If the tire edges (both sides of the same tire) are wearing then the tire is under inflated. Camber is the problem of only the inner or outer edges are wearing. The shock tower does allow for some flexability in this area.
Funny, a number of you are discussing problems with your a/c now that the weather is getting warmer. My car has a similar problem; this is the 2nd spring in a row where the a/c no longer works after working fine last summer. Last year my so-so dealer did not find a leak; I have only about 3500 left on extended warranty so I hope they find the problem. The weird thing is that during the winter I turned on the defroster and at one point it looked like a gas or smoke was blowing out of the vents--it seemed like the freon got into the system and leaked into the car but that's just conjecture on my part. I'm thinking of taking it to a different dealer to try to find the problem.
If anyone else is interested, we could trade knowledge or opinions regarding the following 11 maintenance/ general knowledge issues. This topic is becoming relevant as some of our cars are piling on some miles. I know the answers to some of them, and have opinions on others, but will remain silent to begin with, thereby following Abraham Lincoln's advice which was "better to remain silent and appear a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt". I'll be out of town next week but will check in on this when I return; hopefully someone will have posted their opinions or facts by then.
1) Does the 'M have a stainless steel exhaust system?
2) How long should one wait before changing the original alternator?
3) How long should one wait before changing the original water pump?
4) Where is the water pump on the M?
5) How long should one wait before changing the original battery?
6) How long should one reasonably expect the catalytic converter to last?
7) How long should one wait before changing the oxygen sensors?
8) How many oxygen sensors are there on the 'M?
9) When is it prudent to change the wheel hub bearings?
10) When is it prudent to change the struts?
11) What is your secret tip for improving the car's long term performance (I have one anyway if no one else does)
Talk about a defective part ruining "perceived reliability." The coil problem with the VW was the same problem that part gave to the Audi A4. Their Edmunds board site is replete with complaints about part failure, long delays in getting a new part, and dealers/Audi/VW trying to avoid the issue. Now Audi is finally replacing all the coils for some of the car years. They wouldn't own up to a defective part problem til a gun was put to their head by the press and owners. Sound familiar. My daughter's new A4 had a windshield washer problem. Took her a month to get an appointment to have it looked at and then they had to order the part--another month. "perceived reliability..."
On the long term maintenance questions, I can opine on a few of them. I have a first build year 99. Appraoching 57K miles. Don't think its has a stainless steel exhaust system but my exhaust guy said as he changed me over to duals last August that it was very high quality stuff down there. He hit the old stuff with his wrench and it was solid, and he even used part of it on the new set up. No original muffler failure in over 4.5 years. Change the alternator when it breaks. Change the water pump [according to Ottowrkr] when you have to change the timing belt and have that casing off the front of the engine anyway. I think that belt is considered good til around 100K miles. If it is still the original I would change the battery at 4.5 years or as the next winter is approaching. They have a tendency to quit with no warning rather than show weakened cranking power. No other answers to offer except the question on long term performance. If you got a good build, some didn't ala Christine and Beach's Christine II, be a fanatic about the 3K oil, lube and filter change, and wash her a minimum of twice a week with personal[you] or touchless car washes only. Do not use the brush or roller commercial wash stalls. Do the Razorstars twice a week with a small amount of mild dishwasher liquid in a bucket of water, and a soft sponge. Mine still look like new, with no road grime build up.
Whay you saw was probably condensation. Literally, a "cloud". Here in the deep south, I run my AC every month of the year. In the winter or especially the summer when it's 98 and the humidity is 85%, I get this fairly often until the humidity level drops in the car. The extremely cold air from the AC hits the warm humid air in the car and it makes a "cloud" briefly. I have seen this in every car I have had with an AC system that blows VERY cold air like the M. It's very common in high humidity areas or after rainy periods when humidity is high.
I'g going on a short vacation next week but when I get back all I have to do is order my main muffler and I will have all the parts needed to have my dual exhaust system installed. I'm replacing the stock collector and muffler with Magnaflow components and I have purchased some Hooker Headers tips ( http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=300- 2&prmenbr=361 They look far more impressive in person. Dual 3" outlets!) for the exits should look nice.
