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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1873527563
Wanna send me one so I can reply?
(post answer here, or e-mail me -> sm5w2@hotmail.com).
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/new-mopar-hemi.html
LH V6 engines
http://www.allpar.com/mopar/v6.html
In terms of splash guards, I have a 2000 Dark Slate with splash guards and bra and get loads of compliments about the overall look. I have the 2003 Special in waiting and they are installing the splash guards on that as well. I love their look on the black vehicles. Now, getting those 18" rims chromed will really sweeten it.....
I'd push them harder on the price and get a definite number on the "dealer and handling" charge. That's a good way for them to make a few added bucks off of you. I'd be wary if the fee exceeds $50. Keep in mind they will get a refund from Chrysler of 3% of the sticker less freight, around $1000. So if they really want to sell a car they'll dip into that a bit, especially now right at the end of the month and year.
The owners manual recommends using 89 octane fuel, and discourages using anything above that. My average gas mileage, weighted heavily to freeway travel at around 75mph, is around 21-22mpg.
To quote from the 02 Service Manual Page 0-4
"Your engine is designed to meet all emissions regulations and provide excellent fuel economy and performance when using high quality unleaded gasoline having an octane rating of 87. The uses of midgrade, octane rating of 89 gasoline is recommended for the 3.5L HO engine. The use of premium gasoline is not recommended. The use of premium fuel will provide no benefit over high quality regular gasoline, and in some circumstances may result in in poorer performance."
What could be more clear than that! My 02 Special runs just fine on 89....don't waste your money friends!!!
They don't specify a octane number so anything above "regular" 87 octane can be considered "premium" for lack of a specific number.
Bottom line is all the documentation that counts says 89 octane for the HO engine.
We still get a lot of looks when the 300M is polished up. I think the splash guards add a classy look to the car. Sort of a European touch. I've noticed some scrapes on the bottom of the rear splash guards, but nothing severe. We have considered replacing the black bra w/ the clear 3M film bra, like I put on our new Bravada, but I think the cut lines will show much more on Slate than on the Bravada's Pewter paint. Besides, I think the black bra adds character.
BTW, we also have the black Chrysler door edge guards on all doors. Protects the vehicle next to it in our garage and looks great on a "Deep Slate" M.
Dumped the BadYear tires and got 4 Yokohama YK420s today at Discount tire. I will have to get them re-balanced at the dealer with the high-tech balancer to get rid of vibration at about 65 mph, but otherwise what a wonderful change. My wife agrees that road noise is reduced and bumps now give a thump instead of a bang. What really surprised me was my wife feels the YK420s give the car a much "grippier" feel both straightline and when cornering. I guess I was so focused on noise and ride comparison that I didn't notice the handling and road feel improvement.
Thanks to the folks on this board for recommending the YK420s as a BadYear replacement. Now I'll have to decide on my next enhancement for ride improvement and noise reduction.
BTW, 2 of the BadYears were original tires w/ 19,640 miles, and looked like crap. The shop guy thought maybe another 4 or 5 thousand miles at most. Pretty poor threadwear by my standards. The other 2 were Goodyear warranty replacement tires w/ about 6,000 miles on them. They looked like a decent tire looks at about 20,000 miles. I am truly glad those tires are finally gone.
The smallest size OEM wheel that has ever been fitted to a M is 16" and that was on the 99 & early 2000 PHP package. Since then everything has been 17" or 18".
I got a winter wheel/tire package from Tire Rack and the wheels are 16".
I bought an '02 Special earlier in the Fall and I really love it. My color is Silver with the Light Taupe and the car has everything except the Smoker's Group and the Cold Weather Group. I use Sunoco 93 octane in mine and it runs good. The owner's manual does recommend the 89 octane, but the literature also says that the Special makes the extra 5 ponies when using premium fuel. I guess it's a matter of interpretation as to what constitutes "premium". 87 octane is basically weasel piss and I've regarded the 89 as "regular". Anything 90 and above I regard as premium. I'm a little disappointed at my fuel economy thus far. I've had all I can do get 20 mpg overall with the car and I've been fairly easy on it. The best I've gotten is 21.5 on a mostly highway tankful. It should be higher. At 2300 miles, I'm willing to attribute it to the newness of the car and am hopeful it will pick up a little with time. If not, I'll bring it in and see if there's anything amiss.
The only area you may wish to look out for is if you get the big 18-inch wheel and tire package. It was standard on my '02 but is an option on the '03's. There are tire balance issues with these large tires and the cars have a tendency to shake going down the road. I was able to get mine resolved under warranty, but it was a solution by brute force. They gave me the best 4 sets of wheels and tires out of 6 Specials on the lot. Mine was one of the 6. The car rides like a dream now. Another concern has been with how driveable the car is in the snow with the 18-inch wheels and tires. We recently had a snowstorm in my area and I can report that despite other claims, my car handled the snow very well. The roads were completely covered and it was slippery out there. Using the autostick for 2nd gear starts helped. I had no trouble, but I thank everyone who posted on this issue before as I was looking out for it in this snowstorm.
Good luck with your purchase.
Service Contract:
I did not purchase my extended warranty at the dealership. I received mail from Chrysler that explained the different plans, and what was covered. You have a year after the purchase of the car to decide if you want to extend your warranty. I paid $1300 for the Added Care plan 7Y/75K. I paid it over one year. There is also a maximum care plan only $300 more which thinking back, I should have gotten, but I am happy with the plan I got. As you can see from the info above, I do not put as much mileage on it as some of you do. How much have you paid for your contracts?
