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Chrysler 300M: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • sirby1sirby1 Member Posts: 3
    I saw this item on the recall list, check with the dealership.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    The 300M's last production model year was 2004. What's a computer cluster?
  • robt82robt82 Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever resolve the problem with your 300m? I am having the same exact problem you had with my 99M. Check engine light is on, turns off on slow turns and stops, and local mechanic cannot figure it out. Somebody Please help me out, please.
  • indigomex300mindigomex300m Member Posts: 5
    I have a 2002 300M, the speed indicator it's not working, and the fuel tank indicator works erratically, I replaced the input sensor of the trans and nothing happen, also the indicator on the roof display a wrong DTE miles with a full tank !!! please, any help will be apreciated.. Computer Problems?
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    It could be Body Control Module (BCM) problems or it could be bad sending units for the speedometer and fuel guage. It wouldn't hurt to replace the BCM depending on how much it costs rather than chasing down the problem by replacing individual pieces.
  • indigomex300mindigomex300m Member Posts: 5
    Well, I had a A/C coil replacement, and the dash was dismounted, since that, all the problems began, did you think it mayabe a fault connector??? The Check Engine light are on, and the fault code indicates i/o sensors or also pin 45 in the dash connector. The fault codes are because the speed sensors are not working
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    If the problems started after they had your dash apart, I would certainly start my investigation there. I would take it back to whomever did the A/C work and have them fix it. For free.
  • indigomex300mindigomex300m Member Posts: 5
    Thanks again for all the help in the last thread, I don't have any manual with my car (used one) and I would like to know how to program the car to autolock after 15mph for example.. and all the features that came with my 2002 300M, there is some website where I can find this? thanks again tayl0rd.. :D
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    Call: 800-890-4038
    -or-
    Visit: DC TechAuthority site:
    try here and select category owner's manual

    2002 Owner's Manual $20.00
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    On the 2002 300M, you can go through the MENU on the overhead console to setup the autolocking doors.
  • indigomex300mindigomex300m Member Posts: 5
    Sorry.. there is no Menu button.. it's only "US/M Reset", I guess mi console don't have the EVIC.. :cry:
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    You have an '02, right? I thought all the '02 Ms had the same EVIC. :confuse: Guess it was just the Special and the Pro-Am editions.
  • indigomex300mindigomex300m Member Posts: 5
    Well no.. my panel had the US/M.. and that's all.. there is no Menu button.. :cry:
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Don't be too sad. ;) There is a procedure that will allow you to program your locks using a series of key twists. If I remember, I'll read it in my manual and post it for you.
  • marc300mmarc300m Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    I've had this really unusual problem where, as I drive, the radio and dashboard lights start going ON/OFF and, after a few seconds ABS & Batt indicators come on, and stay on until I re-start the car. Then (usually) everything is fine. This problem is intermittent and the Chrysler certified repair shop could never repeat the problem - until today.
    Now they are telling me that there is a short in some junction box and that the "cluster" needs to be replaced. This is a 3000$ job!!!
    Is this problem common (or expected?) on the 300M? How could I have prevented it? At 36,000 miles, am I still under warranty for this type of failure?
    Thanks for any inputs you may have.
    Marc
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Ahhh, yes. The infamous Light Show. Do a search in this forum for "light show" and you will get quite a few hits. I can't remember what the members did to fix their problem, but I'm pretty sure it was nowhere near a $3000 repair job! Good luck!
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    It's been a while, but I was able to "band-aid" my light show by simply adjusting the lighting rheostat. In my 5.5 years of ownership I probably had a baker's dozen light shows, this cured it each time.

    If I remember correctly, and please folks confirm this, if it is severe the Body Control Module might be the culprit? Nowhere near $3k, maybe a couple hundred bucks or less I think...?

    The '99M only had a 3/36 warranty, not sure about a 2000.

    Still lurking...

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    Luckily (I guess or DC fixed this weird bug) my 2004 has not shown this light show problem in 17,000 mi.
    I suspect that a 2000 Chrysler has only 3/36 warranty which is what my 2001 Jeep had before I bought a 5/70 extended warranty which just expired. The 2002-05's had 7/70 and I understand some, not all 2006 have a lesser warranty again.

