Chrysler 300M

intrepidspirit

I read an article two weekends ago about how thieves have broken the Chrysler security systems for virtually every Chrysler product manufactured after 1992. Apparently the car's security systems can be disabled in 30 seconds, if you know the secret. One of the eastern cities (Cleveland, maybe?) has 3 Chrysler vehicles in its top ten list for stolen cars. The police claim they have informed Chrysler about this as long ago as 1995. A Chrysler official has stated that "they are looking into it..." Since 1995???

300michael

All security systems are easy to brake into if you know the systems, and most professional thieves know the security systems on most cars better then the dealers. Since you can't stop a thief that really wants your vehicle, all you can do is slow them down, to make the time factor too long for their tasts. Thiefs hate to spend time trying to steal a vehicle. That is why I layered my securty divices so that when they defeat one they find that they have a few more waiting for them. PS a couple of flashing LED's don't hurt eather. Just warn any other drivers of the vehicle of the switches so that when they hit a (say auto headlights) switch they do not turn on of off the security. As I learned from Sherloc Homes I like to hide my security in plain sight, but nothing appears as it seems.

kosh_2258

They must be refering to the EVS/EVSII security system. That's been around for a long time.

The Sentry Key system has only been around since 99 and would be tougher to hack. Not impossible, but tougher.

300michael

A while back someone was asking about the Navigation systems the dealers carry. Well, I finally found the information. The Unit is made by Visteon. They have a website at www.eVisteon.com or call 1-800-VESTEON. To just see the info on it try this link http://www.visteon.com/technology/automotive/navmate.shtml

jab02lhs

The show tickets are $12.00. The $20.00 is for the lots at the front entrance to Cobo. The price goes down if you want to walk a couple of blocks in the winter in Detroit.
Also, last year my son showed me the large parking garage for Cobo that has a walkway to the hall and if I remember correctly the price was only about $10.00. Still a couple of blocks by the time you park and walk.

splatt

clpurnel - sorry to see you go, but I agree with what was said. Please call Chrysler corporate and complain about the dealership. Hopefully if enough people complain then we can get rid of the sh@t....

Scottjohnson - you should get an 01 or later - it has steering wheel radio controls

Security - not sure where you read that chryslers top the list - hondas have always had that honor. Chrysler/dodge is not usually up that high. Certainly some areas the average will be skewed, but overall it's still not near top of the list...

intrepidspirit

I'll dig up the article to see if it identifies the type of system. As to Hondas topping the lists, the listing I was referring to was for one or two specific cities where Chryslers were targeted, presumably because they could be stolen easily by someone who knew how. Hondas (particularly Civics) would probably top any national listing.

I hope the '99+ system is more secure. I'll post again when I read up on it!

lonestarsled

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5375629&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415891&rfi=6

jab02lhs

I live in Cleveland "Welcome to the Jungle"
I do recall seeing the same list, but like all statistic you can twist them to show almost anything.
They were talking about the percentage of cars of a particular make that were stolen.

So if Chrysler made 1,000 LHS's and 100 were stolen and Toyota made 100,000 Camerys and 1,000 were stolen The LHS would be at the top of the list as the highest percentage stolen.
Probably compiled by an insurance company to raise our rates.

easyrider300m

dont think that article includes our M's. The key with the chip in it is a good security protection device. I dont think lower end Chrysler products include that device.

But I think someone should invent another system . It would work like this. If a key with the chip in it is not used to start the car the interior of the car would be instantly fill with pepper spray causing the thief and any accomplices to be incapacitated. If the thief is blinded, I dont think he will be going very far with the car.

Can you work on that system, 300Michael. Maybe we could patent it. If it sells, we both could afford the new Chrylser Maybach---the $300,000 dream car Chrylser is planning on producing soon.

Or how bout a stun gun shock system built into the steering wheel. If you start the car by any means other than the proper chip ignition key, 50,000 volts are transfered to the thief's body via the steering wheel.

300michael

I would go for a flame thrower type of system. The only thing is that the interior would have to be made of aspestos. and fans to blow the ashes out. "What car jackers Officer, I don't see anyone" Back to reality. Mine just kills the starter, the engine control module and the fuel pump, to mention a few. So after they bypass the starter switch they them must work on each one to finally get the car started. So instead of just one switch thay must find and defeat all 6 to get going, unless they tow the car away with the lights and horn going off.

300michael

I just wonder how long they will be down. They keep extending the down time.

intrepidspirit

The article that lonestarsled posted is essentially the one I was referring to with some editing differences. Obviously, my memory isn't very good -- I said 3 of the top ten cars stolen (should have been 7 of 10) in Cleveland (my guess - it was actually Baltimore). Anyway, it appears that the key with the chip excludes the M (and other higher-ended Chrysler/Dodge models) from the subject of the article.

