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Dodge Intrepid

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Comments

  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    andre,

    according to bernhard, the C and D platforms are highly flexible meaning relatively large variations in width, length and cowl height are possible. thus it would be easy to presume that DC could build both rather large intrepids and somewhat smaller galants off the same platform...
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    From what we have been told , we are only building the RWD cars. We do have one car , that will have AWD or RWD , this will be something like the Pacifica .Not a wagon or suv.They call it the ALLSPORT.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    let's see, i'd rather have a car with good comfort, not so-so comfort, one that is a good value for the upfront dollar, and one that is protected for 7 years or 100k miles. oh, and fully loaded is still under 30k. let's see, the lexus bare bones es300 is right around 30k, only has a 3 liter v6, and is quite a bit smaller. easy choice if you ask me.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...it makes me think of the Lincoln Versailles of the late '70's. A tarted-up, pimped-out Granada with more strained styling and less interior room than its more workaday cousin, but with a huge price premium. That's what the ES300 is to me. The older ones looked nice, with their low rooflines and frameless door windows, they almost looked like hardtops. But the new one might as well be a 2003 Versailles, for all I care.

    I see Camrys now, with sticker prices in the $30,000 range, so I'd imagine the typical ES300 is a lot more than that! Also, maybe things are different with the ES300, but the Camry upon which it's based seems to have actually gone through a bit of a cheapening with this restyle. I notice more cheap, hard plastics and less soft-touch stuff than in previous models, as well as the old "goose-neck" torsion bar trunk hinges, that must date back to the dawn of automotive history!

    Sure, depreciation is something to consider, but I'm going to choose a car based on whether I actually like it or not and it suits my needs, instead of solely on depreciation.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    i just checked the base price on an es300 and it was a little over 32k! without leather! WOW, what a value?

    i agree with andre. the latest iteration of the camry and es300 is nothing for toyota stylists to brag about. looks sorta slab sided/chunky. the front end looks nice but the rest of the car, they can have. and toyo is still using the gooseneck trunk hinges! what is up with that??
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    funny thing is, both '79 Mopars I've owned actually had the more modern strut-type trunk hinges. Hard to believe that, back then, even at death's door, Chrysler managed to be ahead of their time with something!

    The only advantage I can think of for the old torsion bar hinges is that those struts can go bad over time. But then so do the torsion bars, which is why there are usually three settings for them. Once they start getting weak in the first setting, you just adjust them to the next. At least the struts would probably be fairly easy to replace.
  • wkhowlandwkhowland Member Posts: 7
    What is the Dodge All Sport, or the BUX. Both are mentioned in the Upcoming section on Allpar.com. Any pics of the next generation LX series

    TX,

    Raven
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    gee, i thought this was an intrepid topic?

    i'm not even sure why somebody touting lexus would even be here? unless...

    btw, you pay dearly for those so-called advancements in safety. and the lexus is considered a luxury car, right. therefore it had better have all the gussied up goodies that it's sister car camry doesn't get...!
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    The allsport is a car we at the Brampton plant ,that now builds the LH cars will be building in 2004. It is a cross between a car ,a van and a suv. Sorta like the Pacifica.It will be built in RWD and AWD. A BUX is a car built for Europe . We build 300M BUX cars. Its just a manufacture code for a package on a car going to Europe.
  • mdeymdey Member Posts: 90
    Ignore him. He is a hit and run poster. He jumps around the boards and tells everyone their cars are junk unless they own a Lexus. I argued with him once too; it was a waste of time. Ignore him.
  • lee1nyclee1nyc Member Posts: 60
    ..... always have, always will.

    Have a safe holiday weekend!
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Hey all, my 2002 Intrepid SE (2.7L engine, 5000 miles), just started what I would best describe as a rumbling that reverberates through the brake pedal and floor under the driver's seat. It does it when hot, cold, fan on or off. Any ideas?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...and say a warped rotor, maybe? Does it only do it when you apply the brakes, or all the time? Otherwise, I'd guess there's a bad sensor somewhere that's making the car go out of tune.
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    could also be tires, out of balance, etc. does it do it at all speeds?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...Emale's mentioning the tire out of balance made me think of something else...a bent rim, maybe? Rims are pretty easy to bend, even the basic steel ones. And sometimes when you bend a rim, it'll only vibrate at certain speeds, but feel fine at others. I also have an old '89 Gran Fury with two slightly bent rims. It feels fine at lower speeds, but get up to around 65-70 mph, and it'll start vibrating a bit. Go faster, and the vibration will go away, but I'm not going to incriminate myself by saying what speed! ;-)
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    The thing is only noticeable when the car is stopped, or sitting at an idle. I was thinking it might be something with the engine?
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    a/c on or off? you're prolly just feeling some engine vibration that is normal...but if it is really bad, you might have em check the engine mounts...
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jason,

    the electric seat in my 96 intrepid would occasionally shift a tad...but i doubt it was a half inch! probably more like an 1/8 of an inch altho i understand how it might feel like a half inch. neither my 98 or 00 had (have) displayed any weird seat maneavers. anyway, sorry to hear about the damage. btw, what cd was causing all the skipping?? if it was barry manilow, i fully understand and your cd player is trying to drop hints!!
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Greetings gang... Emale...I'm at the crossroads. I think I want to trade in (or sell) my Intrepid for a 2002/2003 Ram Quad Cab 1500. I might even consider a Regular Cab and invest the money in options. Any "angst" now in retrospect on having swapped your sedan for a pickup?
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jason,

    i especially miss the car at fill-er-up time!!! i do, however, really like my s-crew.

