Chrysler 300M

tayl0rd

I've posted this on the 300M Club messageboard to no avail. Some of you guys are even members there but frequent this more often! You should be ashamed!! Anyway, does anyone know what the name of Chrysler's 3.5L engine (in the 300M) is? For example, Nissan has their VQ35 (3.5L V6), Toyota has their 2JZ-GTE (3L I6), etc. I saw that someone on here has a Tech Manual. Can you look it up for me, please?

Also on the decontenting, the rubber foot rest is still there (at least, it is on my '02 Special), it's just mounted underneath the carpet. One thing I noticed is that the rear doors don't have the lights anymore. My sister's 99 M had lights in the rear doors. Now they're just red reflectors. The M's also used to come with perforated leather. Not no mo'!! Also, the '03 and newer don't have the same seatback as the previous models. As far as the rear headrests, I think the molded-in ones look classier, but I still like my adjustable ones.

intrepidspirit

The '03 has no courtesy lights in the rear or front doors. Only red reflectors...

The "molded-in" headrests are much lower than the separate headrests -- I don't know if they would be as effective for safety purposes...

I haven't checked for a rubber footrest under the carpet. It doesn't feel like there is one, but it would be useless there anyway!

I thought the lack of perforated leather might be a problem in the heat, but so far I haven't noticed a difference.

I sure do miss the "current real time" gas mileage calculation on the overhead, but I'm glad they kept the cumulative...

intrepidspirit

Is this is what you are looking for?

"3.5L V-6 SMPI 24 valve engine" (carsdirect.com)

"3.5L High Output V6 24V MPI" (window sticker)

tayl0rd

No, that's not what I was looking for.

You know how the Corvette's engine is called the LS1 (LS6 in the Z06 model)? The Chevy S10's 4.3L V6 is called the L35 or the LF6. All manufacturers have a code for their engines. What's the code for the 300M's engine? Or, more importantly (to me), the 300M Special. NOTE: NOT THE VIN CODE!!

With the foot rest; how would it be useless just because it's under the carpet??? I don't understand that one. That's like saying a blanket is useless because you threw it over the covers instead of between the sheet and bedspread. It's still serving the same purpose.

intrepidspirit

Are we talking about the same thing? I'm talking about the rubber foot pad that use to be integral in the carpeting over the foot rest area.

A rubber foot pad under the carpet is useless to me because I want contact between my shoe and the rubber foot pad. I want the secure feeling of the rubber which holds my foot in place. Otherwise, my foot slides around too much on the smooth carpet.

I think putting a rubber foot pad under the carpeting is totally bizarre -- kinda like putting a blanket under the bedsheet or taking a bath with your socks on. But maybe for some people, that works...

Anyway, I'll check it out. I don't think I have a rubber foot pad, but I can't tell unless I remove the carpet.

tayl0rd

I thought you were talking about the foot REST, not a PAD. The little pad that keeps you from wearing out the carpet isn't there anymore.

tayl0rd

Well, I called my Chrysler dealer's parts department for the code. The guy I spoke w/ looked it up and said the engine code is E-G-G. That's right; egg. I just can't make that seem cool no matter how I think about it. You just can't make that roll off the lips with flair. Oh well. At least now I know it and can share it with the rest of you. It's been bugging me for a while.

intrepidspirit

Yeah, I thought maybe we were talking about two different things. BTW, I pulled back the carpet and took a look at the plastic foot rest. For some reason it has 1" to 1 1/2" square hole in it at about toe level. There is also a flange attached at a 45 degree angle (flanged inward). My guess that was probably for a part of the rubber rest to be inserted to anchor the carpet/pad to the foot rest. Without the anchor, my carpet sits loosely over the foot rest and you have to press down to actually push the carpet against the foot rest. Small thing, maybe, but the original was much more comfortable!

When you add the sum of all the decontenting, it seems more significant...

blowbyu

At least the engine name is not L-E-M-O-N.

I know that some people have had many problems with the car as a whole, including myself, but at least the engine itself appears to be reliable.
Other than the look of the 300M, that is something else Chrysler can be proud of.

silverbullet4

Time to replace the original Michellin Pilots (17") on my 2000 M w/PHG. I have looked at a couple of dealers, and it looks like Discount Tire has the best deal on a direct V-rated replacement. I also want a four-wheel alignment, balancing, and road hazard coverage.

