Yes, everything that looks like it should be illuminated, should be. If you are referring to a round control knob that is usually black and assembled with the climate controls, no not the entire knob, just the background. :shades:
On1Wheel --I have now had two of these brackets break as you describe. I bought a new glass the first time but am thinking of welding it like you did. JB Weld glue did not hold. How did the welding hold for you and is is hard with a MIG wire welder? thanks Roger
i just purchased a 99 chrysler 300 m, car has ran great for about a week now, but unfortunatly all good things come to an end i guess.. yesterday i started noticing whenever i hit my breaks, and have to make a left or right turn, or even a u- turn of some sorts steering wheel becomes very tight and i have to use all my might and both hands to turn vehicle, it feels as if power steering goes out, However as long as im driving and not hitting breaks the steering works just fine, which makes me think its not the power steering but something to do with the breaks somehow... this trouble all started to occur yesterday after i had parked my car for a moment to run into the store, i did put on my emergency break because the parking space was at a slight tilt. when i drove away from that store the trouble began.. can anyone please help me? :sick:
My 99 chrysler 300m has steering issue.. the only time i can feel power steering working is when im hitting the gas on my car, if not hitting gas on the car, steering becomes very stiff and have to use two hands and alot of force to turn steering wheel, what can this be?
Yea, unfortunately this have been a common issue with with these vehicles alone with all of the lights flashing off and on in the car, hard starting due to the ignition coils, etc.... Sounds like ur troubles could be a power steering pump or rack, but get these items checked out first (p/s pump filter and hose, p/s pump pulley, p/s reservoir, and the p/s pump) make sure there is adequate fluid. U may go this website for more info:
www.carsteering.com/chrysler_300m_steering_rack.htm also look at these sites from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; www.recalls.gov, www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars.
If the steering rack or pump is the problem and u do not have an extended warranty, u can figure on paying between $650 - $850.00 at ur local auto repair. Hopefully this is helpful
I am considering buying a 2000 300M, but I am not sure about how much trouble they really are. It has quite a lot of KMs on it, so that adds to "the joy". Could anybody help me with listing some most common 2000 300M problems along with symptoms? I bought a Lincoln LS without doing my homework and I've spent quite a lot of cash on fixing it already, so I want to be careful this time.
Thanks a lot! All help will be appreicated!
Matt Newelski www.newelski.com mnewelski /at/ gmail /dot/ com
I assume you mean an employee/retiree discount? I usually used the green sheet full employee discount from my Chrysler retiree father when he was alive but one year when our 87 Caravan had konked out and we needed to buy a car in a week, he'd used up his one purchase per year green sheet on another family member so we had to use his "friends and family" discount instead. It turns out per our dealer that was still around 10% off MSRP, pretty good. I found out surviving spouses can't use the green sheet (my father died a year ago and we bought a new Grand Cherokee this Fall) so I went with the Chrysler Affiliates program via my employer who is a Chrysler supplier and that also was about that same % discount, and then a $4k rebate beyond that as well saved us over $7500.
One suggestion if no one comes through with the coupon or you can't get the affiliates: check with your banks or credit unions. Or do you belong to Sams Club? I heard from a guy a few years back they offered some type of service. I am sure there are places out there and with car sales pretty tanked out buying the last day of the month these dealers gotta be chomping at the bit unless you are buying a hot seller vehicle. Good luck!
I've owned a 2000 300M since Feb. '01, and I have just had my 10th flat tire. No sign of a nail or screw---just lost air. Same thing on all the others. Is there something wrong with the alloy wheels? Would appreciate some input. Thanks
Yes many brands and styles of aluminum alloy wheels have the problem especially during changing temperature conditions. So far in 4 years no problem with my 300M but my son's 99 Ford had a ton of problems when he ground some dirt in and no matter what the Discount Tire did it took 5 trips to the shop to fix it. The final fix usually involves wire brushing and in that case NOT the black goop but a white almost looked like plumbers putty thick pencil on the rim to get a seal.
