It was worth it to get the clockface into my new M! The 2000 M was repaired under warranty and I got it back just in time to turn it in at lease-end a week later...besides, I didn't want to hear it from my wife about how she has a custom clockface and I don't!
She's already ribbing me about how her 2001 is better than my 2003 because of all the decontenting....
I assume this would be a costly fix. If it were in fact failing, wouldn't I be experiencing much worse problems? Wouldn't it mean that the car's electronics wouldn't know ehen I was in Park or Neutral? The car drives fine.
Have you put your instrument cluster through the self-test yet? I don't know if it's ever been mentioned (or discovered) before, but you can initiate a self-test of your instrument cluster. What you have to do is (with the car off):
1. Hold down the trip reset button 2. Turn the key to the run position WHILE holding the trip reset button for 5-10 seconds. All the lights will light up and all the guages will swing to their maximum position. At this point, you can release the button. 3. The lights will then go through a sequence of flashes while the guages return to the home position then step up incrementally to the maximum position. 4. As this is occurring, the gear display will also light up boxes around the characters in an alternating pattern. All of this stuff is happening AT THE SAME TIME! It's like Christmas in Times Square so you have to know what you're going to be looking at. There's so much going on that it's almost distracting to try to see it all. The test takes only a few seconds. 5. When it's done, everything will return to normal.
Maybe that will flash a code via the check/service engine light when it's done. BTW, I've done this on my '02 Special. Don't know if it will work on all Ms, but I don't see why not.
Good luck!
Oh yeah. In case you're wondering how I came across that, I had a '99 Mustang GT before my Special and you had to follow those same steps to get to a digital readout via the odomoter of your MPH, RPM, trouble codes, oil pressure/temp, and a bunch of other stuff that you could cycle through. The test wasn't nearly as cool to watch, though! :-) I was testing to see if I could get that information on my Special's odometer.
I was actually going to wait to see the 300c, but from the production versions I'm seeing, I'm going with the new Acura TL within the next 3-6 months. My 300M is once again making very strange noises. Chrysler is rudderless. I hate to say it, but they are going to fail (i.e., get sold by DC at a huge loss).
Yes, Quasimoto is the perfect comparison; the PT Cruiser does look hunchbacked. Hopefully they can operate before production.
That '68 300 is amazing. In the last 35 years technology has moved at the speed of light!
Pster, for goodness sake, please don't buy another DMC vehicle, at least not at this point. I'm starting to worry about you if you would even consider it after your fiasco. The TL looks very nice, inside and out. Have you driven it yet?
Pster - I would stay away from the TL until the transmission bugs are worked out. som poor TL souls are on their third or fourth transmission in under 50k miles. Makes the 300 look as reliable as a rock comparitively. I would try the G35 or CTS before going to the TL.
Finally will be entering the 300 M club. She gets delievered today. What a beaut! Graphite Metallic, Nav/sat radio, performance group, side airags I can't wait to try her out.
All I can say is uck! I'm no fashion conscious guy but that's a face only a mother could love. Looks like a cross between a Jaguar and a Dodge Ram truck!
As far as buying another chrysler never say never. When a door rusted off my 95 jeep cherokee I swore I'd NEVER buy another DMC again. The bottom line is that you'll probablly have better luck with a car that isn't a first year production run - regardless of manufacturer or type. They need time to get the bugs out.
And a 2004 TL vs. a 2004 300M? - I don't see that big a difference really, except some mystical perception that a "Chrysler" falls into the epitome of bad cardom whereas Acura is a "Honda", the stereotypical "good" car. I actually thought the Acura was a little overpriced since the interior looked cheap and the dealer refused to budge on sticker price.
An associate of mine (next office) has a TL. He just got a letter from Acura extending the drive train warrantly to 100,000 miles. What is sad is that Chrysler would NEVER do anything that nice for its customers. Haven't driven the new TL yet, but I plan to. Even at $33,125 MSRP, it's a good value considering the features and performance.
Has anyone here tried both? Which is better? My girlfriend just bought an '04 Accord EX V6 and it has XM satellite radio. We've tried it together for only 45 minutes or so and we both like it a LOT and may continue the service. It made me want to get the service in my Special, then I realized that we have SIRIUS satellite capability on the RB1 Nav unit, not XM. Can we get XM on the RB1 unit or do we have to stick with Sirius?
