Dodge Magnum

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Comments

  • newdodgemannewdodgeman Member Posts: 13
    I noticed that when you mentioned the rear anti-sway bar you listed it as only available in the 300C. Is this correct? Has anyone out there installed a rear anti-sway bar in their Magnum? Though I love my '06 R/T I am disapponted in the handling, though I do keep telling myself it is a wagon afterall. I was wondering if anyone has installed a rear anti-sway bar if it improved the handling? Keep up the good info.
  • rtracerrtracer Member Posts: 6
    Dont know about the anti-sway bar...
    I have a '05 rt. I think she handles extremely well..a bit heavy though
    The Continental tires do suck..they sure are squealers. I have found that with the ESP on you can pretty much stick any turn. Keep the pedal to the metal.
    enjoy
  • newdodgemannewdodgeman Member Posts: 13
    You're right about it being a bit heavy. The [non-permissible content removed] end wants to come around like a SUV, though not as bad. I guess I want my cake and eat it too!! Hopefully someone will give us the good info. that adding a sway bar will help with the rear end issue
  • altaholiconealtaholicone Member Posts: 25
    So out of all the Hemi magnum owners out there, none of you will help a fellow owner out with the test. Its very easy to do. Are you afraid you might find smoke? Or are you just an_ _ _ _ _ _

    Would you RT hemi owners do a test for me and let me know the results?

    Start car cold, completely cold.
    Idle for 30 seconds. Turn off.
    Wait 30 minutes and re start. See if oil smoke comes out the exhaust.
    They wait time can be a little more or less, but the run time must not get it warm or even close, so sta around 30 seconds.
  • seadoosandiseadoosandi Member Posts: 19
    I tried this morning and did not see any smoke.

    I posted a message yesterday regarding this and some questions that the members of the LX forum had but the message is gone??? :confuse:

    SeadooSandi
    05 RT RWD Magnesium Pearl
  • seadoosandiseadoosandi Member Posts: 19
    I tried this and did not get any smoke.
  • peterskmpeterskm Member Posts: 79
    I was gonna try it...before you called me a "_ _ _ _ _ _"
  • altaholiconealtaholicone Member Posts: 25
    Thankyou, Now I know I am not an idiot when i tell the dealer it still does it and its not right.
  • altaholiconealtaholicone Member Posts: 25
    Got me an Idaho lawyer to take action.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    SeadooSandi, if you haven't yet you should check your email.
  • lovertmagnumlovertmagnum Member Posts: 4
    Magnum RT loud shuddering at 4-8 cylinder transition.

    I love my Magnum RT, but need to solve a serious and possibly damaging driveability problem that started at about 3000 miles and has so far eluded correction at the dealer, though the service manager has driven the car and agrees things are not right. Presently the car has 5,600 miles on it and am preparing to return it to the dealership to see if they can fix it. Before I do, I thought it wise to seek advice on this forum.

    Here is the problem. In most gears and at most speeds there is a pronounced shudder when there is a slight increase in throttle application and the need for additional power. It seems there is a problem with the, computer or the sensors or the engine and or transmission at the 4 to 8 cylinder transition point.

    The transmission seems locked in a higher range (lower rpm) than it should be and the engine lugs and rapidly and repetitively seeks between 4 and 8 cylinders causing a noisy shuddering. The sound is like a medium pitched repetitive duck's (quack .. quack .. quack .. quack .. quack) at rpm's around 2000 and like a repetitive lower pitched bullfrog's (redeep .. redeep .. redeep .. redeep .. redeep) at rpms below 1500. While this is occuring the engine and transmission seem locked as if in direct drive and the shuddering feels similar to a grabbing mechanical clutch of yesteryear.

    The problem continues at higher rpm 2500+ and all driving speeds and gears. At higher speeds the pronounced shudder generally occurs when slight increased throttle is applied and the car shudders and feels and sounds as if it has encountered a rumble strip on the road. This is disconcerting and I am concerned about damage to the drive train.

    As stated earlier I truly love the car, but want it to run as smoothly as it did the first 3,000 miles when it performed like a powerful magic carpet and the transition between 4 and 8 cylinders was smooth, silent and transparent.