About the memory -- they say it's one of the first 2 things to go; I can't remember what the other is... I know, corny joke, but at least I remembered it!

jab02lhs

Memory goes first so that you don"t miss what goes second. :>)

scottjohnson

Along with the '02 radio controls on the steering wheel, I'd like the wood trim from the lux package!

We need to build the perfect 300M using the best stock features from the various years...
- radio/amp, window trim (black), engine(hp): '99-'00
- door weatherstripping: '01+
- interior trim: '01+ lux
- engine module: any year PHP/PHG (no limit, mid-grade fuel)
- suspension, wheels & tires, exhaust, headlights: '02 special
- tail lights: '02+
- shift knob: personal preference (chrome/not)
- what else...

fastdriver

easyrider300m-

The Maybachs are already out!! Probably only be seeing those in Beverly Hills and the bigwigs garages in Grosse Pointe, MI!! ;-))))

Okay- not bad LOOKING. Not sure about that 'aluminum" around the windshield though. WHY so little horsepower?

http://pc99.detnews.com/autosinsider/sneakpeek/index.hbs?myrec=48

I think this is better-

http://www.roadandtrack.com/features/articleDisplay.asp?articleID=320

If you go to the http://www.infiniti.com site and click on Future Models, you can see a RED one! ;-))

fastdriver

ajpiii

That G35 Coupe is my next ride... Im in love with that car... and just think of the performance goodies available from the 350Z (turbo turbo turbo , 400+hp)... I'm getting one in 2004, let them work out the bugs a little.... I'll keep the M though since I wont get much for it by then...

intrepidspirit

I thought the 01 tailights were cool...are the 02's different?

Also 00+ -- rear cupholders.

AND -- I'll say this before sdmike does -- INFERNO RED PAINT!!!!

wire2

A while ago someone asked about our factory model mix ratio. As of this AM we've built 32,323 Intrepids, 11,198 M's and 10,274 Concordes. About 60%, 21%, 19%.

300michael

I thought that is what I was doing with my 99 300M. I changed out the radio, added the 01 tail lamps (then modified them), added much better sound deadening, added ram air/bored out TB, and duel exhaust. Lowered sport suspension, Navigation/audio vidio monitors. Just to name a few things. I do have a modified chrome shifter too.

http://community.webshots.com/user/my300m_ or http://public.fotki.com/300M/

300michael

This has to be (along with Scottdale) the 300M capital of Arizona. Gave out 7 cards (3 in just one shopping center) and a few got a way. DesertM, I hope you are having the same or better luck.

fedlawman

I was sitting in a parking lot in my Concorde LTD listening to a CD (Dave Matthews Band) when I discovered...

Steering wheel mounted audio controls!

They are on the back side of the steering wheel behind the cruise control pods.

I just ran out of complaints for this car!

lonestarsled

Does anybody know what the MSRP is going to be? Appears that Chrysler was too slow to production w/the Crossfire, and it has been surpassed by the 350Z. You can bet there will be a big aftermarket parts source for the 350Z!

99_300m_ric_va

I'm doing the same thing, making my M the best I can. I have a 99 with a 2000 leather shift boot, 2001 Tail Lamps, 2002 Special Badges, did my own stereo upgrade, intake mods, window tint, english burl wood trim, dual exhaust, Pilot Sport A/S tires, and the best mod of all, a 300M Enthusiast Club Decal.

Now I don't have the 01+ weatherstriping. Is this really any different if even 01 and 02 windows stick for some owners?

02 Special HIDs would be nice, but the originals are pretty darned good. More sound deadening would be nice, but that's what the stereo upgrade is for.

mjs2002

For those of you who have expressed concerns about the inferior Infinity AC amp in the 02 M's. I understand that some of you were told that the new AD amp they are using to replace the old amp as part of the tsb is on national backorder. I just wanted to let you know my dealer called today and the AD amp they ordered for me last Friday is in and is going to be installed tomorrow.
Mike

peters300m

I was at work today and got a call from my brother and he told me that my dad(who I lent my car for the day)got into an accident. My dad said he rear ended a brand new pickup truck. He said the whole front end is crumpled halfways in. Tomorrow I'm going to see my car at the storage place to get a few things out of my 300M and also shed some tears. Wish me luck :-(

easyrider300m

I have the Yokos but have not mounted them yet. Did you find them to be quiet on the road? Did they handle ok in the rain? I wonder which tire would be better in the snow.

How did you find the cornering ability of the Yokos? For $103 ea including shipping from the west coast to MA I think I will be happy with them. I had a similar tire on my Mark VIII (Avid v-rated) and had no complaints.

ruski

is late indeed.

