Chrysler 300M

midnightcowboy

Has anyone got the new navigation option shown in the 2001 brochures?

midnightcowboy

Yes the I is superior to the Accord in every way. Just don't confuse a 300M with a real BMW "I" car.

midnightcowboy

Yes the M is superior to the Accord in every way. Just don't confuse a 300M with a real BMW "M" car.

grunschev

... Just don't confuse a 300M with a real BMW "M" car.

I would never confuse a $29000 car with a $69000 car.

Should I try to talk her into the full Lorinser kit while I'm at it??? ;-)

I was glancing through the catalogs while I was replacing my two old Dunlops (25.5k miles; worn pretty bad). The Lorinser catalog they had didn't have any 300M stuff (although I know it exists). They had another catalog for Mercedes stuff and I saw an available replacement engine for $32k, plus labor. They had a whole bunch of $2k plastic body parts as well.

I can't wait until the 300M has some available after-market parts that are more expensive than the car.

Igor

300m_vt

I seem to remember last last year on this board reference to Goodyears and the chrome wheels
and vibration. I recall that someone (don't remember who) stated that their problem was wheel slippage on the tire. They had marked the rim and tire and noticed the wheel had moved within the tire causing unbalanced condition. Sorry but I don't recall the fix.

Evandermel

My wife's 98 Accord EX V6 (which actually weighs about 200 lbs less than a 300M) could outrun my Y2K 300m from 0-60, 10-70, and 50-80 every time. Not a blowaway, but definitely faster across the board.

Erik V.

jalbert2

My post #391 outlined my problems. 300m_vt eluded to this similiar problem on his post # 406. A friend that I play golf with was told by our Chrysler Dealership that same thing and sent him to Big "O" Store to have the problem corrected. Mine was sent to the same shop but the problem was not corrected. Does anybody out there know for sure how to correct wheel (tire) slippage on chrome wheels?

jalbert2

Reference my post # 391 and post reply #396. I haven't been able to find anything on "EQUAL" relating to system/injection products on the net. BigMike5 do you know the web page address?
Or does anybody else know anything about this system?

mykem

http://www.imiproducts.com/imi_htmlcode/imi_equa/imi_equa.html

also http://www.equalauto.com

-m

rklass

My instincts tell me that no product like "Equal", or any product placed inside a tire, can correct imbalance.
On the contrary, anything inside the tire will migrate to the furthest point from the hub, due to centrifugal force. This can only CAUSE imbalance.
I'm from Missouri on this one!

dustinnewton

The American Lorinser catalog doesn't have any products for the M but the European catalog does, and the American distributors can get the parts. The whole kit runs about $7K! The American distributor sent me a .pdf file with the prices, and I bought a Eurpoean catalog from a guy in the Netherlands on eBay. Here is the page for the M related products:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=984864&a=7235665&p=35407875

If you want the price list, e-mail me at dustinn@bellsouth.net and I'll send it to you. I cannot, however, be responsible for any shock you may encounter after looking at the prices!! I also like the Startech kit too:

http://www.startech.de/homee.htm

red7700

My baby was christened by either a fist sized rock or a chunk of ice this morning - I still am not sure what it was. It hit just below the front license plate at highway speed, nothing I could do to avoid it. I keep telling myself it could have been worse but that is not making me feel any better. The plastic did not break but the paint is cracked and the plastic on the lower lip of the fascia has some nice, deep gouges in it. Kinda makes me sick to look at it. I am hoping that it can be sanded and painted. Anyone have any similar front end damage?

fuzzywuzzy

My good hard fully metalilic pads work great. However they make ALOT of high piched noises. And the make alot of brake dust. I think they are too hard. I called my dealer just to see what the factory pads cost. They want $109! Just for the front! That's crazy! Should they cost that much? I want to get rid of the noise, & dust, but I'm not spending that much. Any suggestions of some other good pads. I heard Bendix makes good pads, but never used them before. I can live with noise, but the brake dust has to go. I was thinking the factory pads for the lack of brake dust they created.

