Chrysler 300M

jona57 · April 2002

I have been averaging about 20-21mpg city/27 highway with my '01 300M w/PHG. This is about 1-1.5 mpg better than my last car (95 Intrepid ES w/3.5L). My driving habits are pretty average. These figures on on 89 octane in Indiana.

mikeyjohn-
There is no doubt that the "personalities" of the local constabulary vary across nations as large as the US or Canada. Over the years I've had a Michigan cop let me off with a warning for 70 in a 55 zone, and another in Texas write me up when I KNOW I was not exceeding the 50 mph limit on that rural road. My prior comments simply reflect SE Michigan/ Ontario border experiences & stories.
BTW- What tires do you use on your M in the snow?

Jon

mikeyjohn · April 2002

I use the stock tires on my M, I have the 01 PHP and have not seen or had a problem with the weather. I have also had courses on driving in this stuff, so maybe I am not the best one to ask.
My wife has a 99 Cirrus with stock Michelins and she doesn't seem to have a problem. If I had the Special, that would probably be a different story.

achance · April 2002

I don't normally pay much attention but I happened to punch the computer yesterday since I was on E and wanted to see how far the car thought I could go. It's probably been all winter since I reset it, and it was showing 19.7 cumulative average. I haven't driven it fast much over the winter, but I've burnt a whole bunch of gas in the driveway warming it up. For a heavy car with a 250hp engine, I don't think 20 mpg combined is bad at all. It has a K&N, Plus-4s, and a Borla.

sdmike2 · April 2002

I average between 18 and 19 in overall driving, mostly around town with a small amount of freeway. I don't baby the car. When I DO drive the freeway I seem to get in the mid to high 20s. I have duals, bosch +4 and K&N Aircharger

sdmike2 · April 2002

Took the van in the other day for one last attempt at the tranny leak. One hour after I got home I got a call that it was done (previous times they had the car all day). When I picked it up the work order said "customer correct on leak. Replaced left axle seal No fluid leak observed at this time.". When I asked the shop foreman why it took THREE trips to get the axle seal replaced, after I TOLD them what the problem was, he just shook his head and said "I don't know, but I was hoping I had smarter people working for me". Nice and honest guy. I just wish that it wouldn't have taken three tries to get to someone with a clue. Five days and counting, no leak.

easyrider300m · April 2002

over the last 1500 miles, I have averaged only 17.1 mpg with a 50-50 mix of H/C . I usually use regular gas but about one fouth the time I use midgrade. And I drive the car relatively "Easy."

If I do straight HW, I get about 24 mpg according to the overhead computer. No mods yet but maybe Bosch plugs, aircharger, and duals eventually. Warranty is just about up. Should I buy the extended?

Easyrider300M

easyrider300m · April 2002

one thing you could check is your tire pressure---I think they recommend like 30 on the M but I find it handles better and tires last longer if you pump em up to about 34. This should also help mileage as rolling resistance is reduced. The only drawback is a slighly harsher ride but not by much. What are you running them at now?

99_300m_ric_va · April 2002

Yes I use the 0W-30 all year round. No problems. I did do a complete flush. I had my local transmission shop buddy do it, I gave him 15 quarts to do the job. The universal fluid is ATF+4 rated and can be mixed.

One note, if you are switching from petroleum oil to synthetic, change the oil after about 3,000 miles running the synthetic the first time. The synthetic will "clean" the internal engine of any sludges and other buildup caused by the petroleum oil. It really does. My friends and I used to pull valve covers on our cars when changing my older cars before and awhile after changing to synthetic and noted how the gunk under the covers would eventually disappear. We were young and a bit skeptical back then. I still marvel at pulling apart my old Pontiac motor with 150,000 Amsoil miles and seeing how clean it was inside. The lifters and cam I changed were like brand new. My race car motors are always clean too.

Normally on a brand new car, I change the oil at 500-1000 miles when new to remove the factory petroleum oil and initial wear metals and switch to Amsoil and immediately go for the 1 year or 35,000 mile (whichever comes first) intervals. The engine is new at that point and is pretty clean with little to no petroleum oil sludge buildup.