Do some searches around the web, google, TireRack.com to get more ideas but it is a very common problem (and thanks for posting on this forum, it's been pretty dead lately).
If you have not done so already, with the mileage you have on your 300M, you might consider changing out the catalytic convertors. I did on my beautiful '99, and the performance and mileage increased significantly. Congrats on keeping your '99 Car of the Year in top condition. I wish they had continued to produce them as 300M's and brought out the 300C's with another name. It would have been cool to see a 300M go rear wheel drive with a HEMI under the hood too. I saw some concept cars at the Detroit Auto Show back on 2004 and they looked fabulous. :shades:
My 2004 300M Special required a cam sensor replacement at 40,000 miles at a cost of $300. Other than that, it has never needed to return to the shop for anything. I cannot justify buying extended warranties for $2000 to cover $300 repairs with a $100 deductible. Save your money and spend it aas needed. Fortunately, Chrysler is building one of the best made cars on the road these days, and you will not need to spend much to keep your M running. That is more than I can say about the Mercury and Fords I have owned! Also, the one time I did buy an extended warranty, it covered items that were not likely to fail and did not cover things were known to fail. If you buy a quality vehicle, you don't really need an extended warranty.
I still monitor this and a couple Jeep Gr Cherokee forums, good to see some activity as this one has really calmed down this year ... I guess since the last new 300Ms were sold 4 years ago when we bought ours. Appears you had the same cam sensor problem I did at 33k miles or so and a pretty good quality vehicle like ours. I bought a new 07 Jeep Gr Cherokee last November and already have 6300 miles on it mainly since we drove it to Texas for an extended work & vacation pre-retirement trip this winter. Very happy with this Chrysler product too other than just had a very minor "first in-warranty" problem occur covered by a TSB: automatic up functions on front drivers windows intermittent (due to bad regulator & motor). So while minor it already does not pass the 300M quality level of 2 bugs under 3/36 warranty and those at the almost 3 year mark.
However a year ago I did buy the 7/70 maxcare service contract extended warranty on the 300M. I questioned doing it but with dealer negotiations I got the $1300 price down to $900 and some, then my wife had a $100 off coupon Chrylser mailed to her (it's her car but not sure why she had the coupon since I do all the car work?!) and they took that off too. And sure enough last summer there is problem 3 which would not have been covered otherwise. It seemed simple enough - intermittently the instrument panel dash speedometer/tach dash light would not work. But the 300M has an electroluminescent panel to give it that even green tinted white glow! And replacing it for part & labor cost $700. I also had a door speaker replaced due to a frequency sensitive rattle to help justify the $100 deductible, but have covered 2/3 of my ext warranty cost already with 3 years left to go. I will be driving the 300M more this summer since it get's about 50 percent better MPG than our Jeep, looking forward to a Spring wax and wheel polishing nice weekend day soon.
Keep us posted on how yours runs over the years as I do plan to run mine for 9-10 years and -still- like the looks of it vs the newer styles. Despite what some have said on winter traction I am VERY satisfied even in Minnesota now that we upgraded to Goodrich Traction TAs, excellent tires compared to the stock Michelins.