Bluesky and Dustin: I think you are both correct, sort of. Very coincidentally my a/c started "blowing vapor" again yesterday on the way home from work. I say "again" as this is exactly what it did before it went out the first of three times. Normally, I would agree with Dustin that it is condensation in the vents, but it's not. This vapor is coming out even though the air pushing it is only "moderately cool", certainly not cold. When my a/c has stopped cooling, it has been very sudden. It's definitely not a gradual thing, and it seems to happen when the weather gets warm and humid, as yesterday was the first such day in St. Louis this year. Since I had a new A/C compressor put in several months ago, I'll go back to dealer to have it checked out....but I think there may be a serious flaw in the evaporator coil. I was hoping this car would get me through the summer, it's not. Going to look for a new one today. Have my eye on the Nissan G35 Coupe.
Question #1 yes, #2and 3 As long as they last. #4 It is in the front, built into the block. #5-7 As long as they last. #8 two one one each side. #9-10 as long as they last. #11 Routine mantinance. I stll have all the parts except for the orginal struts (I changed them out for Air struts) but my 99 is still purring like a kitten, except for when the Air comprssor goes on, or I give it WOT.
Dustin, your explanation makes sense, and it was on a very humid day when this happened (it has happened twice). However, being curious I put my hand down and felt the air; it felt like the air coming out was not that cold, and I suspect that this was when my a/c went kaput. I'll keep it in mind though.
Pster, I think we may have an identical problem with our A/C units. What is the function of the evaporator coil? Is it pricey to replace? Any info you could give I could give to my dealer to try to get it fixed; I have only about 3K left on my warranty for this stuff.
Good job; you guys know your stuff quite well. Thanks for replying. But note the following:
1) I see that you both disagree on whether the exhaust is SS. I'm not certain, but I side w/300michael and his mechanic that it isn't SS, because I've looked at many spec sheets and advertising brochures (varied years) for the 'M and never saw SS mentioned. Most manufacturers use it as a marketing point.
2) 300michael, I think you're wrong about there being 2 O2 sensors. There is an upstream one which threads into the outlet flange of the exhause manifold, the downstream one threads into the outlet pipe at the rear of the cat converter. But there are 2 catalytic converters on the 3.5 engine according to my manual , so there must be 2 downstream sensors. I'm not sure if there's one or two upstream ones, but in total there would seem to be 3 or 4. BTW, the O2 sensors are heated by an element (that's pretty advanced technology I think), and they keep tabs on when the CC is no longer working optimally; a diagnostic trouble code gets stored and the malfunciton indicator lamp illuminates.
3)Bigmike, I would go with 300s and Ottowrkrs suggestion to change the water pump when you change the timing belt at 100K, because the same disassembly is required.
4) As for the alternator, my strategy is that if it's still running after 5 years I just change it, along with the starter motor, at my convenience. This may waste a good part, but it saves me from having to deal with it whenever it might break down on its own.
Miscellaneous: If the battery just dies without warning, the manufacturer is wasting their time with the green-eye that you're supposed to check. My eye is deep green on a 4 year old battery, I would hope it would start changing color slowly, otherwise what good is it?
My tip for long-term performance is as follows: At some point I like to apply GM top head cleaner into the air induction of the system; it's a fun thing to do as it blows heavy white smoke out of the engine for about 10-15 minutes while the carbon burns off the cylinder heads. Don't do it while the neighbors are having a picnic--there's a lot of heavy smoke! Carbon hot spots rob the engine of power, so I think this is a great thing to do for your engine. At least my last 2 engines were purring smoothly when I sold the cars at about 160 K miles. I applied it to each car at about 100K miles, but I have a friend who does it about every 30K as he feels it helps the power significantly.
Also wanted to mention that O2 sensors are very cheap now, and I think it pays to replace them about every4-5 years, considering their importance. Of course this is just my opinion. But they used to cost $100 or more, now a Bosch one only runs about $25 on many cars. Your local garage mechanic can replace them in 15 minutes or so. They do deteriorate quite markedly over the years, as I examine them when I get them replaced.