rklass

Hey, Jason, let me share my experience...
I had a '99 300M w/PHP. Loved the brake performance, hated the dust and occasional noise.
When replacement time came, my dealer said there was only one replacement pad listed for the '99 for both PHP and non PHP.
I had the pads replaced under protest, and the brake performance was AWFUL!
I made the dealer contact Chrysler engineering, and after about 2 weeks he got a set of OE pads and replaced them at no charge. Performance, together w/dust and noise, was back to normal.
Possible good news:
My '01 300M has the now-called PHG and the brakes are excellent, with no dust or noise.
Questions:
1. What pads do they use for '01?
2. What, if anything, else was changed?
I leave you to ponder the mystery!

fuzzywuzzy

My dealer list 2 pads. one is a cheap pad, & the other is a performance pad. That's the $109 one. I'm just curious as to what other performance pads are made.

irakleinfeld

No one answered this on my previous posting, so here it goes again:

I took delivery on my 2001 on 1/20/01, 1350 miles so far. The mileage seems awful...15 - 18 city, 21 - 24 highway (65 - 70 mpg). Is this the common experience during break-in? Can I expect improvement? Or is it an indication of something wrong? Otherwise, the car perfroms well.

jedi_knight

Well, I have 5200 miles on my '01 M and get around 24 mpg on the highway. I drive the wheels off it, adverage speed on my commute is between 70 & 80 mph except when traffic backs up. I don't do too much city driving so I can't help you there. When mine was brand new I adveraged 20 mpg on the same commute. I feel the M would return better mileage if my foot were not so heavy!

Keith

illini4

2000 w/PHP, about 26 MPG at steady 75 MPH on interstate highway. 18-21 combined city/freeway in Columbus, OH. Obviously "city" is a pretty loose term. If its all stop and go, the mileage can be pretty low. Your mileage is at least 2-3 MPG below what is generally reported in magazine road tests and by others in this forum. I've seen no evidence that 300M mileage improves significantly with accumulated miles - mine hasn't.

jsylvester

Check out the link below for more than you would ever want to know about proper maintenance of the 4 speed autos.

In summary, the fluid used is critical, and it sounds like many service departments get it wrong as well, which will kill the tranny. Notice on these boards how some people suffer multiple transmission issues shortly after a major overhaul?

http://www.allpar.com/fix/trans.html

jsylvester

Don't have a 300M, but I do have the "stripped" down sister Intrepid R/T with the same drivetrain (though only 242 hp), brakes, and suspension.

My mileage has been creaping up slowly. I started around 18 mpg mostly in the city, now getting around 20 mpg, using 87 octane as specified in the owners manual. Don't get to go on the freeway much except on the weekends, as my drive one way is only 5 miles.

Give it 2-3 k more miles, and then see what happens.

rklass

My '01 returned 22.3mpg over the first 2,800 miles of driving that included some trips. That was also with winter tires, and some cold NY state winter temperatures.
In Feb. I have gotten as much as 26mpg on trips, and seldom drop below 19mpg in local driving.
My 300M experience with the '99 was that 5,000 miles and warmer temperatures help the mileage considerably.

lflowers

I bought my M used (1 year old 2000 with 11K miles) so I didn't experience the break-in time to report on mileage improvements. I drive a little over 100 miles per day on my commute with a fairly even mixture highway and city driving. I am getting a very consistent 21-22 mpg. Since I do hardly any pure city or pure highway driving, I can't give you any figures for those.
By the way, I am using 89 octane mid-range fuel. I'm quite satisfied with the mileage I'm experiencing, especially considering the fact that this is a performance car (in my opinion, anyway).
Lynn

midnightcowboy

Has anyone ordered the 2001 with navigation. How do you like it? How does it compare with the DVD models? Apparently the performance system and brakes are much better this year and now they have Inferno Red color. The 300M is getting mighty tempting and then Acura goes and announces a Type I for the TL sedan series

I have a fairly heavy food an still get 19-20 mpg. But then I only have 240 horsepower. That's 13 less than the 1999 300Ms and 10 less than the 2000-2001 300Ms. But wait I have ActiveAutoWerke exhaust which was supposed to add 8 horsepower. Anyway I can't get my 0-60mph time us to yours no matter how hard I try I still 2-3 seconds less. Oh! Well.