Also, are there alternative (read, smaller) antennas for satellite radio reception w/ the RB1 unit? I saw it mounted on a Special at a recent car show and I didn't like it at all. It wasn't even painted. It just messes up the roofline of the car. I wonder if I could get a smaller antenna and mount it in a hidden spot like the NAV antenna. PLUS, I don't want to drill any holes in my car! Anybody have any ideas (BESIDES an aftermarket radio, which is out of the question)?
Pster said"What is sad is that Chrysler would NEVER do anything that nice for its customers."
Well they sure do. When DC built a bunch of 3.5 engines a few years back and they started to grenade . DC gave the owners of those 100 and something cars the option to have a new engine replaced , a new car , or money back . This happened to a buddy of mine . He was very happy as he gave back his M and got a Special . So dont think only Honda oh sorry Acura does nice things for there customers.
I'm happy with the warranty work on my 2000M. -Preston Chrysler (now Dodge) replaced the BCM and later the entire sunroof for a small gasket problem. I plan to keep my car for a long time, so I keep it well maintained.
Well, I've done a bit of research and I guess I'm stuck with having to go with Sirius if I want to maintain my factory unit and have satellite radio. Too bad. The only reason I say too bad is because, from what I've read so far, XM is the better way to go. More programming and more variety. Not to mention cheaper, but more commercials. A couple of comments I saw were that Sirius has about the same music content/playlists as regular radio without the ads. I've really enjoyed XM in my girlfriends Accord. From the little experience I have with it, it seems to offer a lot of what I like (old, nearly forgetten songs, movie tunes, the Decades [60s, 70s, 80s, 90s], etc.) She has, of course, spent more time with it than I and she thinks that it really isn't worth the money. She says it still has commercials. I'm certain it's nowhere NEAR as many commercials as you get on the FM dial! I can drive my commute to and from work everyday and hear MAYBE 3 songs in that whole time on FM; and that's including going through the entire "dial" multiple times!
FM is getting ridiculous! It's so bad that with a couple of the stations I listen too around here, you can go 20 minutes with nothing but commercials, play ONE song and have to endure another 5 minutes or more of commercials!!!
Anyway, I checked Sirius' website and they have a special going on. You can go to an authorized retailer, buy an antenna (if you already have a Sirius-ready unit) and get a FREE tuner. I searched high and low for the "fine print" but couldn't find any. It says if you sign up for a 1 year subscription, you'll get 1 month free; but it doesn't say the 1 year subscription is a requirement to get the free tuner. I'll probably check that out today.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. I checked Chrysler's site and you have to have a tuner to go along with the RB1 unit to get Sirius. I wish they would have gotten "serious" and built the tuner into the unit. But, then again, it leaves room for future compatibility by needing an external unit. Which now puts me back to my first question. Since we have to get an external tuner anyway, could we get an XM tuner and use it with the RB1 unit.
Why doesn't somebody around here with some deep pockets check it out and get back to us?? :-)
There is nothing stating that the '04 Trans is different than 02-03 plus they increased the power in the car. I wouldn't be an early adopter is all I'm saying. Plus now that I'm in a place that doesn't snow FWD doesn't appeal to me as much anymore especially with all the suspension problems my 300 Has. The CTS has been pretty solid and so has the G save early brake and rotor replacements. Both can be had for under the price of the new TL. However it is nice by including SAT radio DVD-Audio and the like as std equipment.
I installed it yesterday. It's pretty noisy. There was a nasty howl to it. I checked for air leaks and didn't find any. Went for a test drive and found a bit more pep and a lot more noise. But it's not really bad noise. Thankfully, only a little of it makes its way into the cabin.
Was it worth the money? That remains to be seen. I'll have to wait for some freeway driving as well as see how many miles I get on this tank of gas.
It seems to rev a bit freer, but it also seems like the computer isn't sure what to do with the new-found breathing capabilities. When I first started it up after the install, the idle was rough and the exhaust smelled like she was running rich. The air intake sensor might be a little twisted out of place. I know from experience that if it doesn't have good airflow over it, the engine will run HORRIBLY.
I, as you, can only speak from personal experience, as well as what we read. I work for a company, as you do, that has as its business model making its customers happy so they will come back. ESPECIALLY customers that have had a bad experience and can prove it. I begged Chrysler to help me with $6000 in repairs experienced between 36K and 52K miles and was told "you should have bought our insurance". This after owning 5 Chrysler and Dodge vehicles. Therefore, my conclusion is that Chrysler is quite obviously selling machines, not customer experience. They lost my heart, and my wallet.
