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Noticed my door seals starting to shrink (not badly) in the corners of all 4 doors. Not covered by my extended warranty, it seems.
Still 28+ highway mpg at 75-80 mph. 20-21 mpg in town. Not as good as my old Olds 88 but it drives much better now after the Badyears were replaced with YK420's.
I'll keep it another 2-4 years, I guess.
Another thing that got destroyed this winter (from all the salt) were the wheel center caps, they fell apart. I had to replace all 4 of them ($17.50 each from the dealer).
On the right hand side head restraint sleeve/guide there is a small hole. You will need to insert a stiff wire into this hole to release a latch mechanism.
At the same time press the button on the head restraint sleeve/guide on the left hand side and pull upward to remove the head restraint.
Hope this makes sense and helps.
I already was able to take the headrest out, so easy when you know what to do! I want to install a bracket on the guides for the DVD Monitor, I don't like the idea of cutting the headrest and installing the screen in there permenantly.
It's amazing how helpful the dvd player is on long trips with a 1 year old in the backseat
Thanks again.
At the time this occurred, I wasn't aware of the problems the LH platform cars have apparently been having with the speed sensor. I likely would have been much calmer about it had I not been neglecting these message boards
*I highly recommend that anyone who purchases or owns an LH-platfrom vehicle (LHS, Concorde, 300M, or Intrepid) should strongly consider picking up an extended warranty. I am not criticizing the build quality of the vehicle--the issue has more to do with the way the platform is designed. Every possible smidgen of available space in the engine compartment has been sacrificed for more interior and trunk space. Thus, any service work that is needed down the road will involve more hours of labor than you might otherwise be accustomed to. As of today, my extended warranty has paid for itself!
I am looking forward to the LX cars, now. I plan on purchasing the RWD V8 300 (or its Dodge counterpart) just as soon as it can be had at near-invoice price.
I am currently car shopping, finally getting rid of the LHS. Looking at:
Ininiti Q45, BMW 540, Lexus GS430 and Mercedes Benz E class. I'm ready for a car that lasts and holds its value.
This recall is separate from the earlier issued seat bolt (which held the seats to the floor) replacement recall; that one didn't apply to my car but did to some other LH bodied cars.
I had my early build (4/98) '99 LHS into the 5* yesterday; the bolts, in my case, didn't need to be replaced.
The bolts in question, are sturdy, about 1/4" diameter, with recessed hex heads. There are two per seatback.
This recall is a free one. Bolts can be seen easily if you tilt each seat upward at the rear. The bolts are at the bottom of each seatback, just under the rear of each seat fascia. The upholstery is not involved and shouldn't be touched.
Thanks for your time.
That tech bul # should be enough for your service rep to look it up.
Web site is:
http://www.alldata.com/TSB/12/011226EO.html
But no other data is available there unless you subscribe which is rather expensive for non-technicians/dealers.
(base web site is:
http://www.alldata.com/recalls/index.html
And you're most welcome. :^))
The ones I have seen will fit into the small bin just under the radio. That's where I'd put it. Mine is a '99 and the bin is an empty open box. If you have part of a tape deck in there, then decide which you want more. In my case, I have a 10 disk magazine Sony in the trunk remotely operated by IR via the Infinity.
Another thought -- could the radio be put in the trunk and operated remotely? Hookup would be the same as my tape deck with an RF amplifier in back of the Infinity and playing through the amplifier using the LHS's speakers. In that case, I'd check out Crutchfield (1-800-555-8151). Pp14-15 of their current Summer catalog gives a lot of options, including installation kits. Pp 16-17 shows antennae for those radios. If you don't have that catalog, give me a yell e-mail (see my spec above) and I'll e-mail or fax you those pages.
The front fascia over the Infinity just pulls off the whole pod unit. It'd be easy then to fish a power wire back to your present Infinity and "Y" it in. The antenna, if any, should be able to be done the same way after mounting the antenna unit just above the rear window and fish the wire down the side and under the mat to the same place.
WHY? It's dead like so many others! The interest in DC has disappeared, at least in TH.
fastdriver
Have to agree with fastdriver to a degree. Apparently, a very minimal amount of persons have any further interest in the LHS, now a dodo.