There are a lot of misinformed and hard headed people out there that love to bash Chrysler. I have owned 2 Town & Country minivans, 2 300M's (a 1999 and a 2004 Special), and I now own 2 300C Heritage Editions. I would not have even considered buying these cars if they were not reliable. I used to be a Ford man until I got fed up with seeing my service writer about every three weeks on average. I went from a 1963 Galaxie (favorite Ford) to a 1976 Gran Torino (great car) to a 1985 Mustang GT (continual nickle & dime repairs) to a 1992 Mercury Sable (the worst car I ever owned). My love affair with Chrysler began with my 1999 Inferno Red 300M complete with 5 chrome 17" wheels, sunroof, and premium sound system with Infinity speakers. The H.O. 3.5L V6 and autostick transmission made the car complete. I loved cruising around in the leather cocoon of my M, and the best mileage I ever recorded was 30 mpg at 60 mph. I installed stainless steel fender and window trim kits that really accented the red paint and chrome wheels. I drove this car for 5 years and 70,000 miles. I had to replace the plastic visor clips once, and a cooling fan. The only reason I traded it off was to get my 2004 300 Special. It was the ultimate 300M, loaded with all the nice stuff. Dual exhaust, ground effects trim, two tone leather Special seats, HID headlights, 18" wheels (versus 17") and all the rest. I thought I would keep my 300M Special forever... and I would have, had I never drove a 300C with the HEMI. It is a shame they didn't keep the 300M and upgrade it until it had a HEMI under the hood. I saw a prototype from the Detroit Car Show in 2004 and it looked fabulous. It was stretched about a foot in front to fit the V8, and it was rear wheel drive. The project was scraped when the car mag writers whined that it "was the same old body with a big engine. Nothing new here." That gave the 300C a green light apparently. I didn't appreciate the body style of the 300C initially after driving the beautiful 300M so much. But, after some time it began to grow on me. It looks somewhat like a hot rod Mercedes, for half the cost. Since I missed my Inferno Red 300M, I fell in love with the first 2006 Inferno Red 300C I saw. That color was only available on the Heritage Editions then, but in 2007 you could get any 300C or 300 trim level in that color. I bought one for my wife, and had the best of both: A 2004 300M Special and a 2006 300C Heritage Edition parked side by side in the garage. Life was good for a while. Then, I realized the more I drove my wife's car, the more I loved that HEMI power. My 300M felt sluggish, and rode much lower to the ground. The seats felt unpadded and stiff and it even handled much less spirited. The thrill was gone! I had to admit, I had fallen fot the 300C..... :shades:
I have owned a 1999 300M and a 2004 300M Special, running each of them for about 75,000 miles. (I currently own a 300C). The '99 300M required standard wear item replacements (brakes, belt, hoses, battery, etc.) and then one of the electric fans went out. I replaced both fans (complete assembly) for a bit over $300, since I had planned to keep the car. The right rear window stopped working just before I traded it off, but I had planned to fix that for about $150. My '04 300M Special was absolutely trouble free until I took it on a 2000 mile road trip. I got a check engine light, and the car would go into a underpowered "limp" mode. I was driving about 85 mph for several hours across Texas when this happened. I had to shut the engine off for a minute and then restart it to clear the problem. When I got it to the dealership, they found it was caused by a failing crank sensor. Even though I had an extended warranty, it was not covered! I paid over $350 for that repair. This is one of the reasons I quit buying extended warranties. I just put the money aside I would have spent on them and call it my long term repair money. So far, I am ahead. Basic maintenance (oil and filter changes, air filter changes, etc.) on any car make it a better owner experience by increasing the reliability of the vehicle. If you are considering buying one with high mileage, I would be most concerned with the maintenance records and repair history. If everything looks proper, you can usually get a great car at a bargain price. I bought my 300M Special for a little over $14,000 when it was 2 years old with 34,000 miles on it. The new car sticker on this car was $34,000 when I looked at it at the dealership showroom! I loved the car and the price!
I had a slow leak in one of mine and found it when Discount Tire submerged the wheel and tire underwater. It wasn't the tire or the wheel! It was a $2.00 valve stem that was leaking... :shades:
I have... and i dont even play my music that loud.. its very annoying now cuz i have to have all my sound in the back of my car.. do you know anywhere that i can find some new ones?? that would be great!! thanks Deidre
1)hmmm, i don't get snow where I live... can't help ya there.
2)Hasn't happened to me
3)That ticking noise is your lifters, check your oil level... it happens to me sometimes and when i get the oil changed and filled, it stops!
4)My temp controller didn't make any noise until I cleaned all of the dust out of it... The unit is fine, the motor that turns the fan behind the display is simply making noise and I have no problems with it other than a slight annoyance.
