Chrysler 300M

tayl0rd

How can you have a problem with the seats in the '04 Special and not your '01 M? The seat dimensions never changed throughout the production life of the 300M.

As far as the EVIC display, I guess it's just a subjective thing. I think the dot matrix looks way better than the old display, as do many other M owners.

And what do you mean "no Infinity sound"? The Infinity sound system is standard on the Special. There have, however, been several complaints from people that owned the earlier Ms and bought later ones that the sound is not nearly as nice. I have to agree a bit. There is no bass kick in the newer ones like in the 99s-00s. My sister had a 99 and the sound was much better than in my 02 Special.

jediknight2b

bigmike5 - I have seen they are complaining about the stereo read out and have complained to Chrysler, with no future fix in sight. With the owner complaints about lack of power, clunking manual tranny, and other oddities, I may just wait things out and see what the "C" looks like in person.

taylOrd - the seat back was lower than in my '01, it hits me lower in the shoulder blades, I mean I was driving it no? The head rests do not tilt. The backs of the front seats had hard plastic backing, mine does not.

 The read out on the display may be subjective but, you like it, I didn't.

The audio system (speakers on the doors) read premium sound, I asked the dealer who said the infinity is an option on the M, even the special now. Maybe he was not truthful but why no branding on the speakers and nothing on the window sticker?

Maybe I'm just used to my current M and would not be happy with any other?

fuzzywuzzy

I like the "Chrome" switches alot better. Those black ones just don't match the car with the big "chrome" door handle.

intrepidspirit

says "Infiniti Speakers"... The speakers themselves have a "Premium Sound " label on them rather than the Infiniti label pre 2003 (02?)

scotian

I don't mind the chrome door handles.

scotian

Could worn-out shocks (or whatever those things are) cause this condition?

http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/exterior/sinking_trunk_lid/

tayl0rd

I don't know anything about any hard plastic on the backs of the seats. My '02 Special doesn't have any of that. But I do know that the seat dimensions haven't changed. The headrests don't need to tilt. They're only about an inch from the back of your head. If they tilted, they would be pushing your head forward. That would make for some uncomfortable driving.

But, no need to get offended. I was just saying it doesn't make any sense that the seats aren't comfortable when they haven't changed (other than hard plastic on the back of the seat). I'll have to sit in an '04 seat to see for myself, but they sure do LOOK exactly the same.

Concerning the "branding" on the speakers, that was probably a move to save costs. They have to pay Infinity for the use of their logo. My '02 Special only says "Premium Sound", but the sticker states 360 watt, 11 speaker, Infinity premium sound system.

lonestarsled

I would doubt that those shock things would cause that, they only push open the trunk lid and hold it open. I would guess that maybe the trunk weatherstrip has become compressed and/or the trunk latch (either on the lid or the body) has moved out of adjustment. Does the trunk lid rattle?

scotian

The trunk lid doesn't rattle, and the lid goes out of whack long before the latch or weatherstrip engage as it is closed.

hayneldan

Photo #4 shows what the problem is. The lower hinge bolts have allowed that side to drop. Loosen the three lower bolts and raise the lower hinge bracket up to cover the primer shown in picture #4 and that should raise the whole passenger side of the decklid. Post if this works.
Tom

scotian

The front of that side can be raised some, but not the back. I lowered the front so it wouldn't pinch the bumper so much -- to level it off. I would love it if I could raise the bracket, but that's a bit of metal to cut, and I'd probably have to cut the bolt washers a bit since the bracket isn't flat.

hayneldan

If loosening the rear lower bracket won't work. And remember these bolts and nuts are painted (stuck) to the body. Your only other possibility is to shim the upper hinge bolts that hold the decklid under the bracket with large washers or a custom made shim that mimics the outline and holes of the hinge on the decklid. It should be the thickness of the difference in height between the declid and the rear fender. Good luck, post the results.
Tom

hayneldan

Looking at picture #4 again it sure looks like the rear bolt has allowed the hinge bracket to drop. Notice the primer above the hinge and below the bolt. It even looks like there is a flange on the hinge close to the rear window that would allow you to loosen the three bolts and use a lever on the flange to pry it up a bit. worth a try before going the shim route as posted above. Tom

cinquita

What is 5* - I'm new at this - have no clue. I don't know pin point the problem whether it be speakers/amp/radio deck etc., just know that I attempted Jimi on a cd this am; was so bad I had to turn him off. Got my concerned letter from the dealer stating all installed components match the MSRP and are hooked up properly. Said the sound quality is not a defect in the car but rather a design issue, not that the design is bad and be assured we will do anything possible in keeping your vehicle and components in top running order, "as designed", bla bla bla. I can only think of having a stero place listen & advise me of problem then take it up with Chyrsler. They think I'm a real pest at this point which really irritates the hell out of me.

