Chrysler 300M

99_300m_ric_va

Been driving for a couple of days to work with TB opened up with my dremel tool.

I did a crude job on both sides of the TB using some of the round sanding cylinders (part of my dremel's original kit). Course first, then finer. I cut off the tab keeping the throttle from opening all the way too.

The car is definately faster. I did not disconnect the battery to force a relearn. I wanted to see what would happen first.

When I stomp on the accelerator from a stop it will turn the tires over once or twice. Use to only chirp before.

When I stomp on it when going about 30-45 mph, like passing, oh my god, it really takes off.

I have a S&B cone filter with a 3 inch flex hose attached to the factory intake box. I removed the factory flex hose and resonator, but the other part is stock. It's mounted so the cold air hole and rubber boot are in place to force cold air into the top of the filter. It also still breathes the hot engine air.

I also have the Hujo dual exhaust. Gas mileage seems about the same, but I have been stomping it a bit, so the jury's still out on that.

I'm looking at the stock TB I have left over, and I am thinking about two things. One, getting it bored properly at a machine shop where the surface can be true and polished (dremel job I did is a little rough). Two, can I get the 68mm plate replaced with say a 70mm one for even more air flow? There's still plenty of aluminum left to grind.

I need to find a dyno shop a get this checked, I'm real curious what I have now in HP at the wheels. I'm also thinking about running a few 1/4 mile test runs at the local dragstrip on Friday night test and tune.

Any thoughts?

phases78

please explain to me how u did all that? i want to raise my horsepower but im not real good with under the hood stuff, unless step by step instruction is there....

avalanche165

i did that 99_300m_ric_va, disconnect batt for 1/2 hour, tcm fuse, and then one time i got from dealer with their special superman tool that is referred to in the tech manual 2345234 times. its just completely different when they did it. i mean, i did the battery thing, ran for a week, then fuse reset, ran for a week, and then dealer, ran for a week. and everytime now, dealer, remember i do this free since i got friends up there, heheh;). otherwise i wuoldn't do it, i'm not busting 20 bucks on that. but it just feels better, the whole shifting when dealer resets with drb tool....

99_300m_ric_va

I'm really starting to hate the fact that everything requires a $2000 + DRBIII tool. Car must store some params in a EEPROM so battery loss doesn't erase everything.

sleepymw

on my previous post and noone gotten back to me about where the vin's are suppose to be. then i came across this site http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/title9/crm01361.htm which told me exactly where they are suppose to be.

i then called chrysler who stated that the 300m is one of the cars under this statue to have the vin's in all these places.

i checked under the hood, and did not find the sticker. the only thing i have left to do is get myself additional tabs so that i can remove the silence pad and if the tabs break, i will have new ones to replace it.

chrysler also stated that car dealers cannot change hoods or other parts without violating the federal law.

onward with my investigation....

300michael

I put the eagle light 100w aganist the stock 55w bulbs (hi beam). Boy was I diapointed. The light put out by the eagles are more like spot lights compaired the the more flood light pattern of the stock bulbs. Over all for general lighting the stock bulbs were better. The eagles were better if you want a very narrow brighter beam, they do look a little better (slight blue tint). The testing was done on a 1999 Dodge Intrepid right front len assembly. I made a stand to hold the lights at the proper height. I took photos but they did not turn out too well (need a better camera). I should be getting my 300M lamp assembly in about a week. I will try to retest them again.

300michael

I am waiting for my TB to come along with a few other parts. Sounds like it doesn't help much in the 0-60 times, more in the 50-80 passing ranges. I plan to install a larger transmission cooler too, it couldn't hurt, to keep it calm, cool, and collective.)sounds like a commertical

99_300m_ric_va

Basically, I followed the advise from a Dodge Intrepid R/T forum member who did this, and the service manual.

Basically you do the following:

Optional step would be to remove negative battery cable at jumper cable connection point, behind intake air resonator.