I noticed this is a very old post but it still might help any unanswered questions you may have...
hit up your local chrysler dealership, front speakers will run you a bit, my best advice is to just replace them stock, thats what I did since I did not want to worry about overloading the amp or something along the lines of that... To upgrade your sound, which there really isn't much need for, you would need to revamp the whole car...
but if you do decide to buy aftermarket to replace them, depending on your particular model, they may be 2-ohm speakers.. watch out and good luck!
My 99 300M had the same problem. The speakers didn't "blow", they simply rotted. They are mounted inside the door and every time i washed the car or it rained, they must have got wet. Over time, the rubber surround ring on both front door speakers rotted and the speakers sounded awful. I took it to the local car stereo shop and theyinstalled a set of Boston Acoustic replacements that actually sound better than the stock Infinity speakers. I love Infinity speakers and have lots of them in my home, but these BA speakers are much clearer and look better made. It cost me just under $200.00 installed, but I kept the factory radio/cd player. The rest of the speakers in the car are still fine. The BA speakers came with a half cup plactic shield that mounted over the back of the new speakers to protect them from water damage. Perhaps they knew something about the mounting location environment...
You are absolutely correct. The AWD 300C is a great value and you can get it with the same engine the 300M has. I opted for the 5.7L HEMI MDS V8 because I am addicted to the horsepower, and the fuel economy is not much different than the mileage I got from my 300M's 3.5L V6. The best HWY mileage I ever got from my 300M's was 30 mpg, and the 300C's have logged up to 27 mpg on flat ground at 70 mph. I highly recommend you shop for a Heritage Edition because of the extra nice interior, upgrades everywhere and a reasonable price loaded with navigation system, Sirius sat radio, cd changer, sunroof, 18 inch chrome clad wheels, HID headlights, premium seating, and on and on. I love them so much, I bought two exactly alike! :shades:
The originals should have had a full sheet of thick black plastic over the entire inside of the door to protect it from water, that sounds weird to me..... oh well.... i would just be worried if the new speakers were a different impedance, the may be putting stress on your system... if they seem to sound quieter for some odd reason that may be the case...
Stick with the stock Infinity's....I replaced mine with Pioneer and then aftermarket Infinity's and they sounded like crap so I went to the dealer and purchased 2 6/34 front speakers for $150 I believe. Be sure to ask the employee selling you the speakers for a discount, and if they dont do it, ask to speak to the manager...their business is slow and they will practically sell anything for cost these days.
As for the previous comment about water damage to the front speakers...if water is getting in your door panel at such a high rate as to damage the speakers then you have another issue that needs to be addressed, but I highly doubt that is the problem. These speakers are known for not lasting too long, and as with everything else, they wear-out with use over time.
For those wondering about any common issues with the 300M, I've got a few I'll document here for our 1999 300M with 42K miles on it. First, the Goodyear tires that came on this vehicle are junk (unstable belts inside the tire). Don't buy a 300M that has maintained Goodyear tires as you will never keep them balanced. The Yoko 420 is an excellent replacement.
Front brake rotors. Our first set warped by 20K miles and were replaced with another set of stock rotors (they warp because of heat; turning them lessens their thickness and they warp sooner the next time so they are usually replaced). They warped by 40K miles and we bit the bullet and paid for Brembo rotors to end the problem.
Struts. Stiff ride to begin with (standard model, not the high performance model) that got really bad by around 20K. Replaced all the stock struts with Monroe (mistake, should have gone for the LHS struts for a more comfortable ride) and discovered the strut mounts were shot/broken/kaput. Replaced the mounts with Monroe. 42K miles and the car clanks over bumps. Good wheel and axle shop discovers the front strut mounts are shot/loose/damaged/separated/kaput. Replaced front strut mounts with whatever high quality brand the shop used. Our 300M now rides almost like new, but we are certainly poorer.
Window controls. We had all 4 replaced under warranty, one twice the first three years of ownership. No problem for years, then the front passenger side window stops responding to the front passenger's window control. Still can open it with the driver's control. Will get this fixed eventually as it is a PITA.