Pster, very well said. BTW, did you get your service (i.e. oil changes, etc.) all done at a particular dealer? I know at some service centers (Acura is what I'm familiar with) they will give much additional help to customers who get all their routine maintenance work done there. That said, w/the problems you had they should have helped you regardless it seems to me.
pster- I am sure your company does not have 100% customer satisfaction . No company does. I do not know what your company does but mine builds vehicles , nearly 4 MILLION cars in 2002 . That's a lot of cars. Will everyone be perfect .NO. Will every owner be happy ? NO . Will the majority ? YES . I don't like to hear of unhappy owners .Now I don't know your situation or details of your problems , but I think there must have been a reason DC would not help you . How high in the corporate ladder did you go to try and resolve your problems ? I have had problems with things I have purchased and the stores that the items were purchased have been less than helpful . A quick search on the net finds the offending companies head office and email address and I fire off a letter to CEO's and other top management types . I have had pretty good luck with getting my problems resolved . Just my experience anyway
Dealer, Dealer Service Mgr (never responded to e-mails or phone calls), region Chrysler rep, Chrysler hq all contacted. I shouldn't have to work that hard....just moving on. There is a problem. Car now making whining noise again as it did before both cooling fan motors failed....looked at Hondas this morning.
Hello. I just bought a 2002 Chrysler 300M Pro-AM Edition and I have 7,000 miles on it. When I am on a steep hill, the car tends to roll back a lot, while other cars don't. I mean it's supposed to roll back, but if I don't hit break, it will continue rolling back like it's on neutral. Is this normal, other 300M owners please help.
You have a transmission problem. What you described is totally out of the norm for an auto tranny. Good luck. Drive the car, and get EVERYTHING abnormal fixed by 36K miles. Pay heed of new noises coming from the engine, tranny, and front end. Unless you have an extended warranty, you're on your own after that....
Well I doubt that the 300M rolling back on hills is a transmission problem because the car is completely new with 7 thousand miles and I don't experience any other problems with it. I mean, sometimes it does roll back, while other times it doesn't, its weird. Maybe a weight issue since the car is heave?
I have a 99M, 62K miles, 5 1/2 years. On slight inclines at a light the car creeps forward up the incline unless I keep my foot on the brake. On steep inclines it will normally hold its position without brake pressure being applied. What you describe is not the norm for a transmission from an M. Unless your idle speed is set really low, the car should react about the way mine does. You may have some slippage in the tranny somewhere, I would have it checked if your idle is normal.
It's normal. I have driven other cars that have done this. The 300M I had did hold on inclines, however yours is newer & DC's lack of upgrades, & forcefull de-grades might have something to do with it. The 03 300M rental I had a few months ago also couldn't hold on a steep incline.
pster; You, I and many others through personal experience have come to the conclusion that Chrysler is not interested in helping with customer relations. If they did show a bit more interest perhaps their future would look a bit brighter.
Fuzzy: Some does, some doesn't, some might-- sound like Chrysler logic to me.
I just got a IVA-D900 and an RB1 for my car. The RB1 which is the Chryser Navigation/Radio unit. I also got the Alpine EVA-D900 to replace my IVA-M970 screen. Which hooks up to my surround sound system better. I will find some use for haveing two Navigation systems in the car since the alpine 852A once in route mode doesn't show area maps, just incase I want to quickly make a change in plans. I will try to check into the Sirus/XM question. Although with a 6 disk DVD changer I usually dont't listen to the radio much.
No, I didn't change the exhaust. I doubt I will ever do anything to the exhaust. If I do, it will be to get rid of the two mufflers at the very rear. Four mufflers is a bit overkill. I have been kicking around the thought of getting some custom made headers from one of the performance shops around here. I've also, as of late, been wondering how difficult it would be to swap out the auto transmission for a 5-speed from an Intrepid R/T (they did come w/ a manual option, didn't they?).