For car with lots of miles on them, Amsoil does have an Engine Flush that can be used to clean the engine before introducing the synthetic. You install a new oil filter, add 1 qt of Engine Flush, run the vehicle for 15-20mins or so and change the oil and filter to the synthetic.

Hope this helps anyone considering synthetic.

99_300m_ric_va · April 2002

I run 34-35 in my Pilot A/S tires. 30 just seems to low, but it does make for a softer ride at 30.

bigmike5 · April 2002

My 2 cents. My M is a 99 with 41K miles on it. Got it in July 98. I have always used regular gas. I average about 20 mpg to and from work [15 miles], mostly 45-60 mph stretches with some lights. On the highway, as of last Saturday when I did a 150 mile round trip, it gets about 25 mpg at 65-70 mph. Disappointed?? Well, yes I was at first, since my wife's 96 Aurora with an eight got 27 on the highway at 70-75 mph, and about the same as the M around town, and now her 00 Eldo gets [sigh...] about 31 mpg on the highway, and a little better than the M around town, and on regular too. I wrote Dieter back in 98' [well, I actually didn't know who Dieter was then, so I sent the letter to the DC Product Improvement section] about a few things that would make the 00 M better than the 99 which I had been driving for about 3 months, like a different seat belt latch [prophetic right?] and tweaking the engine for better mileage since it was a six and it ought to have gotten at least 27 mpg on the highway [my then recently traded 93 Regal GS with a six had gotten 32 mpg on the highway], and guess what? Not even the courtesy of a response, or a "Thanks for your interest in our product, but you're not a German engineer, dumpkopf." etc. Is this a great company or what? Anyway, if you get to 25 mpg on the highway you are doing good, and 19-20 around town is about average depending on how long you sit at lights, traffic jams, short trips, etc. I have not found that the A/C varies the mileage much, nor the tire pressure.

cmyers300m · April 2002

Congrats on your van repair! I feel for ya man, remember my wife's the one with a 96 Caravan that had tranny problems too. Luckly after paying nearly 2k to replace it in '00, it is still working well. However, we aren't sure how much longer we're going to keep the van. It has 119k miles on it now, and to be honest I don't know how long it's going to last. It hasn't been the most reliable thing, not like my M.
She wants an SUV, a small one. At this point we haven't decided on anything yet. She liked the Jeep Liberty, but I think after looking at one she thinks it is a bit too small. I kinda agree. As long as the van is in good running shape, I'm in no hurry anyway.

fuzzywuzzy · April 2002

I used the KVR pads all around. I switched the front to Performance Friction pads, I don't remember which ones, but they were for heavy duty use. I replaced the rears with regular Mopar Priemium pads from the dealer. I also tried rybesto(sp?) pads, & they left alot of break dust they lasted about a week. The PF, & Mopar pads had no dust.

fuzzywuzzy · April 2002

My 300M moded just the same as eveyones else always got about 18-26mpg combined HW/city. It always depended on how I drove, & what the weather was like. Factors that affect milage are driving style, weather, type of gas, brand of gas, speed, & part of the country. Some states use better gas then others. On HW trips only(I mean the 1200 mile trips driving to NYC) I got about 26-30. It always depened on how fast I was driving, & if I sat in traffic or not. If you drive at 55mph for 1200 miles, you will get over 30MPG.

blonda · April 2002

Don't forget that if you have lower profile tires on the 17's your getting a little bit better mileage than the trip computer will tell you. I manually calculated mine a couple times and it's almost exactly 1 mpg better than the trip computer says with my 45's.

I drove to LA and back a couple months ago (230 miles) driving a minimum of 80mph all the way (no traffic)with the air conditioning on and got almost 26 which is the best I have ever gotten (didn't have the duals yet and just the regular K&N filter--I always use 89 octane) --haven't really taken a longer fwy trip in this car yet in 2 years :-(

blonda · April 2002

Since driving conditions (and culture) are unique in Los Angeles, you may
not have realized that the California
Department of Motor Vehicles has now issued a special application and
driver's test solely for the Los Angeles
Metropolitan Area.

GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA DRIVER'S LICENSE APPLICATION:

Name:___________________ Stage name:____________________

Agent:___________________Attorney:_______________________

Therapist name:_________________

Sex: [ ] male [ ] female* [ ] formerly male [ ] formerly female [
] both

*If female, indicate breast implant size: _______
Will the size of your implants hinder your ability to safely operate a motor
vehicle in any way?
[ ] Yes [ ] No

Please list brand of cell phone: ________
*If you don't own a cell phone, please
explain:_________________________________________________

Please check hair color:
Females and Drag Queens: [ ] Blonde [ ] Platinum Blonde
Teenagers: [ ] Red [ ] Orange [ ] Green
[ ] Purple [ ] Blue [ ] Skinhead [ ] Other: ___________

Please check activities you perform while driving:
(Check all that apply)
[ ] Eating
[ ] Drinking Starbucks® coffee
[ ] Applying make-up (male or female)
[ ] Shaving (male or female)
[ ] Talking on the phone
[ ] Slapping kids in the back-seat
[ ] Applying cellulite treatment to thighs
[ ] Tanning
[X] Snorting cocaine (already checked for your convenience)
[ ] Watching TV
[ ] Reading Variety
[ ] Surfing the net via laptop
[ ] Discharging firearms / Reloading

Please indicate how many times
a) you expect to shoot at other drivers _____
b) you expect to be shot at while driving _____

If you are the victim of a carjacking, you should immediately:
a) Call the police to report the crime
b) Call Channel 9 News to report the crime, then watch your car on the news
in a high speed chase
c) Call your attorney and discuss lawsuit against cellular phone company for
911 call not going through
d) Call your therapist

In the event of an earthquake, you should:
a) stop your car
b) keep driving and hope for the best
c) immediately use your cell phone to call all loved ones
d) pull out your video camera and obtain footage for Channel 9

In the instance of rain, you should:
a) never drive over 5 MPH
b) drive twice as fast as usual
c) you're not sure what "rain" is

Are you presently taking any of the following medications?
a) Prozac
b) Zovirax
c) Lithium
d) Zanax
e) Valium
f) Zoloft
g) All of the above
h) None of the above
If none, please explain: __________________.

Length of daily commute (one-way):
a) Less than 1 hour
b) 1 hour
c) 2 hours
d) 3 hours
e) 4 hours or more
If less than 1 hour, please explain:____________________.

When stopped by police, you should:
a) pull over and have your driver's license and insurance form ready
b) try to outrun them by driving the wrong way on the 405 Freeway
c) have your video camera ready and provoke them to attack, thus ensuring
yourself of a hefty lawsuit

When turning, you should always signal your intentions by:
a) using your directional signals
b) what is a "directional signal"?

Which part of your car will wear out most often?
a) the wiper blades
b) the belts
c) the horn

Automatic door locks are good for:
a) security
b) convenience
c) messing with the heads of people trying to get in

The "bright" setting on your headlights is for:
a) dark, poorly lit roads
b) flashing to get the car ahead to move out of the way
c) revenge!

Your rear view mirror is for:
a) watching for approaching cars
b) watching for approaching police cars
c) checking your hair and/or blemishes

drpixel · April 2002

Tonight is chatroom night, 10:00pm EST/EDT (whichever one we're in right now....). Hope to 'see' some of youse tonight in da room.... Chatroom is accessable from the Club's home page.

CUL8R,
Doc

scotian · April 2002

I ended up using KVR semi-metallic pads, but I'm sure Porterfields are just fine. What you don't want are rotors with a cross-drilled pattern like KVR drilled into my first set of new rotors (the holes in each band were lined up so there were alternating bands of holes/solid rotor, which seems to have chewed up the pads and rotors). I now have slotted, which ensures a nice flat rotor with a cutting surface (slot or hole) across the entire pad.

http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/exterior/

fuzzywuzzy · April 2002

WOW! My KVR's never got like that. Even after about a month with the KVR pads. When I sold it they still looked brand new.

sdmike2 · April 2002

Yeah, I remember. What a piece of dooie the tranny on the Grand Caravan is. At 60k miles they totally replaced it. A year later they had to do an overhaul, replacing the pump, seals, gears, and most other stuff. Three times since then it went in for leaks (but that can be attributed to worker error). The caravan is the main reason I got the extended warranty on my 300M. My extended warranty on the van cost me about $800, and it's saved me about $3,500! Ever since I did a big study for the CA Department of Consumer Affairs on the profits made on extended service contracts I always refused them...except for the van. I'm glad I made the exception.

