket change, and that makes that black M about a $37,000 car (if your white one was an 01). If the repair is only going to take 5 days you might want to wait until it's done. You have a lot invested in that car, and it's been my experience that a good shop can repair it so you'll never know it was hit.

    -M
  • sirharpersirharper Member Posts: 112
    Don't get me wrong I would be hacked off if anything happened to my M but I really doubt I'd take a $7k hit and replace it on a whim...I'd at least wait until the 2002.5's
  • phases78phases78 Member Posts: 471
    sdmike/sirharper: its all good. that was the M i initially wanted, and it'll finally give me a chance to build some credit. i have none. something tells me one day i may need it. while for some of you this may be a waste of money, for me its getting 8k miles back, the color i wanted, and a car that hasnt been wrecked. and credit. TO ME, its worth it..

    beach: my current M will be sold to the dealer, repaired, and put on the lot. the mods that ill have done by tomorrow will be quick and easy, clockface is simple, five min job, chrome trim, 3 hours at most but im gonna attemp to reuse what i got, and the side marker lights, all i gotta worry bout doing is running the wire. if anyway has a way i can do it without my wife cuz shes working, any ideas? last time i used a coathanger to run it, not a good idea....

    as for the 2002 colors/options/priceing, ill get everything u want tomorrow while im there.
  • thill381thill381 Member Posts: 64
    Unless your car is a 00' $7K is too much. You should be around $5k otd (out the door) on the same year car. This if you give the dealer whatever the insurance company is paying you for the loss. Then you still have to take into consideration any mods you have invested in that are not removable from the car yet add no value to the dealer, i.e. exhaust, spoiler etc. You should be able to move up a model year for $7K-$8K. If you get a 01' now instead of waiting 3 weeks for an 02'you'll pay for it in the long run, as that 02' will always be worth $5K-$7K more. Do the math, wait for an 02'.
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    it sounds like the new M is a done deal--did you already sign the papers for it---did they take your damaged M in trade or do you have to have it fixed before they will take it in trade---

    If I were you, I would have had the white one fixed and see how it came out--if it didnt drive right or look right , they would have to make it right--dont accept it without a test drive and thorough look over--and then they probably would have given you a couple extra grand for your pocket for the decrease in value---and I would be willing to bet that you wouldnt be able to tell the difference once the car was fixed---your side panels and trunk lid were not damaged--the bumper is no big deal---

    7 grand IS a lot of money expecially where you'd be getting a used M---and the xtra cash they may have given you for decreased value would bring it up to about 9 grand--that's a lot of change for buying a used M---also do you realize how hard black is to keep clean--you'll be wiping it down every day.--and then you have to redo your mods at even more expense and time. If its not too late, I would give this some serious thought--why not wait for the 300Special--
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    I did the clock at about 6:30 this evening. She was sleeping in the living room when I went outside. Notice in the picture, that is her walking away after waking up and seeing me in the car. After seeing it, all I heard was "You better not have broken anything"(luckily I didn't),--at least she let me keep it in there! My advice, wait until nap time and work quick.
  • sdmike2sdmike2 Member Posts: 2,909
    We're not judging, it's just that from our armchairs it doesn't look like something we would do. However, if that black M is the best thing for you, make your best deal, drive your hardest bargain, take everything off the white M that doesn't change the trade-in value, and go for it. Your happiness, both short and long term, is what matters.

    -M
  • achanceachance Member Posts: 106
    Hello all, My '99 with 18K (non-PHP) is feeling a little "weak-kneed." Anyone have any good experiences with aftermarket shocks? Prefer an online or mailorder source, as here in AK the retail stores add a whole lot of "freight."
  • kpm61kpm61 Member Posts: 35
    Sorry to hear about your loss. Phases.
    I'm with the rest of the crowd. At least CONSIDER waiting for the 2002.
    The $7K equals a dollar a mile. Did the dealer guy, who has ZERO invested in the car, break it in properly or take care of it.

    OK a credit rating is worth something but unless it is erasing a recent chapter 11, thats too much.
    IMHO
    Kevin
  • phases78phases78 Member Posts: 471
    listen. i KNOW that waiting for an 02 may be better in the long run. however i dont think that 6800 bucks is too much. consider this. they are now getting a wrecked car. thats what i would expect to pay trading in one that wasnt wrecked. and the trunk and side panels were infact damaged. the side panels can be repaired, the trunk, replaced. there is also dual exhuast on there that they have to pay to put back to stock. they also have to repaint parts of the car because when i moved my emblems to the back, the adheasive i used will not come of the paint, the grill needs to be replaced because, same thing. i glued those chrome peices on there and when i took em off, well, its ugly. the transmission is damaged and they havent even assessed that yet. the brakes (somehow, its beyond me lol..) are now aacting up, and it got stuck in first for a brief but scary time today. the air conditioner is now out, the door rattles, etc etc...