    I have read other postings and conclude this is not a common problem. If anyone has an insight, comment, hunch or solution to this problem please respond.
  • redsxtredsxt Member Posts: 2
    I picked up my SXT 6/21 and had a wonderful road trip to MT. I even got 25 MPG at one point in the trip including two mountain passes. Love my new ride, my kids call it the Mini-Limo.

    Questions: I have a really nice Apline Deck from my old car and was wondering if anyone has had any luck installing an aftermarket stero?

    I remember reading that it will take quite a few miles before the Gas mileage goes up to normal. How many miles on average is that??

    Thanks.
  • rumblefishrumblefish Member Posts: 2
    Did this test on my RT- no smoke.

    I remember from days gone by, if the diaphragm in the vacuum modulator on the automatic transmission was ruptured, a small amount of ATF would be pulled up into the intake on startup, giving a puff of white smoke. I don't know if these magnum transmissions have a modulator, but it might be worth a check. Another tell-tale sign was the mysterious transmission fluid level dropping with no evidence of a leak.
  • hmk123hmk123 Member Posts: 122
    So a few weeks ago a piece of wood flew into the right rear door of my Cool Vanilla Magnum RT. Not knowing much about Body Shops, I went the cheap route which then I of course regretted. The color match was not great; they taped the side moldings instead of replacing them. And there was quite some Orange Peal. They said they get that out with a buff after a few days. Well in the mean time I learned more about body shops and decided to bite the bullet and get it redone at a "real" shop. Got it back today and it does look a lot better. However, on the doors, especially starting below the handle, there is still Orange Peal. When you look at it closely from the side you can for sure notice it. He told me they buff that out after three week. He said the color is still "working" and they will have to wait. But once it is dry and hardened they will sand it and buff it and it will look a lot smoother. Is this correct or should it have come out with no Orange Peal at all? At least this body shop claims to guarantee their work. I am just not sure what I should have expected.

    Thanks for the input,
    Hans
  • exfordmanexfordman Member Posts: 9
    I've done a bit of auto painting in the past, and yes orange peel is pretty much inevitable during the spray process. The fact that they want to wait a few weeks before color sanding and buffing is due to the need to let the paint cure a bit. When cars are painted at the factory, they paint the body off of the car and they are able to bake the paint after spraying at a very high heat, which cures and hardens the paint fast. Obviosly with a repaint they cant put your car in an "oven", so time is needed.
    Dont worry, your car should look great after they color sand and buff her.
    The first car I painted kinda shocked me after spraying...orange peel, but after color sanding(sanding with wet very, very fine sand paper) and buffing, she shined like the sun.
    She'll be ok
    Crap on the hiway really pisses me off
  • rehrauer99rehrauer99 Member Posts: 5
    I was wondering if any other buyers are having trouble getting 06 AWD RT's from their dealer. I received a call last week from sales rep stating Dodge has suspended shipments of AWD for the time being. This was after the fact my order had been placed at the beginning of May. :(
  • jbeyerjbeyer Member Posts: 1
    I ordered an AWD RT in April from my dealer in NJ and heard the same thing 2 weeks ago. Fortunately, I found one on Ebay from a dealer in Ohio that was close to the one I ordered so I went for it. The Ohio dealer said they got theirs before the shutdown of the AWD production. I would do an internet search of dealers' inventories and be prepared to do a road trip if you want one before Sept/Oct. Good Luck.
  • pushbuttonpushbutton Member Posts: 16
    My dealer (I have an AWD) told me that they put out too many AWD's late in the 2005 production so they are compensating for it by delaying the start of AWD's in the 2006 MY. He denied any knowledge of an AWD mfg. problem which has been rumored elsewhere.