Why do we still have this car? We average almost 20 mpg in all around driving. It's 8 years old and still looks better than 90% of the cars in any parking lot. The engine is first rate. Great power and acceleration without bad gas mileage. Roomy interior with great leather seats that would be hard to find in a replacement vehicle. Great handling performance (as long as you keep the tires, brakes, and struts up to snuff). To get a replacement equivalent to this car we would have to spend at least $40K and we can't quite afford that.
I have a 2000 300M. The last two years I have had a sound in the engine that I will describe as sounding like a air pump leaking air. I have this sound only when the car is driven...never at idle. When the car is at idle it runs and sounds like new but once under way I can hear this sound more and more. To my knowledge there is no air pump on the 3.5 engine.. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Gary
My 2002 300M is now approaching 88,000 miles. Just had to replace the evaporator for the A/C system at a cost of $1450. Earlier in the year, replaced the battery (preventative maintenance) and tires (I actually got Eagle LS-2's and they have been fine).
Also got the TSB taken care of for cracking bolts on front buckets (if you have not gotten this attended to, I strongly recommend you do so - for some reason the bolts fail after a while). I have the usual brake pad problems and consider it the price of having a good car.
I have driven the new 300 Base and Touring, and both are very nice, but I have become very attached to my 300M, which is the best car I have ever owned, including fine Buicks and Oldsmobiles through the years. I think Chrysler over-engineered and over-equipped the 1999 - 2004 car, which they did not do with the new 300's, probably because M-B cut costs in order to offset the installation of their fine rear suspension system.
Hard to believe how the interior has been cheapened in the new series, though I understand it was upgraded for 2008.
The Evap. seems to be a common problem on Chrysler products...I believe that I have a small leak in mine but I have been adding about a half of pound of freon every 3-4 months and it is ICE cold...lets see, in conclusion...over the last 2 years I have spent about $40 on the freon and about 2 hours of my time....yeah, not worth a new Evap.
I thought I had a leak in my evaporator, but after injecting some dye with the refrigerant during the last recharge, it turned out to be a tiny leak in the condenser compression fittings under the hood. The total cost of the fix was under $10.00, which included the replacement of two "o" rings and the evacuation of air from my system before the replacement of the refrigerant. The A/C is working great, and I have to raise the thermostat to about 72F on long trips, or it freezes my arms!
$1,400 for an evaporator replacement sounds like dealership prices. We've found a good independent shop and have cut our maintenance costs almost in half on our 1999 300M, plus the work gets done right the first time.
i have a 99' 300m and it makes a clack when im backing up in a sharp turn from the driver side but i have new struts and checked the cv axle and nothing but it only makes one clack like something is just shifting is this related
Have you had your tranmission/motor mounts checked? Front wheel drives have a tendency to tear them up especially if the engine is powerful. The 3.5L V6 produces about 255 HP and may have damaged the mounts enough for the engine to torque over when in reverse.
I also use a very good independent shop for all repairs that are out of warranty. They are certified and trained to work on just about any car, and I have never had to take anything back to them after they repaired it. They charge about 2/3 of the dealership price, and always have the car out on time as promised. Dealership service departments are too big and unorganized to get anything done on time and correctly the first time, in my experience.
Anyone know where I can buy one of those chrome pieces that set over the grill of the chrysler 300? I saw a 300M on the road that had this piece and it makes my 300C look incomplete without it. I've been looking all over for it. No luck.
Hi I'm new here. I just purchased a 2003 chrysler 300M Special last week and Love it. Haven't had any problems until today we were driving and all of a sudden the surged and started cutting in and out and the check engine light came on. We pulled over, then after a few minutes continued on our way. Then it never happened again and we were still an hour from home. Also the check engine light eventually went off. I hope this is an easy fix, if thats possible with a vehicle.
Also, sorry one more thing. I need an owners manual, any idea where I can get one for a "great" price?