Kirstie_H

If you've recently bought or are shopping for a used domestic vehicle, a reporter working on a front page story for a major midwestern newspaper is hoping to talk with you asap. Please respond with your daytime contact info by 5pm Eastern Tuesday, September 30 to jfallon@edmunds.com. Thanks!

scotian

Actually, it is the bracket at the front bolt (on the left in the pic) that has been lowered and I did that so the rear bottom edge of the lid didn't mash the bumper. The rear bolt bracket area cannot be raised any more (you can sort of tell by similar primer marks that it is raised a bit from normal).

http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/exterior/sinking_trunk_lid/d- cp_1698.html

cebteb

Can't say enough good about these tires. Smoother, quieter, and stickier than the Badyears they replaced on our '99 M non-PHP.

fastdriver

cinquita-

"What is 5* - I'm new at this - have no clue."

Means NOTHING! They have no clue either! It's an advertising ploy to make you THINK that one dealer is better than the other.

As for being a "pest", the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Call Auburn Hills when you get no satisfaction from the dealer or the factory reps. It worked for me back in 99!

Good luck. You'll need it!

fastdriver

tayl0rd

Well, I've finally fallen victom to the Warping Rotors Syndrome (started about 12K and got intolerable around 15K). They were REALLY bad last week, so I took it in last Friday to be resurfaced. Now it's just a few days later and they are warping again. The mechanic said the one on the right was VERY badly warped. I looked at it after I got it home and it was cut so low that I don't think it will take another resurfacing. Even after it was done, there was still a very slight vibration when stepping on the brakes.

Anyway, has anyone here tried the slotted rotors from Stainless Steel Brakes Company? They look nice, but it's $720 for a set! Granted you get 4 rotors, pads all around, and some other stuff, but still. That's a lot of loot. I see some folks have gotten the Brembos from Tire Rack. I went to Brembo's site and they don't even list anything for the 300M. If I'm going to have to replace the rotors, I want something with some "style" and better performance. Not the plain looking ones that Tire Rack offers. Any suggestions? I've got an '02 Special, by the way.

I'm also looking into getting the K&N FIPK. What's the best price you guys have seen for it. So far the best I've found is $224.25 (part# 57-1522 @ www.martelbros.com) and free shipping.

This thing's gettin' kinda pricey. $720 for a good set of performance pads and slotted rotors and $224 for the FIPK! Not to mention I'll be needing some good replacements for the Pilot Sports real soon! After all is said and done, nearly $2K for some stuff that doesn't increase my go-ability. I'm the type that doesn't want "replacement parts." I want UPGRADES. I've already wasted money on the Platinum +4s that yielded ZERO difference from the NGKs that I had in it.

A little advice would be greatly appreciated.

bluesky999

Taylor,

Save yourself a few hundred; the car and wheels are hot looking enough so it looks fine w/standard rotors. Get the OEM replacements from Chrysler (you probably just need the fronts) for about $57 a piece. Then get Bendix ceramic front pads for $65 for the pair. Then you have pads that won't heat up and warp your new rotors, and that are quiet and little dust to boot. I haven't had the Bendix but they are one of the top brands and should be good. This is what I'm planning to do. On the other hand, if you want to chuck over $700 away for something you don't need, be my guest. Brembo will love you...

scottjohnson

My '00 300M with just under 30K miles suddenly developed very noticable play in the steering. I took it in to the dealer and sure enough, bad rack. Of course, I didn't buy the extended warranty. The good news is that the dealership is going to split the cost with me and I didn't have to say any more than "Gee, the car doesn't even have thirty thousand on it yet." They aren't a four-star dealer but they sure act like it sometimes.

Did Chrysler under-engineer the front end on these cars? Seems like a number of us have had tie rods, racks, etc. replaced way before normal.

I still love this car, though.

tayl0rd

It's Stainless Steel Brakes Company that wants $720 for a front and rear setup, including new pads. The Brembos are $67 each at Tire Rack. I've never heard of Bendix. I was thinking of getting some Raybestos pads. But 4 slotted rotors and pads are starting to sound pretty nice right now. When I pulled up replacement rotors on Tire Rack, a notice showed up that DCX recommends ceramic pads on the Special. I imagine anything less would give reduced stopping capabilities or cause even more damage to the rotors. I considered getting OEM rotors, but what would be the point if I have to replace them in another 12K-15K? Might as well spend the money now and be done with it.