Nissan quickly got their butt in gear and produced the new Z without too much talk. And gave it the right amount of power.

Chrysler has been talking about Crossfire for a long time now. And it is not here yet. And when it comes out it will have laughable amount of power.

kosh_2258

FYI,
I received the '03 6 Disc CD changer I bought to replace the 4 Disc changer my Special came with.

It was a 100% plug & play swap taking about 5 minutes to do.

About the only observation is that it's a bit noisier when changing discs than the 4 disc unit, but that's about it.

The kit came with two connector cables, 1 for the 8 pin DIN plug and one for the new 10 pin molex plug so it would appear the changer is universal for any DC radio with the changer control feature.

denverm

I have a PHG M, which came with Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 (I think that's the right designation). The Yoko YK420's were quieter and smoother on bumps, but they did not handle nearly as well, in my opinion. The car seemed sort of floaty to me, much less precise than what I was used to. I have always been amazed by how well my M takes curves, and that's more important to me than 0-60 acceleration, so I was disappointed in the Yokos and traded them in after a few days for the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S.

The Pilot Sports also seem quieter to me than the Pilot HX MXM4, and they handle GREAT! Too bad they cost so much. I did not drive the Yokos in rain or snow, but the tread looks like they would handle snow well. The Pilot Sports do fine in rain, I haven't driven in snow yet.

If you don't care to drive enthusiastically around the curves, and perhaps expecially if you don't have the PHG option, the Yokos may satisfy you completely. They are probably a big improvement over the Goodyears that came on '99 and '00 non-PHG M's, to judge by the comments of those owners who have switched to the Yokos. I'm not knocking them; they just weren't the tire for the way I like to drive my PHG M.

easyrider300m

Thanks for the comments on the Yokos---I dont really usually take turns at high speeds and dont have PHP, so the Yokos should work for me. I'll put the $$ savings toward duals in the near future.

PS: our board is back online--start your posting!

bigmike5

Sorry to hear of the accident. I hope that your dad is OK. If the damage makes it a total out, you can always look at the Special. I have been contemplating that route but am hoping that DC will have to go to 0%/5yr. financing for the 2003's. If that happens I will be looking to buy and damn the waiting for the 2004.5's. At my age you got to get while the getting is good. Originally I found the Crossfire interesting until they dropped the HP from 275 to 215. That car should hit the market with a hefty price tag, just in time to be pronounced DOA. I have also been told that the new 350Z is actually "out" even tho it was supposed to be arriving in November. My Ziebart guy told me he has seen 2 of them at different dealers but they were cars that had been ordered and didn't stay long. Would like to see that car up close. I never liked the originals when they came out. With a bad back I doubt I would be able to hoist myself in and out without some serious discomfort.

denverm

I was in my dealer's showroom the other day and they had a PT Cruiser Turbo. Sticker price was around $25K, but then a supplemental sticker on the windshield added $4400 for "D.M.A." I didn't ask, but have a couple guesses what this means:
"Demand Madness Assessment"
or
"Dealer Market Adjustment"
Maybe someone here has a better interpretation of this acronym . . . .

ajpiii

If you want to turn your M into a special, here's what it would cost... Here is an email I recieved from Family Parts...

"Well, I was able to look up all your parts without any problems, but the front and rear valences are not seperate. They come as one piece with the whole bumper cover.

Your prices and availibility break down is below. Though you did'nt mention any club name or anything, I'll still give you the discount because this is some pretty high dollar stuff.

(R) = retail price (D) = 20% off discount

 i/s = in stock b/o = part on back-order, and will take me about a week or more to get.

Front Bumper cover - $707.00 (R) $565.60 (D) i/s - This comes

primed and ready to paint.

Rear bumper cover - $760.00 (R) $608.00 (D) b/o - also comes primed

L & R 1/4 panel side skirt - $158.00 each (R) $126.40 each (D) b/o -

Comes in 3 colors: black, deep sapphire blue, or bright silver metallic

clear coat.

L & R Fender side skirts - $212.00 each (R) $169.00 each (D) b/o - See

above

Turn Signal mirrors

    - left - $337.00 (R) $269.00 (D) - Comes in same 3 colors as

above. black and blue i/s, silver is b/o

    - right - $280.00 (R) $224.00 (D) - same as above.

Rear Spoiler - I was'nt sure weather you needed this or not, so I figured it

couldnt hurt to list it. I have a primed and ready to pain one in stock,

$185.00 (R) $148.00 (D). They also come in a variety of colors. These

I'd have to order. They are $245.00 (R) and $196.00 (D). The colors are as

follows: stone white, bright silver, cinnamon glaze,inferno red, deep

sapphire blue, light almond pearl, black, dark garnet red, and graphite

metallic. you can view a pic of a silver spoiler on

http:// www.mopar.com/m_acc_cat_part.jsp?redirect=m_acc_cat_part.jsp&op=&grou

p=1003&part=&subGroup=2037&msc=&acc=

I've had a little trouble with this

link, so if it dosent work, go to www.mopar.com click "accessories", fill in

the fields, click exterior, then spoilers.