1) Remove plastic caps on wipers, unbolt and remove wipers (noting which is driver side and pass side)

2) Remove cowl (several torx screws) Note screws near window are longer. This comes off in two parts pass side first then drivers.

3) Remove strut tower brace. 8 bolts (4 bolts each side) plus long bolt just to drivers side above throttle body. These bolts are metric socket.

4) TB should be easy to get to now. Remove air intake hose and push back out of the way.

5) Disconnect TB Position Sensor connector and MAP sensor connector.

6) Open TB all the way and remove accel pedal and cruise control cables.

7) Remove three torx bolts that hold on TB.

8) Remove larger torx bolt in transmission support bracket.

9) Either loosen or remove lower two bolts in transmission support bracket (HARD) OR pry back the bracket a little and lift TB off the small dowel pins. It's the lower dowel pin that's hard to clear because of the tranny bracket.

10) TB should be removed now. Remove MAP sensor to avoid metal contamination (note position as to reinstall the same way). Position sensor looked sealed, so I left it on. Clean off grease and oil too at this point.

11) Use Dremel moto tool or have machine shop bore out the narrowed opening where the intake hose connects. I used course and finer sanding cylinders to have a smoother surface. Metal grinding bits were inconsistent. Narrowed area is about 62mm, throttle plate is 68mm, you want to get as close to 67-68mm as you can.

12) Bore out or smooth down the ridge on the other side of the TB. This step might not make much difference, but I wanted a smooth transition not a step off.

13) Cut off the tab that keeps the throttle plate from opening all the way. I used a little cutting wheel and the dremel. This is the same cutting wheel I used to make my dual exhaust fascia cutout.

14) Sand smooth using emery cloth.

15) Clean part free of any aluminum particles.

16) Reinstall MAP sensor.

17) Reinstall TB, again pry trans bracket to get back on over lower dowel pin.

18) Reconnect TP and MAP sensor connectors.

19) Reconnect accel and cruise control cables.

20) Reconnect Intake hose.

21) Reinstall strut brace

22) Reinstall Cowl (long screws near window)

23) Reinstall Wipers.

24) Test and have fun.

scotian

For those of you who want to "roll your own":

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1280646&a=9486000&p=48161429&f=0

dkrhardy

I have the #2 TB mod done by our R/T guru on my '01 R/T. More responsive, appears to have picked up at least a tenth in 0-60. I used the Mark 1 model B hand stopwatch for my before and after tests, so there were some I threw out and I averaged the others. Same road, same time of day, etc. On the average I saw a tenth quicker, but feels like more. The #3 TB is now on a car (R/T also) in Hawaii and the owner will be taking it to the strip for an official time check. He has many runs recorded with the stock TB so we'll see for sure what it is worth. The guy that modified my TB also used a Dremel but the results look much smoother than stock. Maybe he has better grinding bits? It looked like a machine shop did it.

madcityruss

Did we ever resolve how to provide side mirror drainage on the '99s? I have a picture showing the location of drain holes on 2001s, but then I vaguely recall someone drilled those holes on a '99 and said the mirrors still held water. It's tough having a sieve for a memory. Anyone got the skinny on this for me?

bigmike5

My platinum 99 has never been touched by hand for waxing, I have always gone thru the touchless washes and got the hot wax sprayed on. I have done this to prevent "swirls" from the touching whether it be by machine or hand. My question is: On a platinum or Sterling silver [the wife's Eldorado] am I wasting my time trying to get the Zaino look while risking swirls? I have the Zaino order form all ready to go, but I don't know if it will/can improve the appearance on these color cars. Since I have the clear 3M protector film on the front of both cars I already asked if the Zaino was compatible if it touches the film, and Sal said to keep it away from the film because the film edge is porous. I can do that, but I'd like some imput from Platinum/Silver owners who have Zaino'd on whether there is the kind of appearance improvement that would make it worthwhile to do. Anyone?

madcityruss

I have a 99 Platinum and can tell you that Zaino is the way to go. The look is a very deep, wet shine that I think will surprise you. I am very resistant to advertising claims and a natural born skeptic, but this product really does the trick. Another advantage is that it holds up very well.