Thanks.

fuzzywuzzy

The OEM rotors/pads from the dealer are not the same as the ones on your car. Your car has factory rotors & pads. The dealer sells OEM replacments that are not exactly the same. So your chance of warping your new rotors with a new set of pads is limited. Your rears should be fine, so you should be able to get just fronts with pads for under $200. You want looks, Paint your brake cailpers. It's very easy to do & takes a few hours. I wouldn't waste the money on a performance set untill you really need to. Besides on a heavy car like the 300M you will not see any real stopping gains from just a new set of rotors/pads. You need to go bigger to see real stoping gains, which no one makes for the 300M. You will however get better pedal feel, & less fade when the brakes are used for a long period of time.

silverbullet4

I just put on Brembo front rotors from Tire Rack. They are the ones that fit the PHG cars. They are machined to closer tolerances than most. Yeah, they are plain, but they sure are smooth in operation. I left my Sears replacement ceramic pads in place. No problems so far. I did go to my tire store and have the front wheels re-torqued in case the alignment shop that installed the rotors wasn't so careful.

Plus-4 plugs. Well, you talked me out of those, Tayl0rd. I had planned to get some next month.

Silver

vacman1

Heya guys and gals. After getting plowed in my '99 Taurus, I'm seriously thinking about purchasing a 2004 M Special with Sat radio / Nav system as a replacement. It's fully loaded - MSRP is $34K but the dealer says he will sell it for $30,700 plus include either the current rebate ($2K or $3K I forget with 4.9%) or forgo rebate with 0% financing.

Does the $30K sales price sound just for an M with the above features?

BTW the only bad thing about the car I can tell is that it's Crystalline Black. Gonna be hard keeping her clean in Indiana winters ...

Side note, I predominately would use the car for lengthy interstate drives (10-12 hours at a time, 25-30K / yr. - I'm in sales). For those of you with Sat radio and Nav systems, what do you think about them? Also did you find the seats comfortable?

pjyoung

From what I've read, the special may not be the best car as a daily driver for winter in Indiana. At the very least you're going to need snow tires.

vacman1

Actually, the last couple of years throughout the Midwest, the winters have been lame as far as the snow goes. I sometimes wonder if people in Midwest States do anything in winter except drink, screw and complain that THEY know what a "real" winter is. LOL

Anyway, I'm not ultra-concerned about the snow. I used to live in WV (5 years as a Hoosier now), and as far as I've seen where I used to live in the mountains there, driving in 4" of snow in WV/PA is like 8" of snow out here. Regardless, wifey has a big beefy Expy 4x4, so I can always beg to take it if needed.

So, back to my original Q's ... does the $30.7K sound good or not? And is that Sirius radio worth it?

fuzzywuzzy

The concern isn't how much snow, it's because if the car has the perforamnce 18" wheels & rubber, those are summer tires only, & are not rated for any snow at all. You would need to get another set of wheels/tires for snow & put them on in the winter. There is an option to get the regular 17's with all seasons, but your dealer may not have it on that car.

vacman1

The special I'm looking at has those 17's Michellins (sp?) on it, but I'm not certain if they are an all weather tread or not. It would seem they'd have a difficult time moving 300 M's in the Midwest if they were not.

beespecial

If you can get a loaded Special for 30K you're doing better than I did. Hearing that makes me wish I'd pushed the salesman a bit more. But then again I've never been noted for my negotiational skills!
I've had my Special for 11 months now and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. I'm not wild about having to swap tires for winter but the 18" Michelin Sports really suck in ANY amount of snow so I got a set of Michelin Arctic Alpins. At the risk of sounding like a pitchman for Michelin, I love these tires for snow. They are nearly as good as the Pilots are on dry pavement. And as a native, I also know about Indiana winters, they're either really mild or really brutal.
As far as Sirius radio, the Special should have a 6 cd changer as well as a cassette player. Put your money in the music you WANT to hear.

vacman1

I was incorrect about one thing. The car I'm looking at is NOT a special. I thought it was. But it does have the following add ons (possibly these make it close engouh for government work):

17" Aluminum-Sparkle Silver rims
Tires - P225/55R17 95V AS Perf.