Good luck with yours!

M

sdmike2 · April 2002

hahahahahah! That's perfect! It captures the essence of SoCal, especially LA.

fastdriver · April 2002

blonda-

LOL... I love it! Is it really that "wacky" out there?

sdmike2-

I keep forgetting to ask you if the 300M in the PETCO TV commercial is BigRed? It looks like it has CA plates, then again, it doesn't have Big Red's SHINE! ;-))

fastdriver

muskateer3 · April 2002

The groan was much worse with the KVR pads, but is still present with the ceramics. I believe it's a function of the KVR rotors themselves. The holes are arranged in a straight line from the center of the rotor, and I believe that as the rotor heats up, those lines of raised edges on the drill holes cause the groan.

99_300m_ric_va · April 2002

The amount of fluid this tranny holds is 10 quarts. The differential holds 1 quart.

Checkout these links for info on the fluids. http://www.amsoil.com/products/atf.html

http://www.amsoil.com/products/agr.html

Amsoil is sold at this website and via an independent dealer network. As a dealer I get these products at a lower price. I signed up as a personal use dealer about 12 years ago. Order from the site, or look in your white pages under Amsoil Dealers, you should find somebody near you.

blonda · April 2002

Well a lot of it is true. Some I think only pertains to the Hollywood area (I think you know which one's those are -- that's my disclaimer for San Diego). We don't pulls guns on each other as much as we used to. :-)

It's funny though -- we had one of those televised police chases on the freeway live (of course interrupting regular coverage) yesterday here in San Diego. I still haven't seen one of those with the perpetrator driving an M...might be enjoyable to see. Any volunteers? SDMike? Glennbp?

99_300m_ric_va · April 2002

Ok, that dealer I was talking to in Michigan (Rochester Hills Chrysler) called me today with some details on the HID assemblies. After a couple of weeks he came up with the same numbers Otto and Wire2 gave us.

RH 4805766AA
LH 4805767AA

He said these are very new numbers and not offically in the system yet, which is why my local dealers don't know what it is. These will be available soon to everyone, but in the meantime he can get maybe 4 sets each direct from Brampton for interested club members.

They list at....$944 each, but Rochester Hills can sell them at $650 each side. This is the whole assembly, plug and play. He said further discounts will be provided for multiple orders from several club members. I told him I would get back with him and canvaas the troups for takers.

Let me know.

videoman1 · April 2002

My '99 300M was having problems with it's shifter. It would sometimes be difficult to put it in and out of gear. So I took it to my local 5 star only to get a call back the next day saying that there were two cables that needed to be replaced. However, they weren't covered under my extended warranty plan (which is a Chrysler plan that I paid $1500 for)!!!

So these two stupid cables will set me back over $200. They still have the car with the warranty info so I couldn't check myself, but I remember reading all the items covered under the extended warranty and it seemed like it pretty much covered everything. But the wording is vague saying stuff like "transmission and all internal gears" etc. etc.

So is there a way for the average Joe to see if a specific part is or isn't covered for a repair? The dealer said they called the warranty company and the part wasn't covered. Is this something a consumer can do to double check the dealer?

On a side note, the climate control would go from auto to manual sometimes when the car is turned off and back on. I gave them a TSB on it and they said that the TSB says this is normal operation. Does anyone else have this problem with the climate control?

ajpiii · April 2002

I cant believe those rotors looked to bad ! Im glad to hear Fuzzy's were ok... I got the standard kvr drill pattern... Still waiting for them to come in... definately need them...

scotian · April 2002

My new ones are working out wonderfully:

http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/exterior/slotted_rotors/

Talk to Jerry at:

http://www.MyRoadster.Net/

Tell him I sent you!