M3 Car Nut

fuzzywuzzy

Well, It's informative, however, with the exception of the fluid(which I knew about) how much of it can be applied to the newest DC cars. Alot of that stuff is old tech. Pre 1998, that's over 2 years difference from new DC cars. Which all have better tranny's now.

midnightcowboy

>especially considering the fact that this is a >performance car (in my
>opinion, anyway).
>Lynn

A near-luxury yes?

A performance car ? NO

midnightcowboy

Has anyone ordered the 2001 with navigation. How do you like it? How does it compare with the DVD models? Apparently the performance system and brakes are much better this year and now they have Inferno Red color. The 300M is getting mighty tempting and then Acura goes and announces a Type I for the TL sedan series

I have a fairly heavy food an still get 19-20 mpg. But then I only have 240 horsepower. That's 13 less than the 1999 300Ms and 10 less than the 2000-2001 300Ms. But wait I have ActiveAutoWerke exhaust which was supposed to add 8 horsepower. Anyway I can't get my 0-60mph time us to yours no matter how hard I try I still 2-3 seconds less. Oh! Well.

M3 Car Nut

grunschev

What octane fuel are you using? I could be wrong, but I seem to recall those on this board getting lower mileage were using 87 octane rather than the recommended 89.

1999, PHP, 25k miles; overall 21.4mpg for the life of the car, 80% city driving. On one tank of gas I got nearly 40mpg (cruise control on 50 while using the donut spare).

Igor

tandee

This straight-talking commercial was integral in the resurgence of Chrysler in the 1980s. What was the famous line in this ad and who said it?

dustinnewton

Ira-I use 89 octane exclusively and get a little bit (1MPG) lower mileage than you do, but I live in a hilly area. I think 22-24 on the highway for such a large car with a large engine is great myself.

Midnight-You have to look at performance as a relative term. The M can be considered to have high performance considering its size and intended purpose as a luxury vehicle with leather, wood, and all that. I consider the M a high-performance luxury car. Good acceleration, great handling, and good braking. I consider the Lamborghini Diablo a high performance sports car. Each one is high performance, but relative to their intended use and others in their classes. Is the M higher performance than all others in the class? No. Is it better than most? Yes. I owned a Cadillac ElDorado before my M, and it definitely wasn't high performance luxury compared to the M. The M is superior in every way. You have to think relatively. If you want luxury, but a limo. If you want performance, buy a Lamborghini. If you want a car with ample luxury and snappy performance for it's size and appointments, the M is a good choice. I've said it on this board for a year and I'll say it again. The M is a luxury auto, not a sports car. If you want to beat people in traffic-light racing, you've picked the wrong car. If you want a nice sleeper-type performance auto, the M is great. It's nice to see the looks on faces when folks see what this big and luxurious a car can do off the line and top end! 10 years ago, you would never have that kind of performance in a 4 door car this size and weight!

racefan9

"if you can find a better car---buy it"
Lee Iacocca

pjyoung

Helluva salesman, but his regime led to the poor quality reputation that Chrysler still suffers from.

300michael

As for the Nav systems. The unit in Chrysler accessories, is an OK unit. I do not have it, but have seen it work. It does a good job of getting you there. I do like the Alpine DVD unit a lot better, although it costs much more.

As for performanc in the near lux class the term fits. True this is not a sports car, although the handling feels like it, and mine only goes 0-60 in 7.1, which puts it in the middle of the pack.

fuzzywuzzy

I have no idea on that one. I don't even know what your talking about. I was still a kid in the 80's

300michael

Question, does you 300M have the PHP package? You said the ride was more harsh. from what suspension were you compaining it to?

rogor2k

Is NOW officially open for business:


Ladies and gentlemen, 300M Owners and Enthusiasts. (drum roll please!!) I am happy to announce that the Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club is now officially open for business. Please visit our brand new web site at http://www.300mclub.org. It has taken us a lot longer than we anticipated to put all the pieces in place, and we still have some work to do, but we are now open and ready to sign up new members.