    I just drove by our dealer lot on the way to work yesterday and there about 10 new style 300s on the lot. They are either not selling or they were forced to buy RWD models which despite our mild winter in the upper midwest are not a good deal here; I suspect AWD models do better. I still see many 300Ms around town and at a recent oil change in the waiting room a sales rep was lamenting why 300s are not ALL standard as AWD models.
    Oh well, the 300M still is the looker (however for a macho car, I really like the new Dodge Charger, it just looks tough).
  • sedonasandysedonasandy Member Posts: 1
    Hello,this is my 1st post on this forum. I have just read every post concerning my problems that are on here and it scares me to death. I bought my 2004 300M in May '04. Had 17,000 Miles on it. Up until about 2 weeks ago I had had NO problems with the car acting crazy. I had a couple of things done at the dealership like a purge selenoid, a hole in the washer bottle and a new gas cap.The check eng.light had come on but no reaction from the car. Now it is stopping on the HWY at speeds of 70 where I have to pull over and pray I don't get killed. It is shifting really badly and sputtering and won't get out of 2nd gear. I took it in to the shop where they charged me 95.00 for the diagnostic readings and nothing showed. So of course they did nothing and tonight the car wouldn't even start for about 10 minutes and when it did it sputtered like crazy. So in the morning it goes back. Any suggestions?? I am a single girl and this is making me very nervous. I'll get rid of it if it keeps up. Thanks for the great info!
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    Trans staying in second gear is one of the trans sensors. a relatively inexpensive fix. see allpar.com. Make sure you take it to a Chrysler dealer that is 5 star.
  • naatz1naatz1 Member Posts: 188
    Sorry to hear of your problems, I am near 18,000mi on a Mar 04 purchased 2004 with no problems so far.
    Why are they charging you =anything= when it's still under warranty? Be sure to take it to a 5 star Chrysler dealer, they should not be charging you to diagnose these problems (or I would contact your regional Chrysler rep). And write it all down, symptoms, date/times, external conditions etc. Keep us posted. DNaatz in Rochester MN
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
    For light show problem, at least that which involves dimming light intensity:

    http://public.fotki.com/Scotian/300m/lighting/headlight_switch/
  • scurranscurran Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2000 300M with 73K miles and I am noticing that 3 of 4 doors are rusting on the inner edge. I keep my car in the garage all the time. Anyone else having this problem or if this is a defect with 300Ms? I don't think this should be happening with a 6 year old car. I am probably going to contact Chrysler.

    Any input is appreciated.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    If it's the bottom inner edge of the doors, the drain holes are probably clogged. You'll need to unclog the holes and get that rust taken care of.

    No, this is not common for the 300M (or any LH car) that I know of. Pretty much every common problem with the 300M is posted here and that isn't one of them. Luckily for us all, the 300M has very few problems at all.
  • illini4illini4 Member Posts: 140
    It may not be common, but it happened to my 2000 M also. The rust is along the seam where the door skin is bonded to to the frame. It's not all along the seam, just here and there, including under the drain slots. I some of it have it on every door except the front passenger door. My fix was to scrape the rust off the best I could, and spray on Extend rust treatment IAW their instructions, followed by a coat of touch up paint. That seems to have stopped it. Don't bother with Chrysler. They won't do anything unless an outer panel is rusted through.
  • airspeedzeroairspeedzero Member Posts: 2
    We have owned a 1999 300M from 0 to 93,000 miles.
    It has been a very good car for me (we love how it looks and how it handles)and we have had very few problems with it.
    BUT ------- FYI

    We had an issue where the interior lights would remain ON after you shut the car off. The dealership where we purchased the auto told us they needed to remove the dash and replace some $400.00 something or other.
    Wanting a second opinion we took the auto to a different dealership and for $40.00 he fixed the problem which was:
    A wire that fed the overhead inside light located above the rear door was shorting to the auto frame, the wire was taped and the problem was solved.

    We do need some help!

    #1]
    We have been experiencing a problem with the auto alarm system. When the car is locked and left alone everything seems normal, then maybe hours later without any warning at all the alarm system "goes off" with the lights flashing and horn blowing.
    Does anyone have a solution for this problem?