    believe me. ive bought a car or 14 in my day. this may not be the best deal known across america, but its a good one. good enough for me to get into a good M, less miles, and my favorite color for a car.

    i must admit i didnt expect everyone to be so against this. if you could actually see and drive my car in person, perhaps you'd understand why 6800 bucks is a good deal. not to mention they're insurance co. 'claims' they are going to give me diminition amount for the loss of value on trade in. that'll help too.....

    p.s. no i havent sighned any papers yet, but im as close at it gets to it. morally, the deal is done.
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    A black 300M always beats a white one!
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    your M shouldnt have worn shocks at only 18k--I have 20k on mine and they're as good as new---I think you must want a firmer ride---maybe you should order the struts for the M PHP model---you can order them online for a good discount at the following link: check out their prices---very good deals--not sure about cost of shipping though--you also avoid taxes--link below

    http://www.mechanicsvilledodge.com/
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    just remember---in a few short months the 02's will be out and you could probably get just about as good a deal if you traded in your properly repaired M-----but whatever makes you happy---was that the first price the dealer gave you or did you bargain a little---tomorrow morning, tell the dealer you talked to your friends on Edmunds and they think you should be getting a better deal---tell him take off another $1500 and the deal you will sign--you could then settle for $1000 off your present deal---its worth a try to play hardball--dont act too anxious ---tell him otherwise you will just keep your car--you can always change your mind an hour later, so its worth a try to save a little money to help pay for the mods you have to redo.
  • russklassrussklass Member Posts: 389
    They don't call them SNOW tires, they are now WINTER tires. You always mount them on all 4 corners, and use them for winter driving only.
    On my '99M I used Michelin Arctic Alpins, and was very satisfied.
    On the '01M I tried the Goodyear Arctic Ice tires with equal success.
    The naysayers will say you don't NEED them, and they are probably correct; but once you try a good set of winter tires you will never go back to all-season treads for the winter again!
  • kpm61kpm61 Member Posts: 35
    Sorry to hear about your loss. Phases.
    I'm with the rest of the crowd. At least CONSIDER waiting for the 2002.
    The $7K equals a dollar a mile. Did the dealer guy, who has ZERO invested in the car, break it in properly or take care of it.

    OK a credit rating is worth something but unless it is erasing a recent chapter 11, thats too much.
    IMHO
    Kevin
  • phases78phases78 Member Posts: 471
    the first offer was 14,900. now there at 7,800. i worked with him for a couple hours for that. im gonna see what else i can do in the morning...

    goodnight all, im about to pass out from exhuastion. all this gives me a headache..
  • kpm61kpm61 Member Posts: 35
    Dose anyone have a link to this article that works ?
    It was in one of the print mags, R&T or Motor Trend.
    Or do you have the article to e-mail to me ?
  • 300mlover300mlover Member Posts: 132
    Black does look nice new. But take it from me I had a black Gr Ch Limited all black. All I can say is swirl, swirl, swirl marks. Phases keep the white. It's pure! It's clean! It's beautiful! Of course this is a totally non biased opinion!

    image
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    do you use fancy wheels are just plain ones--they do have at least one other advantage--your nonwinter tires will last longer but you do have the cost of mounting, tires, and time to get them mounted. I find the M to be the best winter driver with just the stock Goodyears of any other cars I've owned---that front drive and the heavy weight of the M pull it through most snowy roads---never was even close to getting stuck and I live in the Northeast (MA)---till I find a problem getting around in the winter, I dont think I'll bother with snows
  • avalanche165avalanche165 Member Posts: 558
    anyone done this? how hard/easy is it? any tips before doing it. waiting for my aluminum mesh grille to come in, but wanna take off the fascia to clean it up real good....thanks
  • phases78phases78 Member Posts: 471
    take it from me, i'm not one to argue with your statement, almost every car i've owned was white. i love white cars. and yes, black does have swirl marks, or will have anyway. however maybe this will get my off my rear to buy some of this zaino stuff, or at least something close to it, and actually take car of a car instead of just washing it..
    but i agree, i absolutely love white. i just like black just a hair more. the sad part is they're both equally difficult to keep clean lol....