Regular club dues are $15.00 annually. BUT, until April 15, 2001, you can become a Charter Member (with a specially designated membership card) AND save $5.00 on your first years dues. We are working on an on-line membership application form, but we still have some work to do on that. For now, we have several versions of a membership application that you can print, fill out, and snail mail along with a check or money order for your dues. We also offer the option of paying your dues on-line via PayPal.


If you're not familiar with it, PayPal is an easy, hassle free way to pay for things on-line with the Visa or MasterCard you already have. Right now, PayPal is crediting $5.00 to your account with your first on-line transaction. What this means is if you are a first time PayPal user, you can join the club for a TOTAL INVESTMENT OF JUST $5.00 for the first year.


Why would I want to join the Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club? you might ask. Well, first and foremost, camaraderie. This is the only club of its kind devoted exclusively to the owners and potential owners of the Chrysler 300M. There ARE other internet forums and internet owners clubs dedicated to the 300M, but we are now and will continue to be more than just an internet entity. Your personalized membership package will include a parchment membership certificate and an exclusive serialized and laminated membership card.


Our plans include actual regional and national conventions where we can meet and celebrate together. We plan to have exclusive club logo merchandise (patches, caps, apparel, travel mugs, etc.) available for purchase by club members only. We plan to have parts and service discount programs with as many dealers, retailers, and automotive service providers (other existing clubs, such as a PT Cruiser Club, have arranged 10% discounts with many dealers). Our web site will contain links to valuable sources of information to you as a 300M owner, including detailed information on ways to enhance the enjoyment of your car by modifying it to enhance performance or just to personalize it to your own taste. We will make available links to your web pages and on-line photo albums where you can showcase your 300M to club members and the rest of the world.


If you navigate around the web site, you'll get an idea of all the things we have planned for our members. There are some under construction signs, but rest assured that we have a team of dedicated officers and a Board of Directors who are actively working on making all of these things come to pass.


If you're passionate about your 300M, THIS is THE place to be.


Sincerely,


Roger Waters, President
Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club

bigmike5

This deadhorse has been beaten pretty good in earlier forums. Suffice it to say, if you are getting about 20 MPG around town and 24-25 MPG on the road you are doing about average. If you are getting radically lower mileage consider having someone check it out. My 99M with 26K gets 20 in normal driving and 25 on extended highway driving. I have always used 87 octane. For comparison, my wife's 2000 Eldorado ESC with 8 cylinder Northstar turned 25.5 on a interstate trip of 140 miles last week. It is still breaking in and only has 2,700 miles on it. I expect it to do better once it has a few thousand more miles on it. I expected the M to do so also, but it has stayed pretty much at 20 and 25 over the last 2 1/2 years. My last, a 93 Regal GS with a 3.8 litre got 22 and 32 respectively, and I actually wrote DC and told them to tweak the M engine, because it should be doing better. Apparently, they ignored my letter.

bigmike5

Congrats Roger. Your efforts to get the club going are to be commended. Kudos to you and the others who are making such a great effort. I look forward to "officially" joining and seeing what the future holds for 300M owners.

mykem

Way to go.