I also owned a 2003 300M Special which I consider one of the most beautiful cars ever made. The only problem I ever had with it was exactly the one you described. I was driving on a long trip across Texas when the CHECK ENGINE light came on and the car began to sputter and miss. I pulled over immediately and put it in PARK, and attempted to rev the engine to see if it was still sputtering. It was, so I shut it down and popped open the hood. It was not overheating, all belts were in place, no leaks or anything else obvious. After about 5 minutes, I restarted the engine and it cranked right up like new. No more sputtering, but the CHECK ENGINE light was still on. I turned it off, waited a minute and restarted it and the light cleared. I completed my trip with no further trouble. About a week later, it happened again, this time within a mile from the dealership. I pulled in without turning the engine off and pointed out the CHECK ENGINE light so they could check it. The technician determined that something called a "crank sensor" was failing and need to be replaced. Apparently, it counts the revolutions of the crankshaft and sends that information to several computers that control everything from the fuel injectors, timing, transmission shift points to emissions. I had to pay just under $250.00 for the crank sensor replacement. Since then, I never had another problem with the car. The car has over 60,000 miles on it and still runs like new.
Starting Problem -Cigarette Lighter Plugins? This is an odd one. I have a 99 300M and wife has the 99 CONcorde. Recently -last three mos. she has had start problems a dozen times. The car will start then immed. die. Then turning the key has no response at all. Wait several minutes and does same. Unplug her IPOD or GPS from the cigarette lighter plug and it starts right up and runs fine. I didn't believe it and then saw it happen twice this weekend. Her cigarette plug is in the on always position. Any ideas? Thanks Roger /Nashville
We have 99 Concorde and 99 300M. Both show avr fuel use at 20 city and 29-30 on interstate by the overhead display. Sounds too good. Do you believe that or not? Roger /nashville
I have recent posts on different 300M forums and while that is a little high it's not totally unbelievable. My 2004 averages 18 mpg around town year round. 70+ mph average conditions (no headwind or AC) gets 26mpg and on a trip a month ago on slower backrounds at 55 mph I was getting 28-29mpg. I consider those excellent for a comfortable 5 seater sedan with OOMPH. But if you drive it hard those will drop, and it's hard not to stomp the gas on this beauty occasionally.
I do agree with you on its one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Thanks so much for your reply. I've been reading a lot of the messages and its amazing all the different responses. But your solution seems to be the majority. So I guess my week old car will go to the shop and get that done. Thanks again.....
I had the same problem, but mine almost killer me I started to pass a truck when my 2002 300m started cutting out. I replaced the cam postion sensor, $20.00 problem is gone!
Hey all. Good to see that 300Ms are still running strong. My 99 Candy Apple Red is long gone, lease ended in 2002. I then leased a 2002 Acura TL-S which was returned in 2006. I have been driving a 2005 Pontiac GTO since then. GTO gives me lots of joy, but I sure still miss the 300M.
My first 300M was a 1999. It was fully loaded, Inferno Red Crystal Pearl Coat with a tan leather interior. It was one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen, but it was a real pleasure to drive as well. I traded it for my second 300M, a 2003 Special in Midnight Metallic Blue, with a two tone gray and black leather interior. The upgrades of the Special made a great car even better, (dual exhaust, ground effects body work, better handling and performance, better brakes, and even a better look with the rear deck spoiler. It also came with HID head lights, vast improvement over the halogens. The 18 inch wheels and tires made it better on the road. Alas, all was well until I bought my wife a 300C Heritage Edition in Inferno Red, loaded with every option available including the 5.7L HEMI and the Mercedes 5-speed automatic transmission. The contrast between the two cars is astounding. Chrysler should not have discontinued the 300M, and they should have called the 300C an Imperial. I considered the 300M a perfect car, but the 300C is simply incredible. It is truly a Mercedes in Chrysler clothing. I suppose if you really wanted to spend 80K on the Mercedes, you could, but it would be more practical to spend about 70K on TWO 300C's loaded with features even the Merccedes lacks. That is what I did.... I love them! :shades:
Not encouraged with the news I am hearing and reading. Someday I will have to replace my 300M (very sorry they stopped making them), and I would like to get a 300 Touring or Limited, but I hope there will still be a Chrysler to buy cars from. If Chrysler is no more, I guess I'm looking at a Buick Lucerne.