Sirius and the RB1. Sad news for me. I have to order the factory tuner/antenna package. I bought a tuner and antenna Friday and was going to install it Saturday. All looked good until I looked at the back of my RB1. There's no plug for an aftermarket Sirius tuner. You need a special harness that goes with the factory tuner to interface with Sirius. It sucks because I got the tuner for free with the special that Sirius has going on right now. $49.99 +tax for a Terk SIR3 dual-mode (satellite/terrestrial repeater) antenna (but you can buy whatever Sirius antenna you want) and a free $150 tuner. :-( The factory unit goes for $175. I sure don't want any holes drilled in my car for the antenna. I'm thinking of ordering the package but using an aftermarket, magnetic antenna. The Terk SIR 3 has a very low profile, is small, and has a very strong magnet to hold it in place. If I were to use that, I'd have to buy an antenna splitter because the factory tuner/antenna has two separate inputs/outputs for satellite and ground-based repeater, from what I can tell from diagrams. (Anybody have the factory unit that can verify that?) Now we're talking almost $250 just to get satellite radio PLUS another $155 for a year subscription.
For that money plus what I spent on the FIPK, I'd be most of the way to having some really cool slotted rotors and performance pads!
BTW, for some EXCELLENT info on Chrysler factory radios and electronics, I highly recommend visiting www.wjjeeps.com. The 300M Club website could learn volumes from those guys on how to make a useful website!! They have all sorts of technical info, diagrams, manuals, photos, etc. of their vehicle (WJ Grand Cherokee) over there. (And you don't have to join a club or pay to get access to it.) That's where I learned all my info on the RB1 AND the Sirius hookup. It can be an invaluable site should you have a need to fiddle with your EVIC (which they have a better feature that tells you WHICH passenger door is open if one is ajar! I'm jealous!).
Thanks to all of you for helping me out on my transmission problem, I'll get it checked soon, on my next oil change. If I use the Autostick, is it okay to nearly redline the car starting off first gear (redline 1st) and follow to the other gears, or will continuous strain on the transmission and engine give problems to my 02 300M Pro-AM? Thanks.
Interesting question. I have no input to give, I use my autostick a lot but have not redlined. I think some of the guys who have raced it would give better input. I think I did read somewhere in the owner's manual that the tranny will shift automatically at an appropriate point[speed/rpm??] if you fail to do so. To protect the tranny.
What you been smoking? I never heard of the RT with a manual 5 speed. alcatrazt2 Drive your car & don't worry so much. Red lining is fine. That's why ther's a rev limiter so you can't over-rev the car. You will not cause any harm. The 300M tranny's seem to be fine unlike other DC tranny's.
For the fun of it I priced out the 'M exhaust components to see what it would cost to replace those 2 resonators, 2 catalytic converters, and the rest. I priced it out here http://www.alldiscountautoparts.com/Chrysler300M.html , and figure it would run around 3K for everything plus labor. That's a lot of cash for an exhaust system. Hope the OEM stainless steel system lasts the better part of a decade. Have a co-worker who has an Intrepid, which is 9 years old if I remember correctly, and he still has the original exhaust and struts at 109K. Hopefully the 'M will prove as hardy.
I also looked to see what the Oxygen sensors would cost. Each of the 5 runs about $60 for Bosch sensors. I remember that I bought a Bosch sensor, the only one the car needed, for my Buick a few years back for only about $25. These 'Ms have some expensive components.
I have read so much on this topic since purchasing my 300m special 2 weeks ago,that i now have absolutely no clear indication of the best solution.Chrysler engineer says only 18"or the computer can malfunction and you will void any warranties.,then why did the 2002 come with 17" as standard ? Some say 16" is the way to go,and others say 17".What is the answer for this ,what should be ,a straightforward endevour. I have the 18" pilots at the moment.
bluesky999 said-"Each of the 5". ??? last time I check the LH had 4 O2 sensors.
chryslerjihad1. - you can use 16 , 17 , or 18 . I have 16 on in the summer ( trep) and put 15 snows on in the winter. My Bro also has a special with the 18's and in winter runs 16 steel rims. No prob. Just make sure you use all 4 the same size.
My last car was a '93 Concorde with 3.5l engine. The OEM exhaust system never gave me a problem while I had it. The mufflers were still quiet when I traded it last spring with 193,000 miles for a '99 300M. On the 300M, since my last post I have had to replace the transmission speed sensors ($240.00 at local dealer, in and out in one hour starting at 4:15PM!) and the driver's door woofer $70.00 at dealer, he had one in stock for the 11 speaker Infinity system!). I now have 52,000 miles on the car and still love it.