    #2]
    Our car is now experiencing sluggish starting.
    When it is cold it starts perfectly, when it is started again after it has warmed up it sometimes wants to "crank" for a time before it starts.
    Does anyone have a solution for this problem?
  • scurranscurran Member Posts: 3
    Thanks everyone for the feedback.
  • scurranscurran Member Posts: 3
    Where are the drain holes located? How do you unclog them?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    right in the bottom of the door as you open it. Anything will do, a paper clip, pencil, whatever.
  • dgaonadgaona Member Posts: 3
    Just had my battery replaced and after a few problems, the problem was actually a bad battery clamp on the positive side. Now during the time I thought my battery was dead I used a portable battery to jump start the engine. When the clamp was replaced, now my low beam headlights dont work. High beams and fog lights work fine. Checked the fuses under the hood and inside the drivers side dash and all are ok.

    Both headlights worked fine before the battery/battery clamp replacement and I have never heard of both lights burining out at the same time. Any suggestions??
  • dgaonadgaona Member Posts: 3
    Oh, 300M is a 1999 from message above...
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Replace the fuses anyway. Probably is a bad relay. The shop might've fried something while connecting the new battery cable.
  • dgaonadgaona Member Posts: 3
    It was just the headlights. Took it to the shop to make sure it wasnt the relays or an electrical problem. Funny that they both went out at the same time. I still think the genius who put the battery in my car did something to cause them to burn out....

    Now, I have to take a look at my power windows, three of four dont work....they've been replaced by the dealer during the warranty period, but now I gotta pay....Thanks for the help...
  • hayneldanhayneldan Member Posts: 657
    If you can get the door panels off try spraying the brushes of the window motors with TV tuner cleaner or any electronic cleaner. Someone posted that this works most of the time.
  • brethortonbrethorton Member Posts: 3
    I was unable to successfully de-oxidize the headlight lenses in my 2000 300M using a variety of online suggestions as well as buying lens cleaner from my Chrysler dealer. So, I just bought replacement OEM headlight units for $169 each and, separately, purchased Sylvania SilverStar high and low beam lamps based on several online recommendations I had located and read.

    Can anyone direct me to a step-by-step instruction guide on how to take off the front end plastic cover and them remove and replace the headlight units? And is there anything I need to know about inserting the new bulbs other than not to touch the glass with my fingers?

    The now six year old car has been a near-flawless performer. No significant or major problems other than replacing three driver/passenger electric window motors.

    Thank you.
  • gave1002gave1002 Member Posts: 3
    Hi. If you still have this problem or if it comes and goes,you should look for MISFIRE ON ONE COIL. I had a 2000 Intrepid with the same problem and took it to the dealer. They replaced the coil and problem was gone. Good luck. :)
  • gave1002gave1002 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry to hear you already bought replacement headlights. The problem with these headlights is the poor quality material used.Oxidation at a microscopical look comes from thousands of diminute superficial cracks. My 2000 300m was horrible and lights were very dim due to this problem. I used a 600 grit sand paper with water,followed by 1000 grit(with water too) and then polished them with a good plexiglass polish cream (Available at Pep Boys and others). Headlights came almost as good as new. Polishing with the cream must be done at least monthly to keep the good looking.Some people I heard say that this problem comes from the inside part of the lenses due to the high intensity bulbs.This is not true.If problem comes again or you know someone with the same problem,pass the voice. :D
  • tkaztkaz Member Posts: 69
    I don't have the yellowing effect with my '99 LHS headlights.But the low beams sure seem to be dim. High beams are fine. Do these bulbs get weak with time? 153K miles and still runnign strong.
  • brethortonbrethorton Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for the recommendation. The first person I'll pass your solution along to is my Chrysler dealer at an upcoming service. They had recommended a 2-part liquid sold by the dealership. Didn't touch it and now I understand why. After I install the new lights I'll get some plexi polish from my local Kragen's and use it regularly.

    I'm still looking for a do-it-yourself guide to removal and replacement now that I have the new OEM headlights. Interestingly, the dealer cost was just shy of $900. including headlights, bulbs and installation.

    I now have 120,000+ miles on the car and it is still a great performer.

    Brethorton
  • brethortonbrethorton Member Posts: 3
    The Sylvania website - where I reviewed the SilverStar bulbs - and other sites says that bulbs do dim over time. Others may know more accurately than I do whether that is true or not.