I still have mine with 53K on it, still holding up after many initial problems (a 4/98 build). Must say that I received much info about this car from contributors. DaimlerChrysler appears to be heading the same way, to become another dodo. The stuff they are producing now leaves much to be desired, even the Benz's. Dunno what my next car will be -- maybe none -- since I'm now 74. :^))
But I won't buy Japanese.
Thanks for the attempt, though, Pat. Doubt if you'll see any other input in substance.
Thanks!
Problems toward the end of that model run were minimal. They did have some tranny problems, but if that car is 60K, those should have been discovered and fixed. However, if they weren't, you want to be very careful. Have the dealer (or you do it) give you the history of that car. Look for whether or not the tranny was fixed around 40 to 50K mileage. If it was not, get some kind of warranty to cover that transmission, at least.
Otherwise, it's a good car, and very unique. Be aware though, if the rear center brake light is not fully lighted or if you have problems w/it, repair/replacement is about $250 (least it was when mine was replaced just after the expiration of the 36K warranty). Chrysler helped out because I bitched like hell.
Mine was Inferno Red w/a dove gray leather interior, what color is the one you are looking at?
My old car (totalled in a crash last week) was a '93 Eagle Vision TSI. So this car, while being definitely more spacious, feels very familiar and comfortable. It's white with grey leather inside. I can't believe how amazingly cushy the seats are! It's like they took seats out of a Cadillac and plunked them into this car.
This dealer is a very small time guy. I didn't ask if he gives warranties or not, but I would be surprised if he does. Is there any other way to check repair records and see if it had any tranny problems?
Why lurk around and complain about the group being sustained?
He can also order/give you another manual or one similar enough to get you by. Any manual from '93 through '98 will contain the correct info. Ensure that it covers the 3.5 litre engine; all LHS's had that engine in the US. Also, try a local junkyard for a suitable manual.
I wouldn't let its prior life as a leased car scare me away by itself.
Not said in my last was the fact that my red one was a '94; currently on a '99 with 53K on it and hoping that there are no tranny problems in my future. DC quit making the LHS by name in '02 but it still exists as a Concorde Limited.
The two transmission sensors, each about $20., regularly go out in the 40-50K mileage range. I keep one of each in the car since my earlier LHS did have them go out. The indicator of this is that the tranny goes into limp mode, or you cannot get beyond second gear. But you can drive it to a dealer for the sensor repairs. They are simple to replace but require crawling under the car. Any decent auto mech can do this and should be explored first before letting anyone tell you that more extensive work needs to be done. Replacing the entire tranny can cost as much as $3000 though a rebuilt/used one would be less.
If you want more info on this, yell and I'll dig out the sensor stock numbers and give you an e-mail source where you can buy them for the $20 each; Some dealers want as much as $70 each.
In any case, all things else considered and since you had an Eagle, you will enjoy the '97 LHS. It is a perfectly fine auto. BTW, the Eagle became the 300M in 1998 as a '99 auto.
Miles
Something else will show up for you. If it's a DC product, e-mail me for further info.
fastdriver
Suggest you browse back into the archived msgs for other items to check and watch for in the near future. Since the Intrepid, Concorde, LHS, and 300M are essentially the same, it would be a good idea to check through those forums also.
Thank you both for the info. Going to the dealer Monday. Will reply back with the solution. Only one other issue that is driving me insane is the small dash board speaker near the windshield which is blown. Can't stand the rattling, so I have to adjust the sound to the rear speakers. BTW, I believe I have the upgraded Infinity system with 9 speakers. The problem is I cant seem to figure out how to get to that speaker! I have pulled the center console out, as well as the glove box and the drivers side under the steering column. I just cant get to it to pull the leads off the speaker. I am guessing that the entire dash will have to be pulled out and I am hoping I dont have to go that route. Any ideas on this?
Thanks again in advance...
Tim
I glanced over some old posts and this one caught my eye. I have a Honda Accord (in addition to my '99 LHS) that had gas in the oil. Turned out to be the ECU (electronic control unit, $80 used from junk yard) My Honda was puttering and billowing smoke out the exhaust that reeked of gas. Once I replaced the ECU, plugs, and the oil, it ran like a champ. (195,000 miles) May not be your specific problem, but I have heard (and saw for myself after opening the old ECU to look) that the solder contacts for the injectors turn to reddish brown color that reflect burning of the contacts. My ECU was causing my injectors to stay wide open. (Went thru 3/4 of a tank in just 18 miles!!) Hope this helps..
Busted speaker cones are not unusual; mine was delivered with a bad one in the driver's door.