    Call it 'caca' if you wish but that's what he said! :confuse:
  • LDegrelleLDegrelle Member Posts: 74
    I read that Chrysler is looking to follow in footsteps of GM and Ford and offer employee pricing. I always wonder how much hat email they get from people who just bought cars. I know I would be peeved. But on side note - anyone know what kind of price reductions we could be talking about? This would make a Magnum SERIOUSLY tempting.
  • LDegrelleLDegrelle Member Posts: 74
    Ugh forget it - they already excluded the Magnum, the 300C and all 2006 models. Monsters.
  • psydocpsydoc Member Posts: 4
    It may be a better thing overall not to get that kind of discount if they find a way to abridge your arbitration rights. In an earlier post someone wrote about being stuck with binding arbitration on his "lemon" because he got an employee discount price as an "incentive". Has anyone used a broker to get their Magnum? I usually use one for my new cars but it has never involved a waiting period like the Magnum seems to require. Im not seeing much traffic on the right-pull issue lately. Has that been resolved?
  • momoparmomopar Member Posts: 2
    My wife bought her '05 Hemi RT AWD two months ago and it now has about 4,000 miles. We both LOVE the car but are getting very frustrated with three problems our dealer is unable to fix: Air Conditioning, Radio, Sunroof. The worst is the air. When driving the car more than 15 minutes, the air shuts down and blows hot air. This lasts for up to 30 minutes before cool air returns. As you can imagine, this is not a desired summer condition. The radio is somewhat similar in that it turns off and when we turn it back on, there's no sound. Turning the volume knob does nothing. The car has to be turned off for a while for the radio to return to normal function. The last problem is rattling sunroof noise. Whenever the panel is pulled back or the roof is open, the sunroof system constantly rattles.
    Our dealer has attempted to fix each problem three times without success. He now saws that Dodge has informed him that they are aware of the air conditioning problem, it's present in other Magnums, but they have no idea how to fix it. Same with the radio. The sunroof appears to require new rails, which have been ordered.

    Is anyone else having air conditioning or radio problems? We love the car, but may be pursuing Missouri's Lemon Law if we can't get it fixed soon. :(
  • romannumalromannumal Member Posts: 21
    Hi i just put my hidden hitch on but not sure about the wiring. i was going to get a wiring harness but waas not sure i need it. i read about just running a wires form the tail lights. Has any body put a hitch on and what did you do about the wires.

    i am 3000 miles on mine and have not had any problem with my air or radio. I put in new speakers and amp used same radio with nav. and sat. radio.
  • pushbuttonpushbutton Member Posts: 16
    Momopar, the A/C can be fixed with a flash to the onboard computer to the latest software. This may or may not fix the radio problem. The sunroof is a new one.

    See TSB # 24-004-05 for the A/C.
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    The factory wiring add on for hitches should work. I have the trailer towing package on my van, but no hitch. The add on wiring harness plugs into the drivers side taillight and has a pigtail that comes out beneath the van with clips to hold it to the bottom of the bumper cover.
  • momoparmomopar Member Posts: 2
    Pushbutton,
    Thanks for the response, but that was the dealer's first attempt at a fix. The second visit resulted in a freon charge. And the third repair attempt was a shrug of the shoulders and an "I don't know what to do". He also told us that Dodge didn't have a suggestion.
    I'm still looking for someone's inspiration, or at least a shared frustration.
    Thanks, MOmopar
  • johndodgejohndodge Member Posts: 25
    My name is John and I am a Marketing Representative from the Dodge Information Center. I came across this thread and thought I could be of some help.

    Momopar, you’ve already taken the appropriate steps to get your poor Magnum back to tip top shape. I understand your frustration in not being able to have your issues addressed immediately, but give it some time and I’m sure a solution will be found.

    Drywalltaper, you have a couple options available to you. You can upgrade to the in-dash 6 disc CD player, or you can have a CD changer installed. The base radio comes with CD-changer controls so you can upgrade down the road.

    I hope you found this information beneficial. Let me know.