Thanks for the info on the jeep and the sirius units. LH vehicles do not have stick only have Auto, and Auto Stick transmissions is as close as you can get. The 300M club is working on Custom racing headers as I type. I have never paid for information at the club, but did save lots of cash though.
I hate it when dealers do that. The sensors probably cost less then 30 dollars and only take 2min each to install. very simple to do with a 1" socket set. Next time a speaker goes out put some Infintiy Reference speakers there. Less money and sound much better as well as being able to handle the power better. I just redid my audio system.
Re/O2 sensors; yes, w/o checking my manual I'm sure you're right that there's 4 and not 5. That will save about $60.
Quietflyer; that's great that your '99 M is holding up well. Mine is very nice now that the bugs are worked out (bad a/c, etc.) and I feel like it's built like a brick; I enjoy the ample acceleration and the nimble handling. Sometimes I drive conservatively and really get the great fuel mileage for such size and relative power. As for your '93 Intrepid, it seems then like DMC is doing the right thing w/the exhaust systems and we should be ok for quite a while w/that. I wouldn't trust one of the later models, though. It would be an easy decontent switch to switch to either non-stainless or to a cheaper grade of stainless. And at the prices for those parts that's no small change.
Re/changing exhaust, it would actually probably be around 3K for the parts alone, all things considered by my estimate from the web site I mentioned previously. I shouldn't have said "labor included". My plan is to probably keep the car until it's about 8 years old, and sell it before the tranny and exhaust go; I may be wrong but I'm hoping its components hold up like Quiet's '93 Intrepid.
One last thing; Quiet you might try like 300Mike says and do these easy jobs yourself. I think your dealer clearly ripped you off on the sensors. My local Dodge dealer sells me the input and output for about $24 each, you could have save $115 or so for a very quick job. You might consider buying a manual from Chrysler; it runs about $110 but in my mind it was worth it. These cars are not rocket science and its interesting to see how the things are put together and to occasionally take on a small job yourself. For example, even changing something like a lightbulb you can see how they recommend it. Just my 2 cents.
A little trivia, the 4 sensors the M uses would cost about $200. A 2002 Acura TL only needs 2 sensors, but total cost would be higher ($212). (from www.oxygensensorwholesale.com/acura_2002_tl.html). What's the advantage of 2 catalytic converters in the M vs 2 in the Acura?
Regarding TL, the new '04 uses basically the same brakes as the old model. These were class-trailing brakes that were not rated highly by Car and Driver. The 300M had class leading braking performance, both in stopping power and in pedal feel. There are quite a few things I like about the 'M better than the TL, including hydroformed engine cradle for better stiffness and ride, better style and room, cheaper initial price w/rebates, etc. That said, of course Acura has some strengths of its own,the biggest being the dealer experience I would think.
Comments
It was worth it to get the clockface into my new M! The 2000 M was repaired under warranty and I got it back just in time to turn it in at lease-end a week later...besides, I didn't want to hear it from my wife about how she has a custom clockface and I don't!
She's already ribbing me about how her 2001 is better than my 2003 because of all the decontenting....
1. Hold down the trip reset button
2. Turn the key to the run position WHILE holding the trip reset button for 5-10 seconds. All the lights will light up and all the guages will swing to their maximum position. At this point, you can release the button.
3. The lights will then go through a sequence of flashes while the guages return to the home position then step up incrementally to the maximum position.
4. As this is occurring, the gear display will also light up boxes around the characters in an alternating pattern. All of this stuff is happening AT THE SAME TIME! It's like Christmas in Times Square so you have to know what you're going to be looking at. There's so much going on that it's almost distracting to try to see it all. The test takes only a few seconds.
5. When it's done, everything will return to normal.
Maybe that will flash a code via the check/service engine light when it's done. BTW, I've done this on my '02 Special. Don't know if it will work on all Ms, but I don't see why not.
Good luck!
Oh yeah. In case you're wondering how I came across that, I had a '99 Mustang GT before my Special and you had to follow those same steps to get to a digital readout via the odomoter of your MPH, RPM, trouble codes, oil pressure/temp, and a bunch of other stuff that you could cycle through. The test wasn't nearly as cool to watch, though! :-) I was testing to see if I could get that information on my Special's odometer.
That '68 300 is amazing. In the last 35 years technology has moved at the speed of light!