Cold weather group - $40
Navigation / Sirius Radio / 9 spkr infinity 6 CD / AMFM Radio, DVD etc., etc., $1445
Smoker's group (I don't BTW) - $30 (for an ashtray????)
Performance/Handling group - 4wheel disc ABS, performance steering, High Speed Engine Controller $560
Supplemental side airbags (important to me after my recent side impact collision!!!!) $390

Total MSRP sticker is listed at $35,480 including destination charge of $680 and there are discounts on both the Premium Group and Sat. Radio that bring the suggested MSRP to $34,189.

The deal being offered thusfar is a sale price of $30,700 (not including $2000/$3000 rebate). Financing is yet to be determined but the salesman mentioned something about 4.9%/60mo with the above rebate which I balked at. I'm shooting for the same sales price, no rebate and 0% for 60 months.

So, sound like a good buy or not?

rstilp

That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. What part of IN are you guys from? We have 3 club members here in the South Bend area and are contemplating a meet next spring in Indy.
Any interest?

vacman1

I'm not far from South Bend, about an hour. The major problem for me is that I travel extensively (drive) with my job, especially in the spring.

If there are 3 of you in South Bend, why not have a meeting in South Bend? Or does Indy already have a meeting for M owners? Kokomo would also be good since tons of D/C transmissions including Miss M are made there.

Side note: I think it's cool to see the Hummers meeting in South Bend for the owners rally. Kinda freakish though to see 50 to 100 of them on the side of the highway without military markings at one time. I'll bet the South Bend gas stations just love it when they have their owner meetings though!!!!

rstilp

I travel (drive) extensively also. 25k/yr. Just thought Indy would be a central spot fora state meet. Could include KY, IL, OH & MI. The club does meets all over the country. The big one is in Detroit in Aug. We got blaced out this year.
You are going to LOVE the M for road trips.
Mine is a 2000 non/php and I bought it new. Still look forward to my daily excursions. I have found that I probably take the long route more often in this car.
Check out the club if you haven't already; good info.

trashman2

I AM A MEMBER FROM THE TERRE HAUTE AREA I OWN A 2000 STEEL BLUE M . I THINK I AM THE ONLY MEMBER FROM TERRE HAUTE. HAVE A GOOD ONE. TRASHMAN

bluesky999

It's interesting to me to see the many different options people are going here with their replacement rotors and pads. I guess it's a case of everyone having their own priorities and preferences; at least there's an aftermarket that is suiting everyone. Personally I just bought the Satisfied Pro Fitment ceramic pads ($57 for the front pair), and Brembo plain (non-slotted or drilled) back vented rotors ($48 each) plus $21 shipping for a total of $174.

I think most guys buy the ceramics since they don't put out that dirty dust, but I bought them because they operate significantly cooler, thus I'm hoping there will be no warpage on these new rotors. To buy the OEM rotors at my local dealer would have been the same price if you figure in shipping, so I don't know if the Brembo's or the OEM's were better. I've been told that Brembo supplies some OEM rotors, and Brembo has a name as a premium after-market player, so I went with them; I'll experiment to see if they hold up. As for the Satisfied Pads ($57), the next step up would have been the Akebono's at $80. That's a huge step so I thought I'd give the Satisfied's a try. All in all, $174 for new ceramic pads and Brembo rotors, including 1 day shipping to my house was a very economical deal. If you're like me, some days you're just not in the mood for paying much so you go the cheap rather than top of the line route. Last thing I'll say is that it sure is easy to do business with Tire Rack and the sales rep was more knowledgeable than most. Hope they now deliver on the promise of quick delivery and quality.

bcmtb

I just want everyone to know that I recently purchased a 300m and I love it!!!!I had an 02 Eddie Bauer Explorer that I traded in on the 300, and there is no comparison to me. I also am in sales and travel 25k to 30k a year. The ride is great. Does anyone know of an Owners club in WNC or ETN?

speeds2much

A number of us are disappointed with the styling of the 300C Hemi and were wondering where to turn when the 300M's production life ends next year.

I may have found the answer: the Pontiac G6. It's a beautiful car, reminds me of a Sebring or 300M but has leaner proportions. Will come with a supercharged V-6 and will be based on the Saab 9-3 platform, but with all-wheel-drive. Since Chrysler is abandoning the near-luxury sport seedan market, the G-6 deserves a look imo. It's no coincidence that Lutz has joined GM and now GM is focusing on styling, either. )

ruski

you must be so excited about G6 because you only saw the ***concept***.