    I’ll be around,

    John B.
  • SylviaSylvia Member Posts: 1,636
    Long-Term Test: 2005 Dodge Magnum
    Our honeymoon with the Magnum hits a slight bump in the road.
  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    This is a rant, but I thought you folks would find this interesting. I am seriously considering a Magnum for my next new car. I have never had a DC product. Always GM, but these Magnums are so cool, I want one.
    I took the day off to decide on my next new car. I told the salesman I would be buying one in the next 6 months to a year. At that point, he acted like he did not want to spend much time with me. Usually at some point, sales people offer to let you drive their car. I finally had to ask! He said their policy was not to let people that were not ready to buy test drive, some excuse not to rack up the miles. He said no demo, which I found hard to believe.
    After politely expressing my dissatisfaction, he went inside and asked his boss. Still a polite no.
    I was embarrassed and mad. I let them know I would not be buying it from them and sarcastically said sorry to bother him and his boss as I left. I will go to another dealer outside of Springfield, MO.
    They had about a dozen on the lot. I could understand if it was a Viper, or if I looked like I was going to take it and rob a bank, but this was ridiculous. I wanted to drive a V6, not a hemi. It would have been fine if the sales guy wanted to go along. Plus, it was a weekday afternoon, they were not busy.
    I am 44, professional looking, drive a nice car, and have never been refused a test drive, even when I was car shopping in my early 20s.
    I wanted to go inside and give the sales manager my opinion of his dealership, but decided not to. He will eventually make enough people mad it will affect his sales.
    Now, if the whole thing didn't sour me on DC, I will have to buy one at a dealer out of town, closest one is 15 miles.
    Thanks for the rant.
  • hardhawkhardhawk Member Posts: 702
    You need to come on over to my dealer in SE KS. They will treat you a heck of a lot better. They just had two guys from Joplin come over and one bought a 300C and the other a Magnum RT.
  • johndodgejohndodge Member Posts: 25
    I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you experienced trying to test drive a new Dodge Magnum. You said you were in the Springfield, MO area so I got in contact with Ozark Dodge in Ozark, MO. I was fortunate enough to speak with Jan. I informed her that a gentleman was interested in purchasing in 6-12 months. She told me that if you visited Ozark she would be delighted to let you test drive an SXT. Just ask for her. I hope this helps you out. I’m positive that you’ll enjoy the ride and versatility of the Magnum.

