Chrysler 300M

bigmike5

Let me know when you get the situation clarified. Hoping you can make it. :shades:

scott1094

Mike,
I would like to be included in the Tech Center tour Friday the 19th and if possible I would like to try to join you for the cruise up (or down) Woodward and at the dinner at Copper Canyon. I've eaten there before and it is a very nice place with a nice atmosphere. At this point it will have to be just me as my wife has prior commitments. What do you need from me to make this happen? Looking forward to meeting other 300M lovers.
Scott

kylito

Hi everybody. Any body ever have a problem such as the following
; I have a 2000 300 and lately when I start it up, or put it into park the rpm's go up to 1800 and stay there.

scott1094

kylito,
That's a loaded question. Many, many things could cause this problem. Could be a very dirty air filter, a bad oxygen sensor, or a problem, mechanical or electrical, with the AIS system (AIS=Automatic Idle system). If you have access to a diagnostic machine hook it up to your OBD plug under the dash and check for trouble codes. Good luck.
Scott

bigmike5

I will mark you down for 1) the Auburn Hills briefing, time still to be determined, but Friday probably in the morning sometime. I will update as we get more from Chrysler; 2) the group Cruise from the Embassy Suites - Southfield parking lot on Saturday morning. We will drive down to 8 Mile and then head north as a group in a couple of lanes up to Pontiac. We will leave the parking lot about 9 a.m. Last year it took about 1 1/2 hours for a round trip at that time in the morning, then you can either re-cruise [but it gets a lot slower] or park and ogle the cars; 3) Copper Canyon will be around 6:30 pm.. This is a "no sweat" deal so if it works for you that is fine, and we look forward to meeting you. We will also have some souvenirs for you to commemorate your attendance. :shades:

scott1094

I, too, look forward to meeting some of the 300M members. The Auburn Hills briefing on Friday is a go for me at any time needed. I will make sure that I leave early enough Saturday that I can be in the parking lot well before your departure time. I've been going to the Woodward Cruise since the second one and I agree, after about 10:00 A.M. its a very slow go. Actually, I cruised Woodward in the old days and it was very different back then.
Can't wait.
Scott

scott1094

kylito,
I should have proof read my post. AIS = Automatic Idle SPEED not system. It's a little motor and valve that controls the idle speed. I had one go bad on a 86 GTS and it would sometimes idle down the road at 35 mph.
Scott

scott1094

The big news here in Detroit today was the news that J.Schrempp was stepping down as head of DC and D. Zetsche would replace him as the new head of DC. T. LaSorda has been selected to replace Zetsche as head of the Chrysler Division. The general feeling is that the Chrysler Division will be more involved in the total corporate structure than before Schrempp's departure.
Scott

Camcruzr

Haven't checked this forum for a long time. I was wondering if there are still some origional '99 300M owners around. My 99' is still running smoothly with 66K miles and few problems over the past 6 years.(Touch wood)

laurasdada

Hi, Camcruzr:

I traded my '99 Platinum M in late December for an '05 TL (great car). It had 67,000 miles and was relatively trouble free, but after 5.5 years I was itching for something new. While I still miss the M, I'm really diggin' my Zaino'd Abyss Blue TL and would recommend it to any 300Mers who are looking for a suitable replacement.

Oh, yeah. If you decide to trade your M in (at a non-Chrysler dealer) don't expect them to love the M as much as we did! I almost kept the M after three different trade-in offers were even lower than I expected.

Camcruzr

Thanks for your response and info. on your new car.I plan to keep my White 99"PHP,Sun Roof,Custom sound for a little while longer.My next car will probably be a Hybrid.