To get to your bad left dash top speaker, yes, the dash must be removed. Not an easy job and you stand the chance of many rattles if you try it yourself. But get a tech manual for that year and it tells you how to go about it. Perhaps your extra warranty will cover it? Worth checking.
Good luck,
Miles
I did some research and the warranty does not cover the speaker. I have the 9 speaker setup with the mirror post speakers and the Infinity amp in the trunk. There is only 1 speaker in the dash. I have the Haynes manual for the car. (should have bought a Chilton) The Haynes does not even mention the dash speaker, only the door speakers. I cant see spending a bunch of money to have one of these stereo shops remove the dash just for 1 speaker. What's your opinion about the factory head unit? I put a Pioneer head unit and speakers (no amp) in my Honda and the sound is very powerful with it only a little over half volume! The LHS with the Infinity setup can be turned to full volume and it's nothing to me. I like the factory head unit only because the memory settings it has for 2 different drivers and the feature buttons it has. I am wondering if the head unit is not powerful enough or can I just upgrade to a bigger amp and maybe better speakers. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks again...
My Infinity setup with the 11 speakers and 350a or so is quite adequate for me as it will drive me out of the car at full blast. :^))
Only problem with leaving that bad speaker active as I can see it, would be the irritant of having its buzzing output messing up the sound level in the car, whatever amp you install. If you could get access to that area to cut the wires, that would be a solution. But such access, IMO appears to require removal, at least, of the dash top. Maybe you could stick something in the speaker slots to totally wipe out the speaker cone, thus perhaps cutting any output whatsoever.
Personally, I have never messed with the speakers on any car other than to replace bad ones.
Sorry that I can't offer you any more assistance in that line.
Miles
That part about removing the defroster grilles led me in the right direction. The grilles themselves are not removable but I was able to pry up on the black part of the dash just enough to rip up and cut out the cone completely! Now my sound is much improved due to being able to adjust the balance. Still not powerful enough for me but it will keep me happy until I decide how to go about upgrading. BTW, how can I find out what size amp I have. I pulled out the amp awhile back but I don't recall ever seeing the the wattage. Sometimes all it takes is someone else to give you a different view on how to approach a situation. Thanks again!....P.S. I saw somewhere about the live discussion board chat on Wednesdays...Do you know what time the chat is?...
Tim
You'll find a list of all chats scheduled under "Chat Events" which is appears on the Town Hall welcome page - http://townhall.edmunds.com/TH/townhall. Scroll down just a bit and look over to the right side of the page.
:-)
Regarding the amp wattage, there should be a label on it giving its wattage. Other places to look would be the Owner's Manual, or last resort, the Parts Department of a Chrysler/Dodge dealer should be able to look it up for you from their parts manuals. You'll have to find a cooperative guy, though. Some won't give you the time of day.
I see that Pat gave you the info about the live chat times.
About my hard steering...It is fixed now. The dealer replaced the "steering rack" and it seems to have fixed the 3 problems I was having. Except...now my drivers side door was dented on the very bottom lip. Kind of hard to notice unless you really get to looking, but once you know it's there, it stands out. Some of the paint is chipped off and there is a slight indention. I took it back immediately and was told to bring it back Tuesday and they would fix it. I asked about the dent being repainted and they said it would probably have to be. Not sure if I should just blow it off or let them fix it. I am worried that if they repaint the door, is the paint job going stand out as far as matching the rest of the car's paint? The paint is somewhat of a goldish brown with glitter in it. Do I need to notify the warranty company or my insurance company to make sure I am not screwed in this deal? Or am I being to picky and I should just let it go? My beef is that it had no dents when I purchased the car and will this dent cause my resale to go down tremendously? I've never been in this situation so I'm kind of just wanting some of your opinions. Maybe someone has been through this before.
So, it shouldn't cost anything... And if they are a decent dealer, they can match that paint quite well, even perfectly.
Proper preparation also should ensure no later peeling, etc. But check it out thoroughly in sunlight, sighting along the door for both repair quality and paint match. Feel around the painted area with your bare hand for overspray that they may have failed to mask or remove. And have them fix that, if there is any.
I would call both the insurance and warranty co. just to CYA.
Regarding resale value, around here in No. VA, that same car is now only worth about 9K, anyway you look at it. Chrysler products do not retain much value, unfortunately.
-Frank