Are cars have a total of four O2 sensors, two to monitor each cat (one up and one down stream sensor). Please tell me where you buy your automotive parts, because you are getting good deals, at least on O2 sensors. Autozone sells two types of Bosch O2 sensors for the 3.5L, a universal type for $70 a piece and an O.E.M. type for $132 a piece. So it will cost at least $280 in parts to replace these.
I just replaced the O2 sensor in my '90 Ranger (208k miles) for the first time. It failed the low speed NOx gas emmission test. That cost me about $70. It only uses a single O2 sensor.
I keep my engines from getting constipated from carbon build up buy giving the accelerator an occasional kick in the pants while entering the freeway on ramp:)
I may have misled you on the prices for the O2 sensors. What I bought for less than $25 was for a GM 3.3 liter 6 cylinder that they were putting in the Buicks in the early 90s. I bought these at Strauss Discount Auto; a chain of about 100 stores in the NorthEast that does have very low prices at times. I just checked their website, but they don't give prices. I just buy them and my local garage will put them on for me; I know some garages won't work this way.
I have way too much time on my hands tonight; I just found a website called www.oxygensensors.com . If you drill down by entering 1999, then chrysler, you'll find the 300M sensors you mentioned priced at $52.99 for the OEM type and $49.95 for the Universal type, but these are by Walker. I also found a website www.RockAuto.com which will sell them to you over the net for about $59 each, I think shiipping is free. When I replace mine I will look for the Bosch ones on sale; Bosch is quite leading edge in some of their parts such as spark plugs, etc.
I have a 00 300M.Out of curiousity I called my 5*and asked if the exhaust sys.was stainless steel?Reply:As long as it hasn't been changed,yes!The car only has 32600 mi and it is the original system.I said thanx,got out my magnet,went out and touched both exhaust pipe and muffler.Guess what?Correcto!Both attracted the magnet!Maybe they changed in 01-02-03-04,but don't let anyone tell you it's stainless!Comments?Thanks...Mr.Mopar
There's Stainless steel, and there's stainless steel. The lower grades typically used in exhaust systems will attract a magnet, but at a lower force than regular steel.
The stock system is Stainless Steel. Abit low grade, but stainless never the less. When You mentioned O2 sensors I was thinking of the two near the cats only. sorry.
Well, yesterday the vaunted recall notice for the seat bolts arrived. Been waiting for 2 months since the story on the recall hit the papers. Stopped by the 5* and she goes in next Tuesday for the recall correction.
Also asked if they had their 2 Pacificas out yet. They had the red one in the showroom, and had already sold the silver one. I took a seat in the cabin and it seemed pretty spacious and nice, but I never sat in an SUV before so it would be hard to compare the cabins. They also had an 04[? not sure on the year] M on the floor with a metallic lava red [?] color. Very dark, almost maroon/black it seemed to me. Would liked to have seen that car in the sun. An interesting color. Said it was a demo on the windshield and $5K off the sticker. Didn't check the mileage.
does anybody know exactly what the dealer actually has to do...remove the seats and/or upholstery. I get pretty anxious about letting anybody work on my baby. I am just trying to decide if I want the dealer to do this or should I just get the parts and do it myself.
Excuse me for putting in like this and I am not even an owner of 300M, I like to be but I have one big concern; I am 6' 7" tall and weigh about soaked and vet 310lbs. DO I HAVE ENOUGH ROOM IN 300M. I have being driving Intrepid and my head is on the maximum height and therefore my view to high left and high right is limited big time. I wonder if Intrepids window line is same as 300m's? I believe that my eye level is about same level than uper side of windshield, you can imagine how much view is limited on 45 degree angels to from? Can I lower the seat some how? Help!
300-It only took me three years to get off my butt and get to it! I don't think anyone yet has all Magnaflow mufflers, so I'm interested to hear what it will sound like. Magnaflow really pushes their "deep mellow tone" slogan. Maybe with a big V-8, but I wonder what a V-6 will sound like. Just as long as it doesn't sound like my weed-eater (or the neighbor kid's big pipe Acura. Same difference.), I'll be happy. Maybe it'll sound like a Viper! Let me dream!
Bluesky-Humid air at a certain temp usually doesn't feel nearly as cold as dry air at the same low temp. I never get cold in the winter when it's rainy but if it's bone dry at the same temp, I freeze!