Pster, for goodness sake, please don't buy another DMC vehicle, at least not at this point. I'm starting to worry about you if you would even consider it after your fiasco. The TL looks very nice, inside and out. Have you driven it yet?
As far as buying another chrysler never say never. When a door rusted off my 95 jeep cherokee I swore I'd NEVER buy another DMC again. The bottom line is that you'll probablly have better luck with a car that isn't a first year production run - regardless of manufacturer or type. They need time to get the bugs out.
And a 2004 TL vs. a 2004 300M? - I don't see that big a difference really, except some mystical perception that a "Chrysler" falls into the epitome of bad cardom whereas Acura is a "Honda", the stereotypical "good" car. I actually thought the Acura was a little overpriced since the interior looked cheap and the dealer refused to budge on sticker price.
Also, are there alternative (read, smaller) antennas for satellite radio reception w/ the RB1 unit? I saw it mounted on a Special at a recent car show and I didn't like it at all. It wasn't even painted. It just messes up the roofline of the car. I wonder if I could get a smaller antenna and mount it in a hidden spot like the NAV antenna. PLUS, I don't want to drill any holes in my car! Anybody have any ideas (BESIDES an aftermarket radio, which is out of the question)?
Let us know how it goes ...
Well they sure do. When DC built a bunch of 3.5 engines a few years back and they started to grenade . DC gave the owners of those 100 and something cars the option to have a new engine replaced , a new car , or money back . This happened to a buddy of mine . He was very happy as he gave back his M and got a Special . So dont think only Honda oh sorry Acura does nice things for there customers.
FM is getting ridiculous! It's so bad that with a couple of the stations I listen too around here, you can go 20 minutes with nothing but commercials, play ONE song and have to endure another 5 minutes or more of commercials!!!
Anyway, I checked Sirius' website and they have a special going on. You can go to an authorized retailer, buy an antenna (if you already have a Sirius-ready unit) and get a FREE tuner. I searched high and low for the "fine print" but couldn't find any. It says if you sign up for a 1 year subscription, you'll get 1 month free; but it doesn't say the 1 year subscription is a requirement to get the free tuner. I'll probably check that out today.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. I checked Chrysler's site and you have to have a tuner to go along with the RB1 unit to get Sirius. I wish they would have gotten "serious" and built the tuner into the unit. But, then again, it leaves room for future compatibility by needing an external unit. Which now puts me back to my first question. Since we have to get an external tuner anyway, could we get an XM tuner and use it with the RB1 unit.
Why doesn't somebody around here with some deep pockets check it out and get back to us?? :-)
We have had 3 300M's. My first was a lease and our current 2 are owned.
Each time I was due to get a new car for my wife or myself, I just couldn't find a better looking sedan with as much bang for the buck as the 300M!
It always feels special to drive this car...
I hope you enjoy your new M!
Was it worth the money? That remains to be seen. I'll have to wait for some freeway driving as well as see how many miles I get on this tank of gas.
It seems to rev a bit freer, but it also seems like the computer isn't sure what to do with the new-found breathing capabilities. When I first started it up after the install, the idle was rough and the exhaust smelled like she was running rich. The air intake sensor might be a little twisted out of place. I know from experience that if it doesn't have good airflow over it, the engine will run HORRIBLY.
I do not know what your company does but mine builds vehicles , nearly 4 MILLION cars in 2002 . That's a lot of cars. Will everyone be perfect .NO. Will every owner be happy ? NO . Will the majority ? YES .
I don't like to hear of unhappy owners .Now I don't know your situation or details of your problems , but I think there must have been a reason DC would not help you . How high in the corporate ladder did you go to try and resolve your problems ? I have had problems with things I have purchased and the stores that the items were purchased have been less than helpful . A quick search on the net finds the offending companies head office and email address and I fire off a letter to CEO's and other top management types . I have had pretty good luck with getting my problems resolved . Just my experience anyway
Fuzzy: Some does, some doesn't, some might-- sound like Chrysler logic to me.