    We have a policy of no shipping charges on orders over $200.00 so that

applies here.

If you have any questions or other parts needs, feel free to email em

directly at Tom@familyparts.com"

bigmike5

Which of those parts would be the side ground effects for the Special?

ajpiii

The sides would be:

L & R Fender side skirts - $212.00 each (R) $169.00 each (D) b/o - See
above

Not cheap, but they look so nice...

blonda

They're selling them here in San Diego....I've seen 3 around town just this week. Pretty nice looking. The rear is a little weird, but it's growing on me. The Crossfire does look similar and the rear on that is better. I can't figure out why the Crossfire doesn't even have the HP of the M...what are they thinking? Even the 2003 Honda Accord now is going to be available with 240hp (or is it 220?)

bigmike5

If the "black" color for the ground effects is really a charcoal color, I might be interested in them for my platinum M assuming that they are easy enough to put on and my Ziebart guy was willing to do it for me. If you get any of that stuff and it works out let us know. I am going in for the duals as soon as I get my M back from the body shop (already a week late!!) and so I will have to wait a little while $$$ to consider the side ground effects.

easyrider300m

Dont know if anyone else mentioned this, but their is a nice article on the new Hemi engine with all specs and details in Nov issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Will be used in the 2003 Ram trucks. The engine is a V8 and uses 16 spark plugs. It will also probably be available for the 300N due out in 2004.

On another note, Road and Track Magazine (I think it was oct issue) has a nice description of the 2003 Infinity 45M which is a mid-level sport lux car. The styling looks very appealing and the interior very comfortable. It has a V8 that puts out 325 if I remember correctlyand does the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds and the 0-60 in a about 6.3 seconds. It will sell for about $43 base and $46 nicely loaded. Will give the 300N some competition.

silverbullet4

Lynn, I tried to email you earlier this week at the address in your profile. How about a donut and coffee on me so I can see and hear your new dual exhaust system? Hope your job search is going well.

Regards,

Silver

glennbp

I'm with Blonda here; why spend all the R&D dollars and come up with a really great design and then underpower the damn thing??? Not even an option for a stronger powerplant??? Just seems ridiculous from my standpoint. The Asians and Germans are going to kill us if you look at what they are coming up with!!!

blonda

Maybe that's DC's plan.....keep that German superiority image going. But I don't think it's too smart to compete against one of your own divisions---in the long run it's going to be a big mistake for them financially IMO.

300michael

You forgot to mention the HID headlamps, and badges (engine,door sill, fender and trunk). They are sure to add a few grand to the equation. It would be cheaper to just purchase one. Count me out on the skirts, since they would be hitting every speed bump in the country. My car has less then four inches of ground clearance as it is, those skirts would make the car look like a hover craft. I many add bottom feelers (just like the old curb feelers, only for the bottom of the car). Not to mention none of the stuff would make the car handle any better or improve performance.

300michael

That (45M) is about 10K more then the talked about price range of the 300N so, neather car would be in direct competition with each other.

300michael

Why not just get the Prowler Pro gears for less money? You will notice more of a differance in the car while driving. That is a lot of money to have the body drop an inch. You can lower your struts 3/4" by just loosening one bolt.

300michael

300michael

Recieved the stereo unit yester day, thanks. Now I just need to find one of those New 6cd changers. Then I can get all the CD,s out of my DVD changer. (wish they made a 400 CD/DVD changer for the trunk):)

300michael

They could find nothing wrong with it. I plays CDs and the DVD changer fine. It scans the radio stations and locks onto them but no sound from the speakers. I tried my old head unit and it is the same thing. So I have a wireing problem somewhere to track down.

mrl859

The first 350Zs were delivered in August. I think all the first year's run were preorders, but I don't know that for a fact.

clpurnell

First my update. I called the number given by fastdriver and to date have received no return call. Customer Service raising it's head again. If I was able to call and get a positive response from the upper level at chrysler might have saved the M. But alas no such luck.

350z
This is an awesome car I have seen 4 on the road. Also a local used dealer has one for sale but they want 2k over msrp for a car with 2k miles on it. You can order from nissan for sticker and delivery is 1-2 months. I mean this thing is almost as quick as a 911

M45
This is a joke car. It has a big engine but little else. Rear seat room is smaller than the I35 or G35 which are smaller cars. The M is way better as a car but infinti is tops in reliability and service.