Lonestar-My dealer replaced my bolts last week. The recall notice online says it only takes a few minutes. My guess si that it's the bolts that attach the seatback to the base. I need to look at my service manual and see if they are shown in a seat diagram.
I'm "only" 6'4" tall and 230 , but I have gobs of headroom in my 300M, however, I do not have a sunroof. Only thing I can suggest is to go to a dealer and sit in one to try it out. I also do not have the seat all the way back or all the way down, and I prefer to drive "upright", so when I put my head against the headrest I'm looking straight down the road and not up at the roof.
piyoung in message #23712 is incorrect. I have a 99 300m and I got the recall notice yesterday and have made an appointment to have the bolts replaced.
I have a real early build 99. So the 99's are included, but the seat bolts involved are not the one's that gave some people trouble over the first few years. They are different ones.
So they are sending out notices? Last I heard, they had not decided on a notification schedule. Are these bolts responsible for the "rocking" that was reported (and what I have) on acceleration?
I got home tonight and in the mail is a recall notice from DC. When I took mine in a month ago, they told me my VIN wasn't under the recall. Looks like I'll be getting it fixed.
FYI the 300M is also available for rental @ Dollar Rent A Car. I've rented a few different models of potential purchases so I could see what it would be like living w/the car over a weekend and a long drive... I couldn't tell as much by just taking a 20 minute test drive in town (the cars I find are also available w/unlimited mileage for rental). Just a thought for you to consider.
To clarifiy, the CTS-V is using a slightly detuned version of the Vette LS6 used in the Z06. OHV, two valves per - same as the Hemi - not the OHC Northstar V8. The Vette boys weren't happy sharing and the only consolation they got was a 5hp reduction from their version.
Doesn't really matter though, all reciprocating engines share pistons, valves, and crankshafts working pretty much the same way so all comparisons are totally fair. How well the engineers sort out the breathing and flexibility is what determines the engines merits.
To answer the question of where does the market go after SUV's the likely direction is towards small run, niche vehicle, appealing to smaller market groups. That requires the ability to do strongly differentiated cars on the same platform economically. If DC does an anti-300C (styling wise) based on the LX than perhaps they may beat the odds. They are doing 7 variants vs 3 for the LH so perhaps the anti-300C may surface.
And Japanese car sales (Honda/Toyota/Nissan) are holding their own nicely - no incentives, that I've seen, so far.
The evaporator is what the compressed refrigerant passes through as it expands and cools and over which the air is blown to cool it (at least if I remember my physics...). The evaporator is behind and the dashboard and inside the firewall. Thus, it is usually nto a cheap fix with lot's of labor involved. The quote I got from the dealer was $1200. I think my leak is very small. Before my compressor disintegrated, I injected a can of some type of a/c system leak plug fluid recommended by the guys at Auotzone. They said a/c mechanics buy it form them and use it all the time. I do not know if it worked, or in fact contributed to my compressor failure. Even after the new compressor was installed, I still have lost refrigerant. I just put another can in and it works fine. The R134 stuff is cheap, comes in 12 oz cans and I think ottowrkr said the system holds 24 oz. Sorry so long in responding...I keep trying to retire and they keep promoting me.....too busy of late to get into the board.
The recall discussed above is for the seatBACK recliner bolts, not the former recall for the seat bolts which hold the seat to the auto floor.
In my case, took my early build (4/98) '99 LHS into the 5* yesterday AM. The car was inspected and pronounced that no bolt problem existed and was sent merrily on my way.
It appears that the bolts in question are those which hold the seat back to the seat structure. They are very sturdy, about 1/4" hex recessed. They can be accessed by tilting up the back of the seat. There are 4 bolts, two on each back.
I would imagine that any owner could do this job if he had the suitable size hex wrench and IF DC would issue the bolts to him. But why bother? The fix/inspection is free, takes about a half hour and I doubt if DC would certify the fix/inspection if they didn't do the job.
Due to the bolt location, just under the rear of each seat fascia, no messing with the upholstery is done and the car was left perfectly clean.