-m

fuzzywuzzy

I get about 18-20 all the time. I'm a lead foot, & drive at speeds of 60-100mph each day. With the AC on. I ues 89. Road trips are a little better at 22-25mpg. Gas mileage is not even a concern for me in any car/truck. Makes no difference to me.

rklass

Tandee, it was Lee Iacocca who said "if you can find a better car, Buy It!"
Fortunately, not every car buyer looked very hard, and Chrysler survived (with the help, of us taxpayers).
Read the new book "Taken for a ride, How Mercedes Benz Drove Off with Chrysler."
Its a real eye opener!

rklass

For the first 1,000 miles on my '99 300M I used 89 octane fuel. I then tried 87 octane and, when I could discern no difference in performance, used 87 for the next 68,000 miles with no problems.
The '01 has 3,800 miles on it , all on 87 octane.

rogor2k

I tried both 87 and 89 octane and couldn't discern any measurable difference. I am and have been running exclusively 87 octane for months now, and my average mpg indicator is at 21.8 for a mix of probably 60% highway/40% city driving. I do think the engine relearned the fuel settings for a long time after I did my dual exhaust mod, because it seems to be optimized now.

tandee

Congratulations Racefan. You have earned one point for being the first with the correct answer.

Fuzzy and Rusty - Thanks for playing, better luck next time.

PJ - What can I say, I didn't know about your personal feelings about Mr. I... truly sorry.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Trivia Time.

Brought to you by Tandee Donuts. The best in the world!

-- This contest is void where prohibited. --

ed12

Question:

The Chrysler dealer said there is no adjustemnt for the foot brake or emergency brake. Is that true?

Ed

tksatksa

I'm posting to both the LHS and 300M discussions. We bought our '01 LHS last Thanksgiving (we're really happy with it, so far). At that time I turned down the extended warranty coverage from Chrysler. I thought that after registering the car there would be other warranty offers in the mail but that hasn't been the case.

We received another warranty offer from Chrysler in the mail yesterday. In their brochure they say that a car as technically sophisticated as the LHS or 300M should have extended coverage. I agree. But I don't like the Chrylser coverage because the work has to done at a Chrysler shop.

My question to all of you LHS/300M owners: have you purchased an extended warrany for your vehicle? If so, are you pleased with it? Would you recommend it to others?

I appreciate your help. I've always found the discussions here interesting and helpful. If you would prefer not to respond here, please email me at tksatksa@hotmail.com

Thanks.

pjyoung

I didn't purchase any for my 1999 300M. I figured I would see what it was like for the warranty period, and decide at the time the warranty was to expire whether or not I should do it (doesn't cost all that much more). So far, I've had no problems (other than a drivers side window motor - know 99 problem).

racefan9

from my service manual

Park Brake Cable Tensioner
Note: Tensioner adjustment is only necessary when the tensioner, or a cable has been replaced or disconnected for service. When adjustment is necessary, perform adjustment only as described in the following procedure. This is necessary to avoid faulty park brake operation.

rklass

I drive 28-30,000 miles/yr, and view an extended warranty as part of my monthly cost.
My advice:
1. Buy a CHRYSLER warranty! Do you really want to argue with a 3rd party who has no interest in your satisfaction with the car if something goes wrong?
2. There is a good profit in these warranties. If you had made the warranty part of the purchase deal, you could have negotiated a good price. You can still get a 25% discount from Melton Chrysler in Oklahoma, with no sales tax if you live outside OK. Call them at 800-525-2952, ask for Lori, and mention my name.
3. You have a choice of deductibles; $0.00, which I bought, $25.00 or $100.00. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
I fully agree that the complexity if these cars exposes you to a potentially huge repair cost if something goes amiss after the 3/36 warranty expires. In my case the peace of mind is worth $25.00 per month!

bigmike5

Check out Warranty Direct on the net. I think they let you take the car where you want to get the service done and authorize it with a credit card to the service center when the work is approved. The net sellers are way cheaper than DC but I don't know how good they are when its time for help. I got mine at a competitive rate, compared to the net quotes and the DC offer, from the credit union that is financing the car, and they paid the extra for the zero deductible coverage. Since I am still a while away from the 3yr/36K gate I can't say how good they will be when, and if, I need them.

dustinnewton

Are you trying out that M in your half foot of snow you have up there?? It was 79 here yesterday and was 72 on my way in to work this morning. What happened to winter? It was only 2 weeks long this year instead of our usual 3!!!

Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club- http://www.300mclub.org