Any suggestions for tires and/or dealer? (not mail order, please).

Thanks in advance,
Bill

fastdriver

Maybe the Germans are not as smart as they thought they were!

http://www.detnews.com/2003/insiders/0308/27/a01-255592.htm

As for who would buy Chrysler, I say let ALL the employees buy it. Could they do WORSE than what Daimler has done?

fastdriver

pat

Try this discussion: Big Three in Chapter 11 Soon? Another that may interest you is Chrysler as a "luxury" brand. Or if you'd like to create a different Chrysler-specific discussion, feel free to do so on our News & Views board.

But please keep in mind that this discussion is about the Chrysler 300M sedan and not the state of DaimlerChrysler as a whole.

I'd really appreciate it....

tayl0rd

Go to Discount Tire and get a set of Kumho 245/45ZR17. $105 and change including mounting and balancing. Excellent tires and very quiet. I put a set on my Mustang GT about two weeks before I decided to trade it for my Special. What a waste of money on my part. $500 in tires (including tax and "disposal fee") gone down the tubes. Could've been $500 more toward my down payment. C'est la vie'.

beach15

...and I love it! It's a new Graphite 2004 Platinum Series 300M. It's also nice that they're using the "real" chrome aluminum wheels and the Special's blinker mirrors, making a very nice end to a very nice car. I especially like the color combo of this one:

http://www.manassaschrysler.com/Chrysler/290124_1.html

lflowers

I highly recommend Discount Tires too.
I haven't tried Kumho's, but I have had nothing but good service from Discount Tires. I've bought tires for all our cars there for years and have had NO bad experiences.
My tires are Goodrich GForce TA KDW, 245R-45-17, but they're mounted on wheels an inch wider than stock. I was told that 245s are too wide for the standard wheels. I love the tires though...best
handling tires I've ever experienced (and that includes racing slicks!). And they are by far the best wet weather tires I've tried.

Lynn Flowers

intrepidspirit

I know I an echoing several posts over the past couple of years, but I was very impressed with the Yokahama Avid T4's on my 2000 300M. They completely eliminated my "left pull/drift" so many of us experienced, handling was excellent, and they were much quieter than the dreaded badyears.

I don't know about treadware. I believe I put about 25,000 miles on them when my lease expired, and there was evidence of wear. However there was enough tread for acceptance at lease end, and they inspect EVERYTHING closely.

I bought mine at tirerack.com. I think it was $84/tire plus shipping. Total cost including mounting was about $410.

Take a look at tirerack.com to help you compare consumer ratings, etc. I found it very helpful.

jjgittes

Nice looking car. What would a good out the door price likely be on one?

tayl0rd

Well, I couldn't take it anymore and finally broke myself down and ordered the navigation unit. I ordered it from Lee Auto (www.leeauto.com/parts/300m.html) for $1510 including $15 for shipping. It will ship out this afternoon and should get to me on Monday, according to the "internet sales" guy. I ordered it online and called to verify. Apparently they don't do too much internet business because I didn't even tell the guy who I was and he had already pulled up my order and read my address back to me. That was almost spooky!

Anyway, I think it will more than pay for itself in the short run. My girlfriend and I like to go for shopping and trips in the Special and we always end up either missing a turn or needing to find something (hotel, ATM, etc.) Heck, it will even come in handy for around here! This city is sprawled out like nobody's business and there seems to always be a bazillion people on the road when you need to find someplace. Makes it hard to drive slowly to look at street signs. I know I'll get mucho use out of the business phone number listings.

I'm so excited! I can hardly wait! I might even swap out my 4-disc changer for a 6-disc.

intrepidspirit

I didn't notice you had PHP. The Yokahamas I recommended would not be rated for 120 mph+.

Sorry about that!

beach15

Based on local and national prices I've seen on 2004's, one should be able to get that car (all Platinums have the same price) for around $27-27,500. That's including rebates and dealer discounts.