If you use a high-quality, all-cotton applicator with any nylon seams cut off, there is no risk of scratching your finish. You might want to think about a clay treatment at this point before using the Zaino polish lock.

fuzzywuzzy

I have a 00 silver. In my other post I said the silver doesn't due Zaino justice....This is true for the silver color. It will not look as wet, or shine as bright as on dark colors. However, It still out shines anything else on the market. Even on silver. Zaino just looks even better on dark colored cars.

oneblackhorse

Thanks for the tips. I think I will definately want the 300M with the perf package. I'm going to test drive one on Friday.
I saw, waaay back on this board, someone posted a picture of a custom hood scoop they designed for their 300M. Can these cars accept a forced air mod, or is a scoop like that just for looks?

fuzzywuzzy

I'm down for doing this mod, but I need a throttle body to do it. Where can I buy one other then the dealer? I can't draw a straight line so I'll take that throttle body to a machine shop & have them do it. I'll install it though.

oneblackhorse

Does anyone know anything about what may be coming up in the 2002 models and when dealerships may begin to order them?
To be honest, I have a 2002 Trans Am on order now. It's not due at the dealership until the end of June. I'm hoping the 300M will be just what I need and if it IS, I may like a 2002 model. Did anyone notice if Chrysler upgrades the engine in each year model? If so, maybe the 2002 will have more UMPH?

mykem

Actually (i.e. technically speaking), the 2001 model has 3 less HP than the '99 and '00 models.

In reality I can't feel a difference in the '01. It still picks up and hauls its butt as fast as my '99 did.

Some think the number was just published lower because of states like California. Some think it was re-calculated. And some think that it just don't matter... I'm that one.

I doubt it will have more HP, but I also doubt they'll lower it again.

-m

racefan009

i have a silver m and it glows!!! of course black and red look better they always do even with turtle wax, but nothing is as slick as Zaino, the rain just flies off...i'm waiting on 2 more bottles of Z-6 m hmm!!!

Race's 300m

oneblackhorse

Does the 300M have keyless entry? I couldn't find anything about it, but a car like this SHOULD have it, so maybe I just missed it.

ottowrkr

Well the tuner exhaust will be same as a regular 300 ,but the rear muffler will have two output pipes AKA CAMARO.So basically it is like what all the guys are doing on this board. As for whats new in 2002 , just found out the 300 will have an electronic tire pressure monitoring system .Yes the 300 has keyless entry.alarm and and an engine immobiliser ( keys have a chip in them that the car must read each time it is put into the ignition switch ,if it does not match the engine shuts down )

racefan009

uh YAH!!! optional on the neon std on the 300m not only does it unlock the doors it sets the seat position, outside mirrors and the radio station WOW!!!

Race

ski1001

I recently used the Zaino products. Z2, Z5 and Z6. I like the results but (bright silver Y2K 300m) but I also used the Zaino window polish and am disappointed in the results. I thought I had all the polish off but when I am driving into the sun, I can see all kinds oh swirls left on the windshield. I have tried to rub them off, wash with Windex, but they won't come out. Any suggestions on how to restore my windshield back to "normal"?

scotian

I have noticed a near-complete lack of water coming out of my mirrors when accelerating after a car wash after drilling a few holes. Make sure one is near the base of the mirror (some already have this), and if you bunch them, bunch them toward the base.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1280646&a=9976873&p=47449433&f=0

madcityruss

scotian - Thanks, the hole furthest right in your photo looks like the 2001 location which the fellow said took an 11/64 bit. Will try that one first and check results.

otto - Appreciate knowing our exhaust mod is not out of line with what Chrysler is planning. Now, can you score me a Tuner rear bumper? Based on my previous Dremel handiwork, I know my cutouts will leave something to be desired ;~)

racefan009

(732)785-2951
sal@zainobros.com
they will tell you what to do, they have the best customer service!!!

oneblackhorse

That sounds great! Thanks. I was a little worried...