I have yet a other concern about 300M, I have being reading these discussions and getting a lot of good points for consideration, this is a neat way to do research before buying a car. I did read article where one owner was complaining a wind noise on front doors and also highway noise on top speeds. Have Chrysler adresed these problem and if so how quiet is the car, can we compare it to Lincoln or a another car on same price clas, and what about the ride without stiff suspension? Anybody? Dose 300M and Intrepid share the same body, same measurements etc.?
matti3- yes the 300 shares the same platform as the other LH cars ( Intrepid, Concorde). The 300 uses its own body panels, thats why its shorter than the other 2 cars.
I looked at the Intrepid vs. 300M very closely before buying the M. I am 6'-4", 270 so I have the same deal as you. Let me tell you, the M is the ultimate "Big Man's" car. Plenty of leg and head room.
Now, here's the difference between Intrepid and 300M. Otto's right. If you look up the interior specs in the literature, head room as measured in the bodies of the cars is exactly the same. The difference is the seats. Intrepid has much more foam in the seat bottom and its firmer. You tend to ride on top of it. I really wanted a sunroof and my head was jammed in the headliner in Intrepid with one. I fit fine in the M with sunroof. Check the I and the M out side by side and you'll see what I mean. The M's seat is softer, wider and shaped so that you sink down into it. There is at least 2" more headroom in the M due to the seat cushion.
I just had my recall repair done today on my 2000 M. I had an appointment & the total repair (including my dealer's free wash job) took less than half an hour. As I read the recall notice and the repair ticket, it only includes the driver's side seatback recline bolt.
Another reason that the M might offer more headroom than an Intrepid is the height adjustment on the M's power seats. The seats will move up or down a pretty good distance (probably over an inch).
I have a 2000M. It is supposedly quieter than the 99 due to some additional sound deadening in the wheel wells and possible elsewhere. My M is fairly noisy on the rougher roads and you tend to hear a fair amount of wind noise. You do get used to it with time and if you generally have your radio at moderate to high volume, you will hardly notice any wind or road noise.
I owned a Lincoln MarkVIII and I found the Lincoln to have a much quieter interior. But all the other attributes such as roominess, interior layout, overall style, decent handling, and eye-popping style sold me on the M. Still enjoy driving mine after over 50K miles. And except for some minor mechanical issues, it has proven to be pretty dependable.
You will find the M to be a very comfortable vehicle on long drives, especially for someone as tall as you.
Hey, Lynn. How are you? I have an appointment with Preston Dodge to get the seat bolt thing done on Monday. Also getting the replacement moon roof installed on warranty. They will also investigate the rattle in the driver's door that started when they replaced the regulator.
OK, it is about time to start shopping for replacements for the 17" Pilots that came on my 2K PHG. I have had to replace one because of a nail in the shoulder. It is still in the spare well, so I could probably trade it in. I have one other tire that has a slow leak from a bad repair plug. Size is 225/55 R17 V Rated. Any and all suggestions or referals to websites would be appreciated. I'll check with the 300M enthusiasts board, too.
Comments
1) Does the 'M have a stainless steel exhaust system?
2) How long should one wait before changing the original alternator?
3) How long should one wait before changing the original water pump?
4) Where is the water pump on the M?
5) How long should one wait before changing the original battery?
6) How long should one reasonably expect the catalytic converter to last?
7) How long should one wait before changing the oxygen sensors?
8) How many oxygen sensors are there on the 'M?
9) When is it prudent to change the wheel hub bearings?
10) When is it prudent to change the struts?
11) What is your secret tip for improving the car's long term performance (I have one anyway if no one else does)
On the long term maintenance questions, I can opine on a few of them. I have a first build year 99. Appraoching 57K miles. Don't think its has a stainless steel exhaust system but my exhaust guy said as he changed me over to duals last August that it was very high quality stuff down there. He hit the old stuff with his wrench and it was solid, and he even used part of it on the new set up. No original muffler failure in over 4.5 years. Change the alternator when it breaks. Change the water pump [according to Ottowrkr] when you have to change the timing belt and have that casing off the front of the engine anyway. I think that belt is considered good til around 100K miles. If it is still the original I would change the battery at 4.5 years or as the next winter is approaching. They have a tendency to quit with no warning rather than show weakened cranking power. No other answers to offer except the question on long term performance. If you got a good build, some didn't ala Christine and Beach's Christine II, be a fanatic about the 3K oil, lube and filter change, and wash her a minimum of twice a week with personal[you] or touchless car washes only. Do not use the brush or roller commercial wash stalls. Do the Razorstars twice a week with a small amount of mild dishwasher liquid in a bucket of water, and a soft sponge. Mine still look like new, with no road grime build up.