Don't be so sure... Buick is in worse shape than Chrysler! GM has already dissolved Oldsmobile. Buick has not been any more successful. Chrysler has a much better share of the market as a whole than a lot of other manufacturers. The product line is fresh, new and exciting. I have noticed that both Ford and GM are attempting to get in on the retro market with similar offerings, trying to draw customers in with the Mustang and HHR *(and eventually the Camaro?), but Chrysler/Dodge has been leading the way with some of the best cars built in America. I hope more people will appreciate this and realize the time is now, if you want a great car for a great price and a free lifetime powertrain warranty. I believe you couldn't go wrong by buying a 300 Touring or Limited, but my favorite is the 300C Heritage Edition. Happy Hunting!
Comments
JB Weld glue did not hold.
How did the welding hold for you and is is hard with a MIG wire welder? thanks Roger
Sounds like ur troubles could be a power steering pump or rack, but get these items checked out first (p/s pump filter and hose, p/s pump pulley, p/s reservoir, and the p/s pump) make sure there is adequate fluid. U may go this website for more info:
www.carsteering.com/chrysler_300m_steering_rack.htm also look at these sites from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration;
www.recalls.gov, www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars.
If the steering rack or pump is the problem and u do not have an extended warranty, u can figure on paying between $650 - $850.00 at ur local auto repair.
Hopefully this is helpful
I am considering buying a 2000 300M, but I am not sure about how much trouble they really are. It has quite a lot of KMs on it, so that adds to "the joy". Could anybody help me with listing some most common 2000 300M problems along with symptoms? I bought a Lincoln LS without doing my homework and I've spent quite a lot of cash on fixing it already, so I want to be careful this time.
Thanks a lot! All help will be appreicated!
Matt Newelski
www.newelski.com
mnewelski /at/ gmail /dot/ com
One suggestion if no one comes through with the coupon or you can't get the affiliates: check with your banks or credit unions. Or do you belong to Sams Club? I heard from a guy a few years back they offered some type of service. I am sure there are places out there and with car sales pretty tanked out buying the last day of the month these dealers gotta be chomping at the bit unless you are buying a hot seller vehicle. Good luck!
Do some searches around the web, google, TireRack.com to get more ideas but it is a very common problem (and thanks for posting on this forum, it's been pretty dead lately).
However a year ago I did buy the 7/70 maxcare service contract extended warranty on the 300M. I questioned doing it but with dealer negotiations I got the $1300 price down to $900 and some, then my wife had a $100 off coupon Chrylser mailed to her (it's her car but not sure why she had the coupon since I do all the car work?!) and they took that off too. And sure enough last summer there is problem 3 which would not have been covered otherwise. It seemed simple enough - intermittently the instrument panel dash speedometer/tach dash light would not work. But the 300M has an electroluminescent panel to give it that even green tinted white glow! And replacing it for part & labor cost $700. I also had a door speaker replaced due to a frequency sensitive rattle to help justify the $100 deductible, but have covered 2/3 of my ext warranty cost already with 3 years left to go. I will be driving the 300M more this summer since it get's about 50 percent better MPG than our Jeep, looking forward to a Spring wax and wheel polishing nice weekend day soon.
Keep us posted on how yours runs over the years as I do plan to run mine for 9-10 years and -still- like the looks of it vs the newer styles. Despite what some have said on winter traction I am VERY satisfied even in Minnesota now that we upgraded to Goodrich Traction TAs, excellent tires compared to the stock Michelins.
1)hmmm, i don't get snow where I live... can't help ya there.
2)Hasn't happened to me
3)That ticking noise is your lifters, check your oil level... it happens to me sometimes and when i get the oil changed and filled, it stops!
4)My temp controller didn't make any noise until I cleaned all of the dust out of it... The unit is fine, the motor that turns the fan behind the display is simply making noise and I have no problems with it other than a slight annoyance.