That MSRP is almost identical to the one on our 2000 300M two years ago, of which we got $5,000 off. This has continued to be the general discount amount on new 300M's since then, often even more.

ottowrkr

Well the day we thought would never arrive has . The last LH car to ever to be built rolled off the line today . The last car was a white Intrepid SE .
   Now comes our future , the LX. Production should start sometime in Jan 04. I will keep you posted !!

tayl0rd

Hey, ottowrkr, I believe you have the VIN to the last M to roll off the assembly line. I just thought of something. I'm sure somebody here has Carfax. Why not have somebody track the VIN and when it's registered, let's all send the lucky owner a congratulatory letter on purchasing the LAST 300M. In each of our letters, we could include when and where we bought our M, the options, and maybe a photo of it. That would surely make the national news; as well as probably make that car more valuable as long as the owner keeps the letters w/ it and probably make our cars more valuable as well.

Heck, it might even get DaimlerChrysler's attention and get them to do something "Special" for us; like, maybe calling the new 300 the 300N.

ottowrkr

Last 300M vin is 2C3HE66G34H697875 .

blowbyu

Can you find out the VIN of the last 300? I think it would be dumb for us to do this to an Intrepid owner.

tayl0rd

In memorium to the 300M, I gave my Special a good detailing and leather conditioning last night. It was a solemn time. :-( She looks gorgeous today. I guess I should give her a name. I normally just refer to her as The M or my M in other forums.

I've never had a "discontinued" car before. But in retrospect, and in keeping with the tradition of the Letter Cars, she should have been gone a few years ago.

fuzzywuzzy

I returned the 300M rental I had. Good car, 3200 miles I put on it. It turned out to be an 03. Saw the owners manual in the glove box. I guess the speed limiter was changed also. It wouldn't let me past 110mph. Thought it was 118? fuel cut off way before that. Head rests don't tilt anymore too. Was disappointed at that, my neck could have used it. Gas mileage was not good either. Only about 22MPG all HW all 80+ with the AC on. It's a shame the car was beat on. I could tell it was used to move stuff, & kids. There was sticky stuff all over the inside, the bumper was all scratched as someone dragged things out of the trunk. The leather was really dirty also. It was tan, but I could telll it was dirty too. I had to treat it to some Zanio leather cleaner before my drive, I just didn't like sitting in dirt. The steering wheel had the famous peeling leather, & the rear speakers were blown. My hours of driving was sad with blown speakers, & only a 1 disk
CD player.
So that last 300M was built hey, that's sad. Now I have owned 2 cars that were killed.

silverbullet4

Thanks, everyone for your tire suggestion. There are not a lot of choices if you want to go with standard V-rated PHG 17" size. This morning I went to Discount Tire and got four Yokohama's with full road hazard replacement option. I took advantage of the zero interest 90 day purchase plan. Next Tuesday I will take the car to get a four wheel alignment. I need these tires to last! I got 45,000 mi. out of the original Pilots. By the way, I noticed there is a huge difference in the weight of different tires of the same size. That could change the way the suspension responds.

Lynn, my daughter just started as a freshman at Michigan State University. I am taking the rest of the family and son's pal to highschool football game tonight. Life is good!

Silver

blonda

I don't recommend the Kumhos. I had those on my M (245/45's) and they were bald in one year. My Michelin Pilot Sport A/S's are now a year old and look like they'll go at least another 2 if I'm lucky.

tayl0rd

I don't know how you got 45K out of your Michelin Pilots. I've got roughly 14K on mine and I don't think they'll make it to 25K. Then again, I punish them in curves every chance I get. I LOVE the way my Special handles! It's no sports car, but it sure is fantastic for its size!! And front wheel drive to boot.

bluesky999

Fast, thx for the info on ofoto. If I have used it correctly, the link below should show my '99 w/75K. No mods to speak of, but as they say, "it's all good", right? The color isn't accurate, the car is candy apple red metallic and is not so bright in real life, but I had no idea what I was doing with my new dig camera. Just put it on "auto" and pushed the button. If anyone wants to take a picture of their car, I would suggest trying taking a few shots at dusk. I had done that with my 35 MM and the reflection of the sun literally was dancing on the clear coat. BTW, this one was taken on a very sunny day at midday; maybe that threw the color off. Shine is courtesy of zymol.

Happy holiday weekend all.

http://www.ofoto.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?UV=674847553533_96214624505- &collid=45068124505&page=1&sort_order=0

silverbullet4

I think you answered your own question. ;>) With the M's front wheel weight bias, fast cornering will wear out the front tires pronto. I have been driving front drive cars since 1984, and they ALL suck on tire wear.

fastdriver

bluesky999-

Link works! You're right. Take the pics at sunset and not in direct sun. Now, if you had a Zaino shine on her, she might look better! ;-))) There's only one pic there- right?