scott1094

Mike,
I see on the 300 Club board that you are listing me as scott1096, it's scott1094. That comes from my first ten second run in my old 70 Dudter 340 at Milan Dragway. I am still a go for the Auburn Hills briefing and the cruise on Saturday meeting at your hotel before 9 a.m. I expect that I will join the 300 club when I meet with you guys or would that be wrong?
We have the Central Gratiot Cruise this weekend then a week off to prepare for Woodward. Just finished the Telegraph Cruise and we still have the North Gratiot and the Harper Cruise to go.
Scott

bigmike5

Sorry about the number, I was working from memory. Why don't you send my a registration form from the other place you mentioned and I can get my records completed and have a email address to get a message to you on the briefing. I can't do much on Edmunds without running afoul of their rules about mentioning other sites. :shades:

bigmike5

Got my Platinum 99M on 27 Jul 98, and she just cruised through 78K smiles. Miles have slowed down a little since I got an 04 Vette last July [which is almost to 7K miles already]. I'll be banging another 2K miles on the M this month with our 300M'ers trip to the DC design suite briefing in Auburn Hills [19 Aug], the Woodward Dream Cruise [20 Aug], and on to the Plant tour [22 Aug] in Brampton, Ontario. Check my earlier posting about these conjoined events. We still have room for more M'ers if you are interested and close by enough to partake of any of them. :shades:

bob370

I'm having the evaporator problem on my 2000 300M. Took in to have system drained, sealant put in, they put in 3lbs of refrigerant. I asked them to only put in 24 oz.s per this post I'm replying to. They said it doesn't make a difference......ac is already going out again..

Regards.

hypersion

I'm thinking about getting some Pilot Sport PS2 size 235/50yr17 to replace my stock 17' tires. Has anybody tried these before? I'm mainly interested in low noise/good ride with good performance.

Thanks,

Donald

tayl0rd

I don't know about the low noise, but the performance should be great. I replaced the Pilot Sports on my Special with Pilot Sport A/S and they're much quieter than the summer Sports. By the time those things wore out, they were absolutely howling! It was unbearable. :sick:

hypersion

I went to a few different places and they all told me the PS2's were back ordered for 3+ months. ugh. I guess I'm going to try the Avon Tech M500 or if that fails go with the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3.

bigmike5

Heading out on Thursday to Detroit area for the Woodward Dream Cruise. We have a briefing scheduled with DC at the Auburn Hills Technology Center on
Friday which should be interesting. Then after we cruise Woodward on Saturday, we will be heading up to the 300 plant in Brampton, Ontario on Sunday for a plant tour on Monday. Wish you could all be there for this great event. This is the 5th year 300M'ers have been going to the Cruise,and it will probably be the best with the Auburn Hills briefing. I will post a report after the Cruise. :shades:

kylito

My chrysler garage says to do it every 100 000km but my mechanic says he has seen them go to 400 000km? Who is right?

bigmike5

The owner's manual says to have it checked at 100K miles as I recall. Also if you do change the belt, the plant guys we know recommended doing the water pump [which is inside the housing] at the same time. Just a PM move, but since you're inside the same housing it was thought to be a money saver on the labor if the pump were to quit later on. They also said the pump is not all that expensive a part.

bigmike5

Well, Woodward was a little damp at the start but we had a great Cruise and saw the usual myriad of great cars. The briefing by DC at the Technology Center was very informative, and the tour of the 300 plant in Brampton was much more detailed this time, as we had some high rollers from the plant conducting the tour for us. A lot has changed with the production and the robotics are a marvel to watch. Got an eerie feeling watching them handle the parts and weld things together with incredible precision. Had visions of Arnold Swartz. and Skynet. I think the people jobs and days are numbered. lol Those of you who could have made it really missed out on a good time. :shades:

pat

Glad you had fun, bigmike!

bigmike5

Thanks Pat. You've got to lean on Sylvia to send you next year. lol We are due for a great sunny day next time. In fact, Sunday was 65 degrees and brilliant blue skies. At least it made for a nice cruise up to Brampton. :shades:

bigmike5

Well, my rear window louvers arrived last week from Arizona, and will hopefully be going on Tuesday. My neighbor, a Ziebart guy, is going to do the install. Since this is the prototype louver, and the company only produced this one, it should be a unique mod for my baby. Hopefully, it will go on with no problems. :shades:

easyrider300m

post some pics when you get it installed....