300mlover

I must admit I was a skeptic about all the hype. And now I must also admit that this stuff is incredible. Rain just flies off the car now. I swear I saw the dirt just fall off onto the ground. My car even glows at night under the moonlite. And I couldn't get over how fast and easy it is to apply. All this and only one coat of Z-5 and Z-6. Now I can't wait to apply more coats of Z-5 and then the Z-2 for 2-3 coats. of course always remembering to apply Z-6 between all coats!!!

'00 Stone White

sdmike2

I have a loaded 01 M with filter and exhaust mods, so if you have any questions about features let them rip. My friend here at work has a 2001 Camaro SS rocket ship, and he LOVES the combination of luxury/performance of my M. Yes, he can beat me 0-60 easily, but his car comes nowhere close in terms of luxury and features. My guess is that the Trans Am is the same way. By the way, the TA and Camaro have horrible repair histories.

As for the Zaino questions... The Zaino website indicates that the window polish has a mild abrasive in it for removing imperfections and gunk. I second the opinion that you should contact Sal with your question, but I also found another "window polish" that didn't seem to leave any scratches. Maybe it's finer abrasive. I'll have to get the name of it from home, since I'm at work now.

Here are pictures of Big Red, including views of her with Zaino, the clock face mod, and the exhaust mod.

Big Red Photo Albums

Here is a clip of my dual exhaust. Pardon the "shareware" black box"

-Mike

racefan009

just wait til you get the Z-2 on it has higher optical properties than the Z-5. apply horizontally on roof hood and trunk and vertically on sides for optimal reflection. i'm going to put 5 coats of Z-2 before it gets too hot here in hotlanta. that's why i ordered two bottles of Z-6 so when its hot out i can just wash it and wipe it down.

m hmm,

Race

oneblackhorse

Thanks. Maybe start by letting me know what those particular mods did for you/your car?
I like the pics. That Zaino is good stuff isn't it? I'd never use anything else on my car. It's a bit more time consuming, but well worth it, I'd say

sdmike2

I think the combination of the dual exhaust and K&N air filter added about 2 mpg and 5-10 HP to the car...not to mention a great looking and sounding rear end. My guess is that it improved the 0-60 by a couple of tenths.

I too was acustomed to driving medium powered 4 cylinder and small 6 cylinder cars and was looking for something big, luxurious, powerful and a good value. A two-door two-seater wasn't an option for me (I know it has 4 seats, but they're not very practical) so the TA and Camaro weren't options. I looked at the Mitsu Diamante, Acura TL, Lexus ES300, Nissan Maxima, Infinity I30, Audi A4-6, VW Passat and about 5 or 6 others. They were all either too small (the M is huge inside) too expensive, underpowered, or had a marginal repair record. To me, and my needs, the M clearly had the best balance of these items...excelling in all of them. Just my opinion.

-Mike

sdmike2

If you haven't done so already, go drive an M with PHG (performance handling group). Then you can decide if the car's performance is adequate for your needs. Don't be afraid to push it a bit. It will perform a lot better than what you would think given it's size and luxurious feeling inside. When I drove my friend's Camaro SS it was cramped and noisy with horrible visibility. The clutch was like trying to push an elephant up a hill with one leg. I expected it to be fast because it had so little else going for it (IMO). YOu don't expect any car with heated seats, downward tilting side mirrors and other luxury goodies to perform like it does.

Mike

sdmike2

The sample shirt is done. Can you E-mail me your physical address again? Thanks

Mike

rogor2k

Check your e-mail. Can't wait to see the shirt.

fastdriver

sdmike2-

LOVE that shine! ;-))

fastdriver

99_300m_ric_va

Try oem-carparts.com. I got my throttle body from them for about $186 plus shipping.

hatax

Alrighty, got my pictures all taken now that the butt is clean (15 minute wash of the car) and I'll post the pictures as soon as I get home tonight, and you can see my exhaust mod!