sdmike2 · April 2002

http://money.cnn.com/2002/04/03/pf/autos/recall_gm/index.htm

no1trust · April 2002

I remember that DC was going to offer 8 years/80,000 miles on their certified cars sometime late last year. I assume it was supposed to mean 8 years from the car's original in service date. Any M owners have a chance to buy a certified car? Was the customer service any better as so far as resolving problems? Anyone know if the "light show", limp mode, moving seat issues were tweaked out of the 2002 models? The M is still fascinating; I don't expect the car has to be perfect as mechanical things can break down. I'm a bit bummed about the prospect of poor service in dealing w/covered problems though.

jab02lhs · April 2002

My wife has 2001 LHS STEEL BLUE / LT TAUPE, with California Dream led spoiler, her request. It has the same interior as "M" with REAL WOOD TRIM. Coudn't talk her into a "M". I have seen several postings on wood trim. My wife wants the wood trim around the stereo equip. only. My question can I buy only those pcs or do I have to buy an entire package ? Also, which brand is the best match?

ctxsrox · April 2002

Hello All,

I have been lurking around since before I purchased my '02 back in October. I must say that this board was one of the reasons I purchased a 300. I looked at a few other similar/competing cars and decided if this many people still loved their cars after all the stuff they go through with dealers then it must be fun to drive and it is! So, here are the specs:

'02 Silver, no PHP, sunroof, tints, custom stereo, removed lettering, headlight protection, clear hood protection, Zaino (of course), Mopar phone holder, vent visors and... that's it.

I am desperatly seeking a nice Aluminum dash kit but I cannot seem to find any decent pictures of installed product on a 300M.

I am also looking for info on an installer in the South Florida area for Dual exhaust. If anyone has a reference, it would be greatly appreciated.

Although, I don't really have the time to post often I do read up every chance I get and will continue to enjoy this board. Thanks to you all.

sdmike2 · April 2002

I have an '01 M with the real burlwood wood trim, and the best match that I've found is from Joshu Tree at www.woodtrim.com. Discount dash and others use laminate, not real wood. As far as I know you can't buy just the console piece. You have to buy the whole kit. It's worth an email to them though. Here are some pictures of mine. I still don't have the console piece in yet.

http://www.ritchiefamily.com/car/woodtrim/

Mike

silverbullet4 · April 2002

LOL-You so crazy!
;>)
Silver

sdmike2 · April 2002

I got some material samples from Discount Dash and the fake aluminum looks pretty good (for fake aluminum). I also know that their kits are pretty well formed, as glennbp on this board has installed their carbon fiber kit. It looks great. There was one person I knew of, Avalanche, that had aluminum treatments, but he sold his M and we don't see him around here any more.

As for the exhaust, once you have a design and the parts almost any muffler shop can install your system for you. Rogor2k took his mufflers, pipes and tips in a box to a Midas for installation (I believe). Blonda and I had ours done from scratch at a local performance muffler shop (San Diego). If nobody from SoFla gives you a good source there are two things you can try. One, go to any good "speed shop" and ask who in town does good performance exhaust work. That's how I found the guys that did mine. I asked at 3 places and they all pointed me to this guy. The second thing you can try is getting into the yellow pages and start making calls. Here is some info on my exhaust system, including drawings that you can use. I think I got the original drawings from 300michael (thanks)

http://www.ritchiefamily.com/car/exhaust/

sdmike2 · April 2002

Just one more note. The customer service at Joshua Tree (woodtrim.com) is outstanding! I get almost instant responses to my emails, and they were very quick to replace one of the parts of my kit that had a flaw on it. No questions asked. I highly recommend them to anyone buying trim kits.

Mike - http://www.ritchiefamily.com/300m.htm

sdmike2 · April 2002

I saw that you have a mopar phone holder. I installed mine so there were no wires hanging around. Here are some pictures: http://www.ritchiefamily.com/car/cell/

ctxsrox · April 2002

I failed to mention I did get a Aluminum and Carbon Fiber sample from Discount Dash and although the sample looks good, I am having a hard time picturing it on the dash. I am pretty conservative so I only want to cover the existing pieces to match the interior with the exterior.

Thanks for the dual exh. pic link. Does this set up avoid the "drone" I have read about? I used to have a V6 Ford probe with a "custom" muffler and large tip that would put me to sleep if I wasn't always driving so fast!