Pat please e-mail me, I need a favor from you.
what colours do you consider to be manly!!
Pster, I think we may have an identical problem with our A/C units. What is the function of the evaporator coil? Is it pricey to replace? Any info you could give I could give to my dealer to try to get it fixed; I have only about 3K left on my warranty for this stuff.
Sorry you're having another problem w/your car.
1) I see that you both disagree on whether the exhaust is SS. I'm not certain, but I side w/300michael and his mechanic that it isn't SS, because I've looked at many spec sheets and advertising brochures (varied years) for the 'M and never saw SS mentioned. Most manufacturers use it as a marketing point.
2) 300michael, I think you're wrong about there being 2 O2 sensors. There is an upstream one which threads into the outlet flange of the exhause manifold, the downstream one threads into the outlet pipe at the rear of the cat converter. But there are 2 catalytic converters on the 3.5 engine according to my manual , so there must be 2 downstream sensors. I'm not sure if there's one or two upstream ones, but in total there would seem to be 3 or 4. BTW, the O2 sensors are heated by an element (that's pretty advanced technology I think), and they keep tabs on when the CC is no longer working optimally; a diagnostic trouble code gets stored and the malfunciton indicator lamp illuminates.
3)Bigmike, I would go with 300s and Ottowrkrs suggestion to change the water pump when you change the timing belt at 100K, because the same disassembly is required.
4) As for the alternator, my strategy is that if it's still running after 5 years I just change it, along with the starter motor, at my convenience. This may waste a good part, but it saves me from having to deal with it whenever it might break down on its own.
Miscellaneous: If the battery just dies without warning, the manufacturer is wasting their time with the green-eye that you're supposed to check. My eye is deep green on a 4 year old battery, I would hope it would start changing color slowly, otherwise what good is it?
My tip for long-term performance is as follows: At some point I like to apply GM top head cleaner into the air induction of the system; it's a fun thing to do as it blows heavy white smoke out of the engine for about 10-15 minutes while the carbon burns off the cylinder heads. Don't do it while the neighbors are having a picnic--there's a lot of heavy smoke! Carbon hot spots rob the engine of power, so I think this is a great thing to do for your engine. At least my last 2 engines were purring smoothly when I sold the cars at about 160 K miles. I applied it to each car at about 100K miles, but I have a friend who does it about every 30K as he feels it helps the power significantly.
I just replaced the O2 sensor in my '90 Ranger (208k miles) for the first time. It failed the low speed NOx gas emmission test. That cost me about $70. It only uses a single O2 sensor.
I keep my engines from getting constipated from carbon build up buy giving the accelerator an occasional kick in the pants while entering the freeway on ramp:)
I may have misled you on the prices for the O2 sensors. What I bought for less than $25 was for a GM 3.3 liter 6 cylinder that they were putting in the Buicks in the early 90s. I bought these at Strauss Discount Auto; a chain of about 100 stores in the NorthEast that does have very low prices at times. I just checked their website, but they don't give prices. I just buy them and my local garage will put them on for me; I know some garages won't work this way.
I have way too much time on my hands tonight; I just found a website called www.oxygensensors.com . If you drill down by entering 1999, then chrysler, you'll find the 300M sensors you mentioned priced at $52.99 for the OEM type and $49.95 for the Universal type, but these are by Walker. I also found a website www.RockAuto.com which will sell them to you over the net for about $59 each, I think shiipping is free. When I replace mine I will look for the Bosch ones on sale; Bosch is quite leading edge in some of their parts such as spark plugs, etc.
Also I remember that my 300M used to blow vapor from AC vents toward the end of the lease, and then the AC ran out of refrigerant.
The lower grades typically used in exhaust systems will attract a magnet, but at a lower force than regular steel.