I was very excited too, until I saw the spy shots of the production version.

lflowers

I'm in the process of shopping for new tires to replace the Goodrich Gforce KDW 245/45-17's (mounted on aftermarket 17 x 8 wheels) that are about to need replacing. This is my second set of these tires and I love them, but a Tire Rack guy just informed me that 245/45's are not suitable (or even safe) on a 300M, due to improper load rating! He says the nearest safe size is a 245/50-17 and that size dramatically cuts down on the tire options available.
I've been considering going to all season high performance tires (the KDW's are wet/dry only, no good in snow or ice). In the 245/50 size, my choices are limited to the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S and the Dunlop SP Sport 5000. The Michelin is pretty pricy and there is a note in the description of the Dunlop that state that size is a "different" tread design than the Sport 5000 that is rated on the Tire Rack website. I used the 245/45's for over 2 years and 50K miles with NO problems. Does anyone have an opinion as to how much weight I should give to Tire Rack's recommendation (they will not sell me 245/45's period).
Lynn Flowers
McKinney, Texas
(currently working in San Diego)

silverbullet4

Lynn, I thought you had 18" aftermarket wheels???

Silver

easyrider300m

If you had good luck with the Goodrich tires and they seemed to handle well and didnt leak air, then I would stick with them. Tirerack is protecting themselves and going by strict data. I think real world driving proves that they are fine on the M. What pressure did you run them at. I would think you may need to run them at the higher end of pressure (like 34-35) to help protect your rims when hitting potholes etc. Did they handle imperfections in the road ok?

scotian

http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/exterior/razorstar_wheels/va- lve_sleeves/

bluesky999

Ruski, you may be right that the G6 will not be nearly as attractive in production, but remember that it's still very early, so by the time it comes out in '05 they may have the interior and some body panels further refined.

I really don't know, but I'm hoping that w/Lutz as product czar they won't let mediocre efforts out in the first year. Although they did that with the interior of the Saturn Ion. But the exterior AND interior of the concept was really nice; I hope they don't disappoint. If they do, for me it will be just like the Altima; saw the concept, read the specs, got psyched, and then drove it which revealed leather seats you sat on top of, not in, wonky leather quality, mediocre interior quality, and terrible NVH characteristics. Hope it's not going to be a case of deja vu all over again, to quote Yogi Berra.

blamonte

62,000 miles. While in town, sensor failed without any warning. No speedo, stayed in 2nd gear, engine light on. After reading your postings on this, I concluded it was an output speed sensor failure. At a 5* dealer, had both sensors replaced for $185.00. Both replaced sensors are made of a beige colored plastic material. Thanks for the info.

lflowers

I've done more research on the possible tire load rating problem that Tire Rack cautioned me about
(message 24648). I found that the 245/45-17's that Tire Rack says are dangerous have the same (or slightly higher) load rating as the original equipment 225/55-17's. So I think Tire Rack is being way over cautious.
I'm not going to buy the Goodrich tires again, but only because I've decided I need to go to an all-season tire (the Goodrich KDW's are strictly a dry or wet tire - no snow or ice). After doing lots of research, I think I'm going to buy the new Pirelli P-Zero Nero M/S in the 245/45-17 size.
I can get a set from Discount Tires for $801, including mounting, lifetime balance, and road hazard warranty. I'll order them as soon as I find out for sure if my contract to work here in San Diego is extended on Tuesday (I don't want to order them and then have to leave town before they arrive!).
By the way, Silverbullet4, my wheels are Konig Tantrum 17 x 8's. I went wider for the 245/45 tires, but stayed with 17" diameter.
Lynn Flowers

silverbullet4

After washing my car yesterday, I was careful to garage it because of a rain shower forecast. This morning I pulled my car out and discoverd muddy cat prints over the whole length of the car. G-R-R-R!

jediknight2b

Anyone retro fitted the special mirrors to their non-special M? One of my mirrors was twisted off and needs to be replaced any way so I thought why not put the signal mirrors on? Any extra wiring that would need to added?

ruski

you saw these, right?

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?n=156,178&sid=178&a- mp;article=6328

ezaircon4jc

So YOU'RE the one that brought our crappy weather .

What do you think of the Yokohama AVS ES100? I just bought a set for my LS, 245/45/17. They are very quiet and stick very well. They are confidence inspiring. After reading Tirerack, I removed the Pirelli's from my short list. Seems they suffer from "tramlining", which is unacceptable with our grooved freeways. IIRC, I paid $650 for the set.