Sirius and the RB1. Sad news for me. I have to order the factory tuner/antenna package. I bought a tuner and antenna Friday and was going to install it Saturday. All looked good until I looked at the back of my RB1. There's no plug for an aftermarket Sirius tuner. You need a special harness that goes with the factory tuner to interface with Sirius. It sucks because I got the tuner for free with the special that Sirius has going on right now. $49.99 +tax for a Terk SIR3 dual-mode (satellite/terrestrial repeater) antenna (but you can buy whatever Sirius antenna you want) and a free $150 tuner. :-( The factory unit goes for $175. I sure don't want any holes drilled in my car for the antenna. I'm thinking of ordering the package but using an aftermarket, magnetic antenna. The Terk SIR 3 has a very low profile, is small, and has a very strong magnet to hold it in place. If I were to use that, I'd have to buy an antenna splitter because the factory tuner/antenna has two separate inputs/outputs for satellite and ground-based repeater, from what I can tell from diagrams. (Anybody have the factory unit that can verify that?) Now we're talking almost $250 just to get satellite radio PLUS another $155 for a year subscription.
For that money plus what I spent on the FIPK, I'd be most of the way to having some really cool slotted rotors and performance pads!
BTW, for some EXCELLENT info on Chrysler factory radios and electronics, I highly recommend visiting www.wjjeeps.com. The 300M Club website could learn volumes from those guys on how to make a useful website!! They have all sorts of technical info, diagrams, manuals, photos, etc. of their vehicle (WJ Grand Cherokee) over there. (And you don't have to join a club or pay to get access to it.) That's where I learned all my info on the RB1 AND the Sirius hookup. It can be an invaluable site should you have a need to fiddle with your EVIC (which they have a better feature that tells you WHICH passenger door is open if one is ajar! I'm jealous!).
alcatrazt2
Drive your car & don't worry so much. Red lining is fine. That's why ther's a rev limiter so you can't over-rev the car. You will not cause any harm. The 300M tranny's seem to be fine unlike other DC tranny's.
I also looked to see what the Oxygen sensors would cost. Each of the 5 runs about $60 for Bosch sensors. I remember that I bought a Bosch sensor, the only one the car needed, for my Buick a few years back for only about $25. These 'Ms have some expensive components.
I have the 18" pilots at the moment.
chryslerjihad1. - you can use 16 , 17 , or 18 . I have 16 on in the summer ( trep) and put 15 snows on in the winter. My Bro also has a special with the 18's and in winter runs 16 steel rims. No prob. Just make sure you use all 4 the same size.
I also read beespecials post where he did the same thing .Do you just switch off the tire pressure sensors ?
LH vehicles do not have stick only have Auto, and
Auto Stick transmissions is as close as you can get.
The 300M club is working on Custom racing headers as I type.
I have never paid for information at the club, but did save lots of cash though.
Next time a speaker goes out put some Infintiy Reference speakers there. Less money and sound much better as well as being able to handle the power better. I just redid my audio system.
Quietflyer; that's great that your '99 M is holding up well. Mine is very nice now that the bugs are worked out (bad a/c, etc.) and I feel like it's built like a brick; I enjoy the ample acceleration and the nimble handling. Sometimes I drive conservatively and really get the great fuel mileage for such size and relative power. As for your '93 Intrepid, it seems then like DMC is doing the right thing w/the exhaust systems and we should be ok for quite a while w/that. I wouldn't trust one of the later models, though. It would be an easy decontent switch to switch to either non-stainless or to a cheaper grade of stainless. And at the prices for those parts that's no small change.
Re/changing exhaust, it would actually probably be around 3K for the parts alone, all things considered by my estimate from the web site I mentioned previously. I shouldn't have said "labor included". My plan is to probably keep the car until it's about 8 years old, and sell it before the tranny and exhaust go; I may be wrong but I'm hoping its components hold up like Quiet's '93 Intrepid.
One last thing; Quiet you might try like 300Mike says and do these easy jobs yourself. I think your dealer clearly ripped you off on the sensors. My local Dodge dealer sells me the input and output for about $24 each, you could have save $115 or so for a very quick job. You might consider buying a manual from Chrysler; it runs about $110 but in my mind it was worth it. These cars are not rocket science and its interesting to see how the things are put together and to occasionally take on a small job yourself. For example, even changing something like a lightbulb you can see how they recommend it. Just my 2 cents.
Regarding TL, the new '04 uses basically the same brakes as the old model. These were class-trailing brakes that were not rated highly by Car and Driver. The 300M had class leading braking performance, both in stopping power and in pedal feel. There are quite a few things I like about the 'M better than the TL, including hydroformed engine cradle for better stiffness and ride, better style and room, cheaper initial price w/rebates, etc. That said, of course Acura has some strengths of its own,the biggest being the dealer experience I would think.