When You mentioned O2 sensors I was thinking of the two near the cats only. sorry.
Also asked if they had their 2 Pacificas out yet. They had the red one in the showroom, and had already sold the silver one. I took a seat in the cabin and it seemed pretty spacious and nice, but I never sat in an SUV before so it would be hard to compare the cabins. They also had an 04[? not sure on the year] M on the floor with a metallic lava red [?] color. Very dark, almost maroon/black it seemed to me. Would liked to have seen that car in the sun. An interesting color. Said it was a demo on the windshield and $5K off the sticker. Didn't check the mileage.
Bluesky-Humid air at a certain temp usually doesn't feel nearly as cold as dry air at the same low temp. I never get cold in the winter when it's rainy but if it's bone dry at the same temp, I freeze!
Lonestar-My dealer replaced my bolts last week. The recall notice online says it only takes a few minutes. My guess si that it's the bolts that attach the seatback to the base. I need to look at my service manual and see if they are shown in a seat diagram.
To clarifiy, the CTS-V is using a slightly detuned version of the Vette LS6 used in the Z06. OHV, two valves per - same as the Hemi - not the OHC Northstar V8. The Vette boys weren't happy sharing and the only consolation they got was a 5hp reduction from their version.
Doesn't really matter though, all reciprocating engines share pistons, valves, and crankshafts working pretty much the same way so all comparisons are totally fair. How well the engineers sort out the breathing and flexibility is what determines the engines merits.
To answer the question of where does the market go after SUV's the likely direction is towards small run, niche vehicle, appealing to smaller market groups.
That requires the ability to do strongly differentiated cars on the same platform economically. If DC does an anti-300C (styling wise) based on the LX than perhaps they may beat the odds. They are doing 7 variants vs 3 for the LH so perhaps the anti-300C may surface.
And Japanese car sales (Honda/Toyota/Nissan) are holding their own nicely - no incentives, that I've seen, so far.
The sunroof lowers the headliner 1½" so try one without.
In my case, took my early build (4/98) '99 LHS into the 5* yesterday AM. The car was inspected and pronounced that no bolt problem existed and was sent merrily on my way.
It appears that the bolts in question are those which hold the seat back to the seat structure. They are very sturdy, about 1/4" hex recessed. They can be accessed by tilting up the back of the seat. There are 4 bolts, two on each back.
I would imagine that any owner could do this job if he had the suitable size hex wrench and IF DC would issue the bolts to him. But why bother? The fix/inspection is free, takes about a half hour and I doubt if DC would certify the fix/inspection if they didn't do the job.
Due to the bolt location, just under the rear of each seat fascia, no messing with the upholstery is done and the car was left perfectly clean.
I did read article where one owner was complaining a wind noise on front doors and also highway noise on top speeds. Have Chrysler adresed these problem and if so how quiet is the car, can we compare it to Lincoln or a another car on same price clas, and what about the ride without stiff suspension? Anybody? Dose 300M and Intrepid share the same body, same measurements etc.?
Now, here's the difference between Intrepid and 300M. Otto's right. If you look up the interior specs in the literature, head room as measured in the bodies of the cars is exactly the same. The difference is the seats. Intrepid has much more foam in the seat bottom and its firmer. You tend to ride on top of it. I really wanted a sunroof and my head was jammed in the headliner in Intrepid with one. I fit fine in the M with sunroof. Check the I and the M out side by side and you'll see what I mean. The M's seat is softer, wider and shaped so that you sink down into it. There is at least 2" more headroom in the M due to the seat cushion.
Another reason that the M might offer more headroom than an Intrepid is the height adjustment on the M's power seats. The seats will move up or down a pretty good distance (probably over an inch).
Lynn Flowers
McKinney, Texas
I owned a Lincoln MarkVIII and I found the Lincoln to have a much quieter interior. But all the other attributes such as roominess, interior layout, overall style, decent handling, and eye-popping style sold me on the M. Still enjoy driving mine after over 50K miles. And except for some minor mechanical issues, it has proven to be pretty dependable.
You will find the M to be a very comfortable vehicle on long drives, especially for someone as tall as you.
Regards, Bill
enthusiasts board, too.
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