Looks just like my Christine did. I think we had the BEST wheels.

fastdriver

bluesky999

Fast, I agree; these are the best wheels I've ever had on a car, both for looks and practicality. Looks are obvious, but for practicality it's so easy to check the pad wear. What color 'M are you driving now?

And yes, only 1 pic. I took another from the rear, but my license # shows and I figured it's not a good idea to post that on the internet; maybe I'm too paranoid. I must say, she's running so well, and since I've seen that the Consumer Reports reliability ratings are quite high, I plan to keep it another 4 years, at which point it will likely have about 150K miles. If this car is like my last American car, at that point it will be about ready for a new exhaust system and transmission; hope those 2 systems last that long. At 100K (next year) I plan to replace the wheel hub bearings, the alternator and generator, water pump and timing belt, plugs, and battery (still on original battery). My mechanic is pretty cheap, and I get the parts fairly cheap too, so I make out well financially by keeping them a long time.

lonestarsled

I still have not figured why people are concerned about showing their license plate in a pic on the internet. What is the difference between someone seeing your plate on an internet pic and seeing your plate while driving behind you?

bluesky999

That's a good question, Lonestar--I never thought of it that way. Perhaps because on the highway there are hundreds of others so you're less likely to be singled out, or is that just more paranoia? Guess I can't answer your question as I don't understand it myself. But identity theft is a big problem in the country--could this have something to do w/it?

Anyone remember the classic Black Sabbath album "Paranoid" with "Iron Man" song on it? Although I detest Heavy Metal, that album was actually pretty good; one of Ozzy's early efforts before he went to drugs. A cool song called "Fairies wear boots" w/awesome guitar licks. Pardon the flashback... you are now returned to the year 2003.

silverbullet4

I have been driving these about 5 days. I have restricted my top speed to 65mph during breakin, more out of habit from the "old days" than any real requirement. The compound feels softer than the Michelin Pilot, and road noise seems reduced. Steering feel seems slightly deadened. It has been raining for two days. Wet grip seems OK. The dealer wouldn't make any prediction about wear prediction. Tomorrow I will get the 4 wheel alignment, and expect to not have any wander tendencies after that.

Anyone else have a comment about the Yoko's?

Silver

fastdriver

bluesky999-

LOL... NO more M's here! One was more than enough for me. However, my current car is RED also. You're lucky to have a good mechanic because I'm sure if you had to deal with those "award-winning 5-STAR" dealers you wouldn't be planning on keeping it for another 4 YEARS!

fastdriver

clpurnell

I just purchased yoko's also. Quieter than the MXM's that are oem plus they seem to handle just as well. My michelins made it 39k with very few rotations however I did not like the road noise they produced the yoko's I think are the best tires for the price.

silverbullet4

Thanks for the encourgaging words re: Yoko's. I took the car in for a four-wheel alignment check. The bad news is that one of the rear struts is bent, preventing proper alignment. I have no idea when that occured. I do have a teen age driver who has thoroughly trashed Mom's Minivan, and she did drive the M once or twice. The good news is I get to try those Monroe Sensamatic struts to improve (hopefully) the rear passenger ride quality. More bad news is the castor is off in front and will require an engine cradle adjustment. While this may put the castor in specs, I wonder what this will do for drive train vibration? At least this shop specializes in alignments.

Silver

lonestarsled

I would question the ability of your alignment shop. The DC service manual specifically states that caster is not adjustable on this vehicle, and further states that camber and caster settings on this vehicle are determined by design not adjustment - this is called a Net-build vehicle. If caster and/or camber are out of spec it is indicative of worn or bent suspension components. If all components are proven to be in good condition then special undersized bolts are then used to give a degree of adjustment to adjust camber only. Caster will not cause unusual tire wear, although may cause a drift to the side of least positive caster

laurasdada

On my way to work, at an intersection. Left turn lane, Burgundy '99M, center lane my '99 Platinum M and in the right lane a '99 Black M. Pretty maids all in a row. And on the corner to the right of the Black M, a large Chrysler/Jeep dealer!

50 months, 50,500 miles and all continues to be well. Although evil wife was sure to tell me that the kids thought (we switched cars yesterday)that my car was so much noisier than her Lexus. Well, kiddies, mine is more fun, too!