I was thinking, on the R/T board people talking about the tranny on the car said that it is parasitic, and someone brought up a good point, there is fluid between the plates in the torque converter, I am wondering if anyone here has loaded their tranny up with AMSOIL universal tranny fluid and if it improved shift quality or not.. Just a thought......

And tonight, I'm gonna look at how big of a job the throttle body will be, and after the TB is done, I will take a crack at making a nice cold air intake for it using a cone filter, I'm just gonna skip the K&N filter as it's never been enough of a change for me to warrant buying one..

Post 'em soon!

scotian

Who has one installed and where can I see pics of it in your M?

hatax

Alrighty, I think it's all good now.. So.... you can all go see how it came out on my car, had it about a week now and it's getting it's nice deep tone and I can tell a big difference at about half throttle, it pulls much better and my mpg has gone up about 3-4 MPG and that's with my lead foot.

Check it out!

99_300m_ric_va

I've had Amsoil in my tranny almost since day one, so I really can't comment on the shift improvement for the M. My years of experience with Amsoil, since 1985, has proven to me that it does firm things up a bit, and the operating temperature of the tranny is reduced quite considerably. This gives the effect of having a bigger tranny fluid cooler.

I put trans fluid temp gauges on my two old Pontiacs with Turbo 400 Automatics and saw about 50 deg F drop in temp overall and about 200 rpms less for the same cruising speed. It's harder to tell on todays cars, but on the old one's the difference was very obvious. I've always been of the opinion that the Amsoil Universal tranny fluid is the best product they make.

I've also had some experience and witnessed some other racer friends experiences with switching to the synthetic tranny fluid. Folks tearing up or losing transmissions every season or more often, suddenly stopped having the problems altogether. My GTO is still running strong after 5 seasons no tranny rebuild. Is it the fluid or coincidence? I believe in this fluid.

So go for it, and yes it is ATF+4 approved and then some.

phases78

anyone know any ideas for inexpensive yet nice mods, like the customized clock? i already did that, best 11 cents i ever spent lol. any other ideas? itll be a week or so before my wood trim kit comes in and the exhuast is gonna have to wait about a month, and i need something to do!

sdmike2

I got the embroidery sample and two shirt samples, but they forgot to put the embroidery on the sample shirt! Hopefully you can tell from the two separate items how they'll be together. I'll send you a few pictures tonight, and I'll send the shirts and embroidery sample tomorrow. The sample is in navy blue, which goes well with the white shirt. The maroon shirt I'm sending would require white thread. I was told that as long as we use their brand of shirt we can mix and match thread and shirt colors for the same price I gave you.

Mike

sdmike2

Check with Rogor. He might still have some side marker lights if that's something that strikes your fancy. It's a nice do-it-yourself job.

phases78

i like the side marker lights i saw them on mikes car, i plan on doing it, id like to tomorrow, can u get everything u need at a autozone like place? what do i have to do drill holes and what not in my car? ROGER if u'd like to help please do lol.

also, anyone know where a diagram is online of how to get to the speedometer and stuff? i saw one of how the whole dash was peiced together but i dont remember where......

rogor2k

E-mail me at rogor@gte.net and I'll give you the info. I have the genuine DC parts. You can't buy them anywhere. No holes to drill, just a little wiring.

phases78

where in the world is everyone getting these backup alert systems?? ive looked ALL over for them.......

scotian

See the discussion:

Aftermarket & Accessories:Reverse warning systems

easyrider300m

amsoil sounds well worth the price---but how do you get ALL the old fluid out--did you have to do a complete flush using amsoil---a flush would use a lot more fluid to do properly---

so what did you do for the complete change

Easyrider300M

jedi_knight

I checked through the oem car parts site tonight trying to figure out what was different between the PHG and non-PHG equiped M's. Specifically where is the limiter, how to remove etc...The PCM and TCM are commom between all models, California gets a special one but thats because of the emmissions. So, I am at a loss as to how avalanche165 removed his.

Ottowkr, any input here?

avalanche165 any updates on how this was done in 5 minutes by your bud?

Keith