BTW, I used to be stationed in San Diego in a past life. I miss the weather greatly!

CTXSROX

ctxsrox · April 2002

Yeah i actualy stole your idea when i put it in. I had to trim the mounting bracket to get around the new radio's adapter. I did fry the filtering cap in the holder by miswiring the damn thing. But, cutting the cap out of the circuit fixed it. Next time I will make sure I use one of my 3 voltmeters before attempting any more electrical mods!

CTXSROX

drpixel · April 2002

Nice chatting wif everybody last night in the chatroom... just a quick update on the Doc's rebirth of his website..."My Compuer" page up, 'Friends" page up and linked, but more text to come with links...I'm trying to squeeze my OWN site in amongst the other 'riff-raff' I'm woking on.....

Also, anyone in the market for an OSBORNE I personal computer?.....2 5 1/4 inch floppies, 4 inch (diagonal) high resolution black and white screen, most-if not all original manuals and some software (currently being used as coasters for drinks...). Low serial number (they only made 10,000 of these things). Makes an attractive door stop, wheel chock, planter(?)......

Observation made by someone in the chatroom last night: "Where da wimens at?...."

regards to all,

Doc

http://home.att.net/~GBeye/index.html

blonda · April 2002

Scott (?) the guy with the lowered steel blue at the meet had an aluminum dash. He told me he had it custom installed. Maybe you can email him and ask about it. (it looked nice too)

blonda · April 2002

This wimen starts her "other" family job when she gets home from work so it's very rare for me to even turn on the computer let alone sit at it for awhile so I'm never able to join (you guys have it so easy).

blonda · April 2002

I agree that the wording on the warranty is vague. When I purchased the Max Care warranty for my 99 (after 2 years "in service") they told me it covered everything but "rubber and plastic like the headlight lenses and weather stripping". But then when you get the info it's pretty specific about not covering any interior related parts at all (so if your metal door handle breaks off...tough luck I guess). I'm wondering if they are considering those cables "interior" parts (which is pretty misleading if you ask me). Now you got me wondering if my headlight switch will be covered if I do end up having to get my flashing foglight problem fixed at the dealer -- but I have to assume it's electrical related.

sdmike2 · April 2002

I have a friend that collects antique computers. Please email me information on it and I'll forward it to him. mritchi1@san.rr.com

Mike

sdmike2 · April 2002

Good idea. Come to think of it, Scott also had custom embroidered 300m floor mats! We need to hook he and Roger up. Scott can be reached at sipessa@navair.navy.mil. Maybe he has pictures.

Mike

laurasdada · April 2002

I "grew up" on an Osborne! It was my father's. I used (If I remember) Wordstar to create resumes/cover letters as I job hunted in the mid 80's, post college. Attatched to electric typewriter to produce the docs, a true miracle.
As he upgraded, he handed it down to my younger brother who continued to use it 'till it became a fishbowl... :-)

My '99M has got about 1200 miles until end of warranty and only 3 more 0% finance payments until I own it. My, how time has flown! Only two of my window regulators have been replaced, my fear,of course, is that the other two will go post-warranty as will the BCM! Buying this car was an excellent decision as I still look back after parking it to admire its handsome lines. It has been reliable, (relatively) economical, practical and fun. I look forward to another couple (at least, unless the state decides to finally draw the correct lottery numbers) of smile-inducing years of driving it!
My car has not been a "CHRISTINE!" Hello, fastdriver ;-)

rogor2k · April 2002

The Osborne 1 was my FIRST computer also. They don't command very much in the antique market. To give you an idea, here is an EBay auction for one.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2013559525

My personal recommendation; give serious consideration to the doorstop idea.

rogor2k · April 2002

Thanks for the lead. I just emailed Scott. How could you not get pictures???

sdmike2 · April 2002

I was kinda busy with the awards, door prizes and general organizational functions.

ajpiii · April 2002

Where can I get some embroidered floor mats... I dont really care how much, I just want them.... I think they would look sweeeeeeet ... Gotta get that 300m logo on them somehow

Chrysler 300M

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