bigmike5

Well, first attempt to install failed when the installer didn't see two customized side pieces that were in the bottom of the box, and thought we didn't get the right sized louver. When I went over it with him in my driveway that night, it was "oops...didn't see those pieces." Will try again this week if they get the time. Like pullin fricken teeth. Wish I had the skill and patience to do it myself, but I don't. :shades:

spark9

Service Manual 2004 300M:

http://carfiche.com/manuals006/2004_chrysler_300m.zip

2004 300M, Concorde and Intrepid
Technical Publications
Supplement to be used with 2003 Body Diagnostic

spark9

Hello all, hello SdMike,

I had nearly the same outside temp reading problem (bought new 300m in 2004).
I've changed overhead unit (C/T) and now the reading of outside temp is 2 or 3 degrees C higher than the real one (compared to test readings from other thermometers). Any solution? Can I somehow calibrate temp readout by myself? (It would have to be lowered for 2 or 3 degrees C).
Is it possible that just temperature sensor is malfunctioned?

illini4

I think you are wasting your time. I've never seen a post from anyone who says their outside temp reading is accurate. They always read high - the higher the temp, the larger the error. It's that way on my 2000M and 2001 Cruiser.

spark9

Your experience is quite disappointing :-(
I simply can not believe that the cheapest digital thermometer from Taiwan works accurately to 0.1 degree and thermometer in my 40 k$ worth Chrysler is just giving me a bad impression about outside temperature.

I'll try anyway just to replace at least the sensor and than I'll inform you what happened.

BTW, does anybody regret that 300m is not produced anymore or you find a new c300 as fair replacement for excellent 300m?
(I really enjoy driving my 300m in Europe, where Audis, BMWs and Mercedeses are dominating; it's nice to leave them behind; they simply don't know what struck them ;-) )

hayneldan

The temperature sending unit for the digital readout is locatedin the front of the car about 10 inches from the pavement. If it reads high it is because you are on hot ashphalt or concrete and not moving at 30 to 40 MPH.

scsuflyboy

I have a '99 300M. I have had several problems and don't know what is going on.

Here we go: First, I was driving on the highway, pushing about 75 mph and car suddenly dies, no warning signs, no check engine light, nothing, car just died. The car wouldn't start. I left the car in a road side rest area and came back 2 days later and the car popped right off.

The car ran fine for about a month then I started having problems with the car not wanting to start. I had the starter replaced and we thought this fixed the problem...Wrong. We're still having car start problems. Now when we try to start it makes a loud "clunking" sound, like something is grinding when we try to start it, along with a clicking sound, almost the same sound we had before replacing the starter.

I am really starting to hate this car. Here is my question. Is there any way the factory installed alarm could be causing my problems or is there some deep rooted problem I need to look at?

tayl0rd

It's hard to diagnose. A "clunk" and a "grind" don't sound the same, so which is it? A clunk or a grind?

If it's both, it sort of sounds like you have some broken teeth on your flywheel. But that wouldn't explain why it would start right up a couple of days later, not to mention the chances of that happening are astronomically remote. :confuse: The clicking sound you mention definitely sounds like a starter and/or battery issue. I'd have the battery and all the cables checked; especially the power cable going to the starter. I'd also have them check the starter relay.

However, since you say it stopped cold on you while driving, there's more than likely a problem with your ignition. Have your ignition and it's relays checked and/or replaced and it will probably be good as new. The ignition may be overheating and tripping the relay. Have you ever noticed that your key is hot sometimes after you've driven the car?

jandrol

Be very careful. Just had the same thing happen to my 02 300m and come to find out the oil pump went out and ruined my rods and bearings. The reason it can keep running is because of the hydralic hoses in the engine to keep the oil in the upper part of the engine. This creates a major problem on the lower part of the engine because no oil is getting to it. I had no oil light or check engine light come on until it seized up on me on the freeway at 65 mph and now I have to replace my engine.

easyrider300m

I have been trying to email you. I'm wondering how your 235s are working out on your oem 17" rims. Any handling problems. Or do they corner better than the narrower widths. Do they ride harsher or noisier? Arent' you running the BF Goodrich 235/50/17?