    well guys, i'm off to see what kinda damage i can do....
  • psterpster Member Posts: 293
    Started car Saturday morning to take my daughter to swim lessons. It worked fine the evening before, with some spirited AutoStick work. One mile from home, I noticed hard shifts. Car downshifted very hard into first when approacing stop lights and after some up/down shifting on its own, settled into the 2nd gear limp mode and the CHECK ENGINE light came on. Dropped off daughter, drove to 5 STAR Dodge dealership 5 miles away (staying to 30 mph in 2nd)that was open on Saturdays. After 15 minutes, I had my car back. Faulty speed sensor, which is what I suspected. When I was driving to the dealership, the car would sometimes shift normally, but invariably start to up/down shift again and go into 2nd gear. Not sure if the speed sensor was actually bad, or just a loose wire somewhere. Anyway, fixed under warranty very quickly. One of the cleanest dealerships I have ever seen. TV, telephone, vending - large and clean waiting room. State of the art repair facility. Now if only the Chrysler dealership closer to my home would build one of these.......
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    It probably is best in the long run just getting that black M they have. Sure, you will have to make the payments but only on $7,000. Conversely, we're locked into a 5-year loan at 8% paying off the $17,000 that our 00' cost--we'll probably be around $30,000 by the time it is payed off. I wish we could have paid in cash but it just isn't that easy coming up with all that money. For you, this will be better because, while your white one may not look that bad to us, you'd probably end up dealing with more problems in the long-run. Plus, you now get a car with 8k less miles on it and you do get to build your credit up from nothing. I really don't think 7k is all that much to spend.

    As for the new car, does it have the same options as the white one? What color is the inside? We first looked at a white/lt. pearl beige M last October after being tired of a dark, hot car in the summer. But, what did we end up with, a deep slate/agate M. Yes, the M does look great in the dark colors, mainly black, but boy do they cook in just a little bit of sunlight. As for keeping it clean, unless you live in a really dusty area or when the pollen is out, keeping it clean isn't all that hard. Scratches and small dings do show up really well, but we wash ours every weekend and it doesn't look all that bad. I think if we ever got another, I'd get the black and lt. taupe. To me, the deep slate looks great in the evening and at night, but during the day or when the sun is out, it looks kind of like a crappy mix between some sort of brown and gray shades--not pretty. And the interior, I know you already have the dark inside, and is nice but hot and shows a lot more of the dirt/dust.

    That's my $.02, take it or leave it. I hope to see your shiny new black M soon!
  • fuzzywuzzyfuzzywuzzy Member Posts: 958
    The 300M doesn't use shocks. It uses struts. There are no aftermarket struts sold as far as I know for the 300M. The factory ones are the only ones.
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    Isn't it strange how some of the Dodge dealers seem to be nicer and have more apt, skilled employees than the Chrysler places? This always made me wonder.
  • fuzzywuzzyfuzzywuzzy Member Posts: 958
    I have to agree with the group. Why don't you get the car fixed, take the mods off, & by that time the 2002's will be out, & then get a black one. On the credit...Take it from a 25 year old with very bad, or no credit, Financing 7K is not going to help you credit very much! I financed a 11K kia, & still had to have a co-signer when I bought the 300m, & still can't get a real credit card!
  • rogor2krogor2k Member Posts: 385
    The 300M Enthusiasts Club Board of Directors met last night and voted to add a Classified Ads section to the Club web site. Only members will be able to post advertisements, and only for specific automobile related items (i.e. you won't be able to list a refrigerator with a picture of a 300M on it).

    ANYONE visiting the site (member OR non-member) will be able to view the ads and can then contact the seller by e-mail. The Club will not assume any responsibility for completion of the transaction.

    Give us a little while to put it together and test it. We'll let you know when it's ready to go.

    Yours 300Mly,

    Roger Waters, President
    Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club
  • rogor2krogor2k Member Posts: 385
    Maybe I'm already too late, but here's my take. The 2002s are ALMOST HERE, just a matter of weeks. I really think it would be smarter, if you really feel you need to get rid of the white M, to wait just a little while longer. Then you'd be the FIRST in the Club with a 2002 model. Just imagine how cool that would be!!

    As soon as the 02's hit the showroon, the 01's drop in value by thousands of dollars. I know you're feeling like you never want to drive the crunched car again, but if you can hang on for just a little while, I think you'd come out much better in the long run.

    I remember last year how envious we all were of the first to get a new 2001. You could be King of the Mountain all over again. Think it over.

    Just my $0.04 (adjusted for inflation).
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    Now I have to take the emblems off my refrigerator. No, seriously sounds like a great idea. It seems like the north Phoenix dealers do not want to give 300M club discounts. I see none of my dealers turned in their paperwork.
  • russklassrussklass Member Posts: 389
    Yes, I use different wheels with the winter tires. That way it's a simple wheel/tire switch Fall & Spring.

    I got the original package with the Michelin Arctic Alpin tirea from Discount Tire for $840, mounted, balanced & delivered.

    They look great on the car:

    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1501794&a=11408326
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    The 300 Tuner gets the Euro style headlights not HID. I knew I forgot something. I have heard that production on the Tuner will start Jan-Feb 2002.
    Wow another speed sensor gone bad? I have know idea what is wrong with them , just that DC better get working on a fix.
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