    Brethorton
  • tlhopetlhope Member Posts: 2
    A month ago, the friendly chirp my 300 emits when the car is locked died. Taking a quick look under the car I noticed the two high tone horns by the inside corners of the bumper. Both of those were working, and are triggered when the alarm is set off or when you press the horn on the steering wheel. Does anyone know where the low tone horn is located that “honks” when you lock/arm your car?
  • jonathan_216jonathan_216 Member Posts: 22
    I have a 1999 300m. When the car is ideling the light comes on and when I start off it goes away as the rpms go up. It idles at like 500 at a stop light. It never makes any noises. I was told By Chrysler it is oil starvation and that it should make a growling noise. I took it to them and they can't duplicate the problem. It hasn't thrown any codes. Any help would be appreciated.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    There is no separate horn for the alarm arming chirp. It uses the same horn. You need to check your settings in your EVIC (if equipped) or OTIS (if possible). Follow the directions in your owner's manual to set it back up to chirp when you arm it.
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    Check your oil level. You're probably low. You might also need to do an oil system flush. There might be some clogged passages in your engine. How often do you change your oil and what type of oil do you use?
  • jonathan_216jonathan_216 Member Posts: 22
    I take it to Chrysler for the oil changes and everything else. I change it every 3,000. I think I let it go 4000 once I was on a trip to Texas. But It got changed when I got home. So I don't know. It also had a Tune up done on it like a week ago. Could this be a reason for it to do this?
  • tkaztkaz Member Posts: 69
    Was ready to buy a pair of 9006XSST Sylvania Siverstar bulbs when I noticed the rated life time is 150 hours. Standard replacement bulbs, 9006XSLL are rated at 1500 hours. Anyone have short life problmes with the Silverstar?
  • tayl0rdtayl0rd Member Posts: 1,926
    It's a sad day! :( At 7:23am EST @ 46,388 miles, my 2002 Special performed the infamous Light Show! :cry: I thought I would be exempt, but I guess no 300M is safe. To twist a phrase from Star Trek: Generations, [The Light Show] is an enemy that stalks us all. :sick:
  • bigmike5bigmike5 Member Posts: 960
    I have had pretty good luck with Stongard [on the net] headlight protectors on my 99M which is approaching 8 years old. Xpel also makes them. For about $53 you get clear covers for all forward facing lights that protects them from rock hits, etc. They guarantee them not to discolor, and my first set went 5 years before they started discoloring, and Stongard replaced them with no hassle. You might want to consider doing that once you get the clarity back up so you don't have to polish them every week. If you do get them get a second set of hands to help you put them on straight [at least with the headlight protectors], you only get one shot before the glue hits the plastic and they stick. :shades:
  • laurasdadalaurasdada Member Posts: 4,684
    My advice to you is to start drinking heavily...!

    '21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)

  • cochisejcochisej Member Posts: 3
    Hi Board!

    After my 2000 Intrepid ES was stolen for Christmas, I went ahead and purchased a '99 300m--luv the car! Even at 85k, it's really fun to drive, looks great, and seemingly has no major issues .

    I was primarily checking you all out because the one exterior flaw to my almond joy is that blasted oxidation issues with only one headlight. (I read this entire sub-forum, and printed out the step-by-steps to sanding...) And although the given methods sounds like a winner, I'd really rather not do it; but paying $800 for a new one isn't fiscally an option for me. So there was a member who found someone ho just does this sort of thing for about $30? How did you find him? I'm in the DC/MD area, but would gladly pay someone to do it for me.

    Other surprises that I discovered after my haste to buy a vehicle...
    --all of my front speakers don't work, and my infinity tweeters have nothing in them.
    --no mats at all, be it driver, passenger, or rear.
    --no spare tire or donut.
    --no trunk net, and with such a large trunk, groceries play hid and seek with me.
    --ever now and then, my rear/brake lights will not go out. Initially, I thought I had some electrical problem, as my car needed a jump on two out of the eleven days that I've had the car. But, by accident, I discovered that it was the brake lights, and if I remember to physically lift it with my foot, I wont have the issue.

    So, any ideas? Specifically, how to go about finding someone to do my headlight, how to find the trunk net (it is supposed to have one, right?), whether I should try to find stock mats--or settle for after market cheap counterparts, and what I should do, if anything, about my brake-light situation.

    Thanks in advance, this forum is really informative. And I luv this car! :shades:
This discussion has been closed.