    Thanks,

    John B.
  • kcwolfpack59kcwolfpack59 Member Posts: 122
    I will give them a try. I appreciate the effort you went to. I am in no hurry.
  • jammjamm Member Posts: 1
    we purchased our awesome cool vanilla magnum on March 24. 2005.
    On June 20 as I was driving to work the car started shaking as if I had a flat tire and the steering wheel went way to the right. i pulled over and checked the tires all good. I called the dealer and took in Magnum that day. The mechanic asked us if we crashed the car, (no: there isn't a scratch on the car, much less a dent) he then blamed our custom wheels for the problem.
    Our car was supposedly sent to the manufacturer because the mechanics did not know what was wrong with the vehicle.
    They said they have fixed the problem all it needs is an ALIGNMENT. We had to take in the original tires and locks and are currently waiting for a call back.
    We love our Magnum but we will not risk our boys lives for a defective car.
    Thank you for informing of similar problems I feel prepared when I go for the results.
  • romannumalromannumal Member Posts: 21
    I just took my RT to the river pulling my boat it had not problems pulling my boat even up a big hill out side indio ca.
    Has any pulled any with there R T my boat wt is 3700 lbs.
    I have a question i was at the river and the outside temp was about 120 the ac work good but the car seemed to rev higher at idle with the ac on. could it been to the high outside temp. have not run the ac since i have been home.
    The RT pull the boat out of the water great is not to have traction control with a wet ramp. my boat is 21 feet got a lot of looks pulling it as i was pasting suv and trucks
    love my RT :)
  • romannumalromannumal Member Posts: 21
  • pauljrpauljr Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Magnum new in May. It has functioned perfectly till about 3 weeks ago. Now there is a rattle in the front left corner of the car. It only occurs while going over sharp bumps and between 15 and about 30mph. I left the car at the dealer and after two days they told me no one could hear the rattle. I took the mechanic for a ride and in 2 minutes he was hearing the rattle. After another full day at the dealership the service manager says nothing can be found causing the rattle. He told me if I wanted to leave the car for a few more days he might be able to locate it. He then went on to tell me that another car that had a rattle took three weeks to locate a coke can that had fallen along the fender. After two days of a rental car, at my expense, I decided to take my car and run. Now I am faced with keeping a car that rattles, trading it in with 1800 miles on it, or leaving it with a dealer to look for a misplaced coke can under the hood! Has anyone else had a rattle in the front end? It seems to stop if I brake.
    thanks
  • mikeyc1mikeyc1 Member Posts: 3
    My 2005 SE 2.7 in shop again. Rear end leak, 2nd time. Car has 45k miles. Leak was repaired at 12k, then rear end replaced at 21k due to whining noise. Then rear half shaft replaced after 5 star dealer mechanic tore cv boot and tried to repair with rtv sealent and sent me on my way. The mechanics showed me this "repair" at the 25k oil change and i have pics of this just in case. Dealer replaced shaft under warranty. Thought all was ok till 45 k oil change yesterday and rear end leaking again. Rear end was getting noisy again and told them to check it out. Was gonna live with it till was hopefully gonna order new company car, but thats not gonna happen soon. One of the guys i work with is having same rear end leak. Dealer called me today and said they ordered new pumpkin and will have car back fri.I am wondering if the 2.7 4 speeds have a weaker rear end than those in the 3.5 and hemi? I am also gonna try the reset for the throttle response to see if it helps my acceleration. I realize that part of the problem is 190 horses trying to move 4000 pounds.
  • exileexile Member Posts: 6
    One year ago I was were you are here.Buy or not.Friends told me " if you have nothing to do just spent your time in dealership buy "Chrysler" etc...etc...etc...".I said to myself even if something will be wrong dealer will fix it.I did buy Concorde LXI 2004 from Transitowne Dodge Williamsville,NY. They claimed that nothing wrong is with car and refused to repair.They even did not call me back even they promised.Now I am dealing with Southtransit Chrysler West Seneca NY.I paid almost $1000 from my packet,8 months of dealing with dealers & Chrysler and they can not duplicate problem or what you think is wrong they saying "characteristics of this model....etc.. etc...etc..." Manufacture warranty. I tried Magnum & 300.People got a lot of problems.I go to dealer I see a lot of 300 in service area with tag #.Now you have tempting deal $ 3500 rebate.No wonder.Magnum production line was down for some kind of problems now rebate...make sense.Good Luck.
  • magick8ballmagick8ball Member Posts: 2
    Wow, sounds like a lot of problems; thank you for your imput though, I do appreciate it! :D
  • exileexile Member Posts: 6
    Magick.....I am not trying to discourage you.I was almost ready to spend over $ 35000 + and tax for nicly equipped Magnum or 300. But after my experience ( if you spend some time searching internet you will see I am not only one) I simply do not know.Make your home work and educated decision.Good Luck.
  • tpricetprice Member Posts: 46
    I agree with previous posts concerning quality issues of the Magnum's. We had a couple of mid-90's vintage Chrysler Town and Country vans. Both were trouble free, though all you ever heard about at the time was about what pieces of junk they were, etc. My brother-in-law drove a 1994 Intrepid to over 275K miles with nothing more than scheduled maintenance expenses. I had same experience with a 1998 Ford Expedition..I went 85K trouble free miles though others reported lot's of problems with them. It's not to minimize problems that folks have had ...just pointing out a need to use info here as a piece of info and to keep things in perspective. To be sure, there are going to be "lemons" out there which is not of much comfort if it's your car. I've been debating about getting a 300 or a Magnum and use the forum as piece of information but not the end all!
  • fineonefineone Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if anyone has put the Magnum through a winter test as yet. One concern I have (prior to purchasing) is the Rear Wheel drive. Can it make it through a winter ?
  • kgarry66kgarry66 Member Posts: 2
    Guys... I've really got something to whine about. Maybe somebody can help. My new Magnum lists half an inch to the right rear when the fuel tank is full. When it's empty, the list gets worse -- over five-eighths of an inch. I drove the thing for weeks before noticing it. But now that I have noticed it, it's driving me nuts. Apparently the 300, the Magnum, and now the Charger all have gas tanks mostly on the driver's side. So, to compensate for the extra weight, they've put a stiffer spring on this side. Problem is, the differential in stiffness is variable from car to car and about as bad as it gets with mine. I've had the car to a dealer, but Daimler/Chrisler says that this difference in curb height is within tolerance. No help there. I even called the corporate complaint number asking for help, which the nice young man promised. But it's been over a week now and I've not heard back from him about it. Anybody out there had a similar problem and solved it with an after-market solution?
  • blink3blink3 Member Posts: 74
    I have a friend that recently bought a 300 with the Hemi. She has had it to the dealer 3 times for Water in Transmission. The last time she brought it in, there was another 300 there for the same thing. I am guessing that the Eng/Trans is the same on the Magnum R/T which I have been looking at purchasing. Anyone have this problem or heard of it?