Tires:
The OEM Michelins with the 16 inch wheels only lasted about 28K miles, and yes that was with rotation every 6K. The replacement tires were about $200 each...not worth it for that kind of mileage. Instead I got some Dayton Daytona ZR tires. Wow these are great in the rain. I never really took that aqua tread stuff seriously, but it does work. These tires really slice up the puddles, and I have never hydroplaned like I would with the Michelins.
Problems:
Fuel Rail - replaced - I lost about half a tank of gas in about four miles. Gas spilling all over the place.
Window motors - all 4 replaced - the motors on the 99 were bad, as I know all 99 owners are aware of.
Struts and Springs - Replaced - They rusted out. Then the struts had to be replaced again in about three months because the car was hopping.
Transmission sensor - Replaced X 2 - Car would get stuck in second gear because sensor died.
Ignition switch - Replaced - Car had trouble starting and dash lights would flicker.
Unfortunately, my dealership fired my service rep...I guess he did too good of a job. He always got things fixed, explained everything to me, and generally kept me happy. Suddenly after the original warranty was over and the rep was fired, I was not treated as nicely. I don't go there anymore. I found another dealership that still treats me with respect.
Recommendations:
If your buying a new 300M, I recommend the Maximum Care warranty offered by Chrysler. You will receive mail from other places, but make sure you get the one from Chrysler!
Also, if you finance with Chrysler, the auto-pay is the easiest way to pay. No checks, no postage, no late payments. Just make sure you have enough in the bank account to cover the payment.
And yes, I still love the car and expect to keep it at least the full 7Y/75K miles covered by the warranty.
No Mods to date, but after seeing the things done by my fellow 300M lovers, I'm starting to think about it...
Have any of you tried the Tornado Fuel Saver? Does it work?
Save your money on that Tornado fuel saver. Put it towards a K&N aircharger intake instead... and do the duals for fuel savings and most importantly looks and sound..
vroommmmmmmmmm
EZrider
Still have the oem Goodyears, they've offered none of the problems some here have experienced. A bit noisy, decent in the snow. I hope to get to next fall with them. Then, do I replace the tires or the car?
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Other than that, only thing I've had replaced were a couple of the center caps on the wheels. These things are known to corrode and drop off.
No problems ever with power window motors...
Lots of problems recently with tires losing air from leaks around the rim. One went completely flat over-night (!).
http://www.fixrim.com/
I have never used these people so I cannot speak for their work.
I've used automotive polishing compound on a soft rag and they sparkle like new. Chrome is extremely hard and will withstand *mild* abrasives with no loss of surface material.
No1trust. I have the OEM plain black flaps and had no problems scraping the ground altho an occasional speed bump must be taken slowly. They have lasted well for 4+ years. I actually wanted to go wider than the wheel well, but I got blank stares from the auto shop I was talking with about ordering me some that would have to be tailored to fit, so I gave up on that idea.
clear bra or otherwise. I have the 3M clear film put on by Ziebart for $159. Stongard on the net has a similar product but it is very pricey. I also have the OEM hood bra by Chrysler. I think the manetic bra company puts out a product that looks a lot smoother on the hood. The OEM bra has slight wrinkled areas where the creases are. The magnetic bra is comparably priced to the OEM one. I use it only on trips and in good weather. It is easy on and off. I am told that long term use without removal after rains, etc. can cause the paint to fade. I have seen no evidence that this is the case, and some of the Club members have the full layout, and none mentioned a fading problem.
Otto--Yeah, I asked about a possible starter problem, but got a shrug of the shoulders from the mechanic. He cleaned the groundwires connections and greased some areas but came up with little. They could not access the DC computer line to seek an answer from on high. The computer system on Friday was kaput. They promised to try again today, and I will call them to see what they came up with, but Blowbyu may have given me the answer with the ignition switch. I will keep everyone posted on this. I probably have one of the oldest M's.
On the battery shroud. I agree with whoever said it was a [non-permissible content removed] to get the shroud back in. I watched the Sear's guys try to for 30 minutes after the changed the battery. They also left off 2 screws and a clip. I am really only upset that the dealer's guy saw and noted this stuff missing and didn't come out and ask me if I wanted them to replace it while they had the shroud off again to check the ground wire. Would have been easy for the dealer's guy to do. Instead he just noted it as missing on the invoice. Can't wait to talk to customer service when they call me on how my visit went.
Does anyone have any ideas on what kind of distance I can expect out of these 18" Michelins? And how well they work in snow? Indy doesn't get the nasty white stuff they get in more northern climes but it still does come down here on occasion.
About mudflaps - I got them a couple of months after I bought the car since without them, the road crud on the doors was unbearable. My car is white and the flaps are black, but I think that it does add a little something to the look of the car.
But, I have to explain your warning to my Grand Baby and I'm just not too sure how she is going to take the news that someone else has picked the Silver Bullet name. Anyway, thanks for the words of warning. Oh, by the way, do the Texas Troopers pick on us people driving these "bad [non-permissible content removed] 300Ms" or do they just envy us and let us keep on keeping on?
L-ville area for Wednesday. First snow test for my Goodrich Comp TA's is on tap for Wednesday nite after bowling. Looking forward to the challenge.