RIP LH cars. Good luck LX, hope you're a lot better looking in person than in pix!

tayl0rd

Hurray!! I got my NAV unit today and have already installed it! It was crazy simple and only took about 15-20 minutes. A person more familiar/confident in taking apart stuff in the 300M could probably do it in 5. All you need is a Philips head screwdriver and a putty knife; or some facsimile there of. So far, I love it. I haven't actually used the NAV feature yet; just played around with it. But the radio cerainly sounds worlds better than the one I had, which wasn't bad itself; the one with the 3-band equalizer and cassette w/ CD changer control. This one sounds way more crisp and the bass has much more punch. Probably should have bought it a few months ago and saved money on buying the Basslink! ;-) The controls for the NAV aren't as complicated as I thought they would be.

The only problem I have so far is that when it powers on, it shows the Jeep logo. :-( Do they all do that or am I a victim of a refurbished Jeep unit? :-0 Can't complain too much. At least it was $100 off retail. Another thing is that you can hear the cooling fan as it cycles on and off; but I was in my garage with the car off. This would not be a problem at all while driving or listening to the radio at moderate volume.

ottowrkr

tayl0rd- did the radio come with all the wires and GPS antennae etc? or did you have to buy it separate .

silverbullet4

Thanks for the heads up on the DC philosophy. I queried the shop about the procedure and they convinced me that they do this all the time (moving the motor tray to correct castor). Mine was out of spec, along with camber. Every thing is now within spec. I will be listening for vibration in the drive train at various speeds, but so far, so good. The rear alignment was a different story. The right rear strut was bent, preventing alignment. I had two Monroe Sensa-Trac's installed. Total $424.85. Lifetime guarantee on the struts. Three months, 6,000 mi. on the alignment. Jeez, it took them forever to get the old struts off. You have to remove the back seats, package shelf, etc.

ruski

http://www.thecarconnection.com/images/gallery/tmb/7202_image.jpg

bluesky999

Laurasdad, yes, not only more fun but I'll bet it left some added cash in your bank account and is more practical (bigger trunk and interior) to boot.

Ruski, I think the coefficient of drag (CD) of the M is about .32. Looks like the CD of the upcoming is about 4.0. Considering the 2 ton plus curb weight, I predict highway MPG of about 23, tops. This is an entirely different class of vehicle, DMX is surely on heavy drugs to think this is a replacement for the M. It's like replacing the Mustang with an Expedition; it's great for people that want an Expedition, but the original Mustang owners (M owners in this case) are left out in the cold with nowhere to go, except Nissan I guess (or Acura if you don't mind an uglycar that's very reliable).

tayl0rd

Update on the screen logo:

I guess it needs to learn what vehicle it's in? First it popped up the Jeep logo then on the second power on it popped the Jeep logo then the Chrysler logo. On the third power on it popped the Chrysler logo only. Very nice looking. Anyway, I put it to the test this morning. It's quite accurate in showing your location so far. A more thorough test remains to be conducted, but I think I'm going to enjoy it a lot.

greasykid1

Have 2003 M. Am in the market to change my OEM lights to HID's that are in the Special. Expect a salvage yard would be my best bet. Any suggestions or recommendations?

tayl0rd

Otto, there was only one wire that came with it. That was the GPS antenna. As stated, it was ridiculously easy to install. Plug and play at its finest. It's so easy that the instructions come in picture (drawings) form. There are only 4 drawings. Can you believe that my dealer wanted to charge me $250 for something they could've done in 5 minutes!!?? Originally they told me $2000 JUST FOR INSTALLATION!! I had to reverify that w/ the Service Manager. I hate my dealer service, BTW. The package contents include the RB1 unit, navigation DVD, GPS antenna, owner's manual, and some stickers. The DVD update certificate is enclosed in the DVD case.

I'm loving life right now! :-) I know, I know. I'm a simple man to please.

Off topic: Why do my posts keep going in twice?

pat

If you hit refresh after making a post but prior to clicking on another link, your message will repost (even though the text of the message no longer appears in the post box). This is a, um, feature of Web Crossing I guess - it has to do with the codes in the URL that you refreshed.

All you have to do is click on something else ... say the Sedans link that's at the top and bottom of the page, or your Message Center ... and then come back. Now you can hit refresh all you want without reposting, because you've gotten rid of the code in the URL that says "post the message".

Hope this helps, and don't blame the messenger.