I'm thinking of taking off my 18 inch Special wheels and putting on 17" razorstars. My goal is less noise/harshness at hwy speeds, a better look with the chromies, possibly better gas mileage, less stress on the suspension parts, cheaper replacement tires when the present ones wear out and a wider selection of tire brands

Loving my new Black 2002 Special.
EZ

bigmike5

Not me. I was running Goodrich Comp TA's in 245/50-17 size and I loved them to death. They were up to about 38K and still had a lot of tread left but I went to get some new ones since I was going to be taking some trips. I ended up with Fuzion 245-45-17s. They are running a little stiffer, but were at 37 rather than 35 psi on the Comps so that may be why they seem stiffer. I had them rotated 2 weeks ago and I need to check to see if they lowered the psi to 35 like I asked them to. They have lost no air at all which is good. I had one Comp that kept losing a couple of pounds a week--and now I think it was a valve since the Fuzions aren't losing any. The 17" Razorstars are only 7" wide so there is not much out there in bigger sizes to fit them. The Fuzions I have on probably should have been on a 7.5 or bigger rim but the guy at the tire store said they would be OK on 7" so there you are. I have had no problem with them and they were great on the Blue Ridge Parkway run that the Club did a few months ago. No squeals and held the tight turns at high speeds very well. :shades:

easyrider300m

glad to hear the wider tires were ok in handling--I thought the rims might be a bit too narrow. How was the ride and noise level in the BF Goodrich tires? I have 18" on my new black 2002 Special and am considering going back to my razorstars and eventually maybe mounting 235/50/17. There are a lot more choices in a/s tires for the 17" rims and I think it would be a bit quieter on the road, especially in stock size tires.

On my 2000 silver M, m y first set of razorstars leaked air quite a bit (didn't notice any corrosion) when I was using the Yokohama tires. I thought it was the wheels, but maybe it was the valves or tires. They may have been ok with a bead sealer but I got a great deal on a practically new set of razors so I went with them and no more problems.

What do you think of razorstars on a Special.

bigmike5

The ride on Comp TAs was good, and the noise level was also good [remember, I have the 99M which rode a little noisier than the later models]. The other tire I couldn't think of was the Goodrich Scorchers, which had the red, blue, or yellow colors in the tread, as well as the plain black. They would fit in 245/45-17 on the 7" Razorstars. I have also read way back, where one of the older guys that used to be on here,I think from Texas, liked the Goodrich K-force tires. If the Comp TAs had still been around I would have got another set in a second, but the K-force were a lot more expensive, so I opted down to the Fuzion which are I think actually from Dayton Tires a Bridgestone/Firestone owned company. I had their Dayton Daytonas on the car at one time but switched to the Goodrich tires due to a sizing issue on the 7" rims. But while they were on the car, the Daytonas were really good, so I figured I would try the Fuzions from the same basic company. :shades:

sambuca813

I presume that you still have the “my car stalled” problem… My wife’s M did that last Spring. Turned out to be the speed sensor. Good luck. Mike

Camcruzr

This past summer, I started having a light show e.g. dash display on/off, flickering overhead map lights, radio display on/off.
This was combined with starting problems. When I attempted to start car, there was silence, as if no electrical connection. I found out by mistake, that if I turned the radio on, or lights on the connection would be made and the car would start.

This has improved as the temperature has become much cooler, and it doesn't happen that often any more.

ANY THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS OUT THERE, BASED ON YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE???

easyrider300m

It's possible that your lights are coming on even when your car is unattended causing a battery drain. Usually if you set your dimmer switch just a bit below the highest position the light flickering will cease. If it doesn't, you may need a new switch unless you want to take the old switch apart and coat the innards with dialectric grease.

It's also possible you a have a loose or dirty connection at the battery. Check it for corrosion and if necessary, remove battery cable from the battery and clean it.

Camcruzr

Thanks for your suggestions. My independent mechanic has cleaned the battery terminals and battery. Checked all the fuses. He has computers to check the car computers and gets no error codes.
Dealer, says there there are no service bulletins on the problem.

bigmike5

For the hesitant starter check/replace the starter relay [$10 part] easy to do, and the ignition/starter switch [$130 to change out-about 50% is the cost of labor]. The light show, I would run a search on it here, and I think you will find various suggestions, but most times I think people point to that rheostat type dial to adjusts brightness of lights as the problem. :shades:

tayl0rd

Any of you consider swapping out the faux carbon fiber for the real California walnut? The car meets all of my luxury/performance sedan needs, but I want something with some wood in it. Would the wood spoil the overall effect? Would it look out of place in the Special?