I noticed this is a very old post but it still might help any unanswered questions you may have...
peace and safe driving.
but if you do decide to buy aftermarket to replace them, depending on your particular model, they may be 2-ohm speakers.. watch out and good luck!
As for the previous comment about water damage to the front speakers...if water is getting in your door panel at such a high rate as to damage the speakers then you have another issue that needs to be addressed, but I highly doubt that is the problem. These speakers are known for not lasting too long, and as with everything else, they wear-out with use over time.
Front brake rotors. Our first set warped by 20K miles and were replaced with another set of stock rotors (they warp because of heat; turning them lessens their thickness and they warp sooner the next time so they are usually replaced). They warped by 40K miles and we bit the bullet and paid for Brembo rotors to end the problem.
Struts. Stiff ride to begin with (standard model, not the high performance model) that got really bad by around 20K. Replaced all the stock struts with Monroe (mistake, should have gone for the LHS struts for a more comfortable ride) and discovered the strut mounts were shot/broken/kaput. Replaced the mounts with Monroe. 42K miles and the car clanks over bumps. Good wheel and axle shop discovers the front strut mounts are shot/loose/damaged/separated/kaput. Replaced front strut mounts with whatever high quality brand the shop used. Our 300M now rides almost like new, but we are certainly poorer.
Window controls. We had all 4 replaced under warranty, one twice the first three years of ownership. No problem for years, then the front passenger side window stops responding to the front passenger's window control. Still can open it with the driver's control. Will get this fixed eventually as it is a PITA.
Why do we still have this car? We average almost 20 mpg in all around driving. It's 8 years old and still looks better than 90% of the cars in any parking lot. The engine is first rate. Great power and acceleration without bad gas mileage. Roomy interior with great leather seats that would be hard to find in a replacement vehicle. Great handling performance (as long as you keep the tires, brakes, and struts up to snuff). To get a replacement equivalent to this car we would have to spend at least $40K and we can't quite afford that.
My 2002 300M is now approaching 88,000 miles. Just had to replace the evaporator for the A/C system at a cost of $1450. Earlier in the year, replaced the battery (preventative maintenance) and tires (I actually got Eagle LS-2's and they have been fine).
Also got the TSB taken care of for cracking bolts on front buckets (if you have not gotten this attended to, I strongly recommend you do so - for some reason the bolts fail after a while). I have the usual brake pad problems and consider it the price of having a good car.
I have driven the new 300 Base and Touring, and both are very nice, but I have become very attached to my 300M, which is the best car I have ever owned, including fine Buicks and Oldsmobiles through the years. I think Chrysler over-engineered and over-equipped the 1999 - 2004 car, which they did not do with the new 300's, probably because M-B cut costs in order to offset the installation of their fine rear suspension system.
Hard to believe how the interior has been cheapened in the new series, though I understand it was upgraded for 2008.
Best to all.
Now, hopefully the leak wont get bigger!!
http://www.autotrucktoys.com/300/Chrysler-300-Chrome-Trim-Accessories-C3046.aspx-
Also, sorry one more thing. I need an owners manual, any idea where I can get one for a "great" price?
Thank you for any and all help!!
:P
This is an odd one. I have a 99 300M and wife has the 99 CONcorde. Recently -last three mos. she has had start problems a dozen times. The car will start then immed. die. Then turning the key has no response at all. Wait several minutes and does same. Unplug her IPOD or GPS from the cigarette lighter plug and it starts right up and runs fine. I didn't believe it and then saw it happen twice this weekend. Her cigarette plug is in the on always position. Any ideas? Thanks Roger /Nashville
70+ mph average conditions (no headwind or AC) gets 26mpg and on a trip a month ago on slower backrounds at 55 mph I was getting 28-29mpg. I consider those excellent for a comfortable 5 seater sedan with OOMPH. But if you drive it hard those will drop, and it's hard not to stomp the gas on this beauty occasionally.
I replaced the cam postion sensor, $20.00 problem is gone!