    Thanks!
  • peterskmpeterskm Member Posts: 79
    There is a TSB (and a fix for it) issued for this problem. I have heard that it causes the tranny to have sloppy shifting and that the fix is to flush the tranny (some reported up to 3 times) and seal the area with RV sealant. Everyone on the other forum who experienced this have reported that it solved the problem.
  • ex_shelbyownerex_shelbyowner Member Posts: 2
    I just replaced the airbox with a K&N assy. Will the stage one Jet chip make noticable change in performance without exhaust replacement? I'm really happy with the R/T, but it just seems a little aneomic, but no complaints about anything else. Any help is appreciated
  • peterskmpeterskm Member Posts: 79
    Many people on an LX-specific forum have been pondering the effect of the JEt-Chip in general. Some have reported a noticable gain while others have not. I (and many others) are awaiting a programmer to come out for these cars as that should provide the most benefit.
  • forza1forza1 Member Posts: 2
    I made it through last winter. We didn't have a ton of snow like we usually do here in Illinois, but it drove well on what snow we had. Ice it didn't do well. Switched to my husband's front-wheel drive car since my car landed in mom's front yard. (it still took me forever to get to work that day)
    That was my big concern when buying the Magnum and having a toddler as a frequent passenger -- how would it handle winter. I was impressed though.
  • forza1forza1 Member Posts: 2
    I have to agree with some other posters -- many people complain about this and that. But we've had a fun time with our Magnum.
    When my husband saw a story about the Magnum before its introduction he said that is what we were going to get. I worried about the rear wheel drive. Hasn't been a problem (other than that dumb big hump on the back floor).
    Sure there are some things I would like to see tweeked. I'm short and have trouble pulling down the trunk. For some reason we find the front passenger seat more comfortable than the driver's seat.
    We got our Magnum a year ago this week and have about 9,000 miles on it. Other than maintenance, we only had one problem -- an oil leak. When they put it up, whoever put the filter on didn't screw it all the way on. Simple and fast fix.
    It went through winter just fine for what snow we did have. I won't drive it on ice though. Ended up on my mom's front lawn when dropping off my daughter. Used the mats to get back on the road and slid home a half hour later. Switched to our front-wheel drive car. Still took me twice as long to get to work with that car. It was not a pretty drive in that car either.
    Overall I enjoy the car. Husband can't wait for the weekends so he can drive it.
    He drove it to Indy with three other adult males. They all liked the ride and didn't complain about the back seat spacing. Definetly more leg room than our Pontiac and even our old Intrepid.
  • mag300xmag300x Member Posts: 6
    :shades: Just picked up my car 7/31/2005. Love it, three people have told me this was there dream car to get. Car is bigger than I imagined. Kids love the rear seat room. Wife loves the front passenger area, lots of room. I love the 5.7 V8. I'm amazed how much respect this car gets on the road. Here in NYC there are a lot of aggressive drivers; I have to admit, I haven't been cut off at all in this car, they actually let me go by. I hate being passed on the right on highways, and this car prevents it emphatically. This car goes from 60 to 80 like no other car I've ever driven. I've been reading this forum for the past few months, so I'm aware of some of the problems this car may have, but I wanted it anyway.

    CONS: All the months I've been reading this forum, no one has mentioned anything about the lift gate NOT opening, especially during critical times like at the supermarket with a cart full of groceries, the owner's manual even mentions something about a lift gate release. Maybe that's something I will have to figure out, but sometimes it doesn't open.

    I do have the imfamous pull to the right like others have mentioned. I only have 138 miles on it and the pull is not that strong yet but I will keep an eye on it. I will be taking a 600 mile trip next week, and I'll really get a chance to see how bad it is after that. Also, I'm hoping something might have been learned during the so called production shut down and a fix is forthcoming. I'm an eternal optimist.

    Even after that, I still feel this car will go down as one of the classic production cars made. The aggressive stance, the room inside, the engine.
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