hfish1212

Pretty sure light show is caused by a bad BCM (body control module). The dash lights go completely out and there is no setting that does this on the dimmer switch. The problem can be very intermittent so people mess with the switch and at first think they fixed it only to have the problem happen again months later.

hfish1212

I purchased a '99 that only had 11k miles on just a few weeks ago. It has many of the problems discussed on this board (steering shimmy over 60mph, flashing lights, dead struts, windows sticking, rubber around headlights shrinking, etc...) but I have managed to fix a few of those problems relatively easy. I found that even with such few miles on the car, it still had a blown strut (left passenger side) and the rest were very soft. I replaced all of them and did an alignment and now it rides completely smooth even with the stock tires (Goodyears) with little squeel (noticed that before the alignment). Kind of funny because the original owner had an extra receipt for tire balancing so I know he always had the problem.

I have seen the inside dash gauges flash once. They go completely out when they did this so I know it's not just a dimmer switch issue. I'll get a rebuilt Body Control Module (which I am told is under the dash) if it continues to be a problem.

I'll get some Rubber Black and wipe the seals around the windows so that doesn;t burn their motors out. I'll ignore the rubber around the headlights. I also noticed the headlights are pointed just a tad low (probably normal). In these days of giant SUV's blaring their headlights in your car I certainly won't mind re-aiming these just a tad higher (adjust them up just a few inchs while pointing at a wall, then try them by parking about 20' behind another car on a flat surface to ensure they don't point into that car). This headlight re-aiming tip works makes a HUGE difference most of the time.

For the $12,500 I have into it I hope it lasts another 100k!

Hal

bigmike5

I am astounded at the problems you listed for the low mile car you got. My 99M built in May 98 and bought by me in July 99 has 81K miles on it and is still on the original shocks and front end parts. No shimmy at 90 mph ever. Have turned the rotors twice and got rid of the Badyears and put on Goodrich Comp TAs at around 38K cause I could not stand the handling of the Badyears [2 tires came with bad belts according to my service tech], and it was like night and day after that. I went to 245/50-17's and they worked well. I now have put on Fuzion [a Bridgestone owned company I think] ZR-1's in 245/45-17, and they are a little stiffer but are running well too. My newest age problem is the molding around the headlights has just deteriorated and split through on the passenger side [some moisture on the inside] and the other side has a 2" break but is still not showing moisture, so I will try to GOOP it back together and see if I can re-seal the other one, or may have to look to get a new welt or a new unit which is $155 on the internet. Anyway, I have had fewer problems in 7 years and 81K than you list for this 11K car. Good luck--hope it works out. Oh, and I don't think I could get anywhere near $12.5 for mine in trade or sale, despite all the mods and add-ons I have, but as much as I love my M [kept it after getting a new 04 Vette] I would certainly take it and go looking for a Charger Daytona R/T if I found someone offering that kind of $$. :shades:

scotian

is 5 years and 127K now. Since I intend to keep the car for many years, I just had a rebuilt transmission installed (increasingly bad problems), along with new front struts, tie rod ends, passenger axle, brake pads, and four new tires. Some other brake line hardware appears to be new. The headlights were yellow and corroded, so I upgraded to Special HIDs and put 8 mil 3M paint protector plastic film on them. Also I just installed projector foglights in new housings with the 3M plastic.

http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/lighting/hids/
http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/lighting/projector_foglights/

I still have a vibrating growl noise at low speed, particularly when first accelerating in the morning. It sounds like a loose heat shield, but maybe it's the belt. The dealership said that my catalytic converters are rattling, but I don't know if that means anything.

October '05 Scotian wants a two seater convertible roadster next year to complement the 300M. We'll see what April '06 Scotian feels about that. Morning Scotian is known to often be upset at Evening Scotian, so there may be some disagreement...

pat

>>October '05 Scotian wants a two seater convertible roadster next year to complement the 300M. We'll see what April '06 Scotian feels about that. Morning Scotian is known to often be upset at Evening Scotian, so there may be some disagreement...

ROFL!!!!!! :P