    if you get the new quad...you gotta wait for the hemi! unless you plan to get 2wd then the 4.7l will prolly suffice. i just wish the quad had a more supportive back seat/little more room back there. anyhoo, let us know what you decide to do...
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Thanks for the opinions... Have driven a 4WD quad cab with the 4.7 and I don't experience it as a dog. Don't really know yet...just thinking about it. I think the back seat room is fine as well. Don't fall into the trap--that some car mags and "web sites" do of comparing the Quad Cab to full crew cabs. Remember I'm 6'3", mid 200's a former linebacker and fit back there fine..
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...by the Quad cab myself. Except for the fact that I really don't need a truck!

    The nice thing about the Ram though, is that it almost gives you a 6 1/2 foot bed, whereas the SuperCrew and styling misfits like the Avalanche/Escalade are considerably stubbier. Although they do have much roomier back seats.

    Then again, the Quad cab is still roomier than more traditional extended-cab trucks like what Ford and Chevy offer, so it strikes a good all-around balance.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Well said. I don't really NEED a truck either--probably like 90% of all pickup owners. However I've recently found myself borrowing them from others. The bar has moved so high, so quickly that pickups are as comfortable and manuverable as most SUV's... Oh well...
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...yeah, but I guess if all we ever did was buy what we needed and nothing more, the world would be a pretty boring place! After all, I didn't NEED my Intrepid when I bought it. What kind of mileage does the Ram get nowadays, anyway? I remember looking at one the day I bought the 'Trep. It was just a base pickup, regular cab, 8' bed, with the 3.9 V-6. It was EPA-rated at 15/20. I figured if I was gonna get something with mileage that bad, I might as well just keep driving my Gran Fury!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    heaven knows i really don't need a truck either!! but, i really like being able to hall branches/grass clippings to the compost heap without having to bag em. can haul heavy...oddly shaped items and still have good comfort and 4wd. i used to buy my cars and then lease a 4wd truck, thus having two vehicles. well, a single guy certainly doesn't need 2 vehicles? as soon as i saw the supercrew, i knew i could go down to one vehicle because it does everything i want it to do...except get good gas mileage!
  • jsylvesterjsylvester Member Posts: 572
    That's why I got an full size sedan like the Intrepid - huge back seat will hold bulky items that will not fit in the trunk due to the opening shape. I also planned on keeping it as long as possible, so I got as big and as powerful of a sedan I could resonably afford.

    Hence the 2000 Intrepid R/T. I can borrow a truck from my brother in law, but that is maybe once a year.

    (I'm single, but do have one other vehicle - my 67 Galaxie 500XL convertible)
  • alpx29alpx29 Member Posts: 2
    Hello!

    I am trying to find an answer for a problem with my Dodge Intrepid 1997 ES.

    It is about the brakes. Sometimes the brakes seem to get stuck in the braking position when pushed too much at a stop. Thus, the front wheels get very very hot even after running at slow speeds and without using the brakes too much or at all.

    The car still runs thanks to its powerful engine,
    but with a degree of continuos braking, which is obvious when shifting gears (a shake and hesitation is felt) or when releasing the gas pedal at slow speed - the car immediately slows down dramatically- .

    It is also noticeable that the fuel consumption goes up, and in general a lot of the power of the car seems lost when running on normal road or highway conditions.

    As another conseqeunce, the ride is stiffer. (the
    suspension seems rougher, since the wheels are
    partially blocked).

    I sought relief from this situation by changing the calipers and brake pads: no change.

    I took the car to a Dodge dealer and they could not find any problems, they said.

    Friends suggested it may be problem with the ABS
    sensors or the brake central pump.

    This blocking of the wheels usually happens after
    driving on dirty roads, and funny enough, it may
    dissapear after washing the wheels with a strong jet of water, or taking the wheels off and putting them back on.

    Could it be that ABS sensors get dirty and send
    innapropriate signals to the computer?

    It may also happen when my wife drives the car... She is very inexperienced at driving. She may push the brakes too hard unnecessarily at stops, when the brake pedal pushed excesivelly turns soft and goes down to the floor. This is when the brakes seems to get locked in the "on" position.

    I wonder if you could help me please to solve this problem. Has anybody found something similar at a Dodge Intrepid ES 1997?

    What would be the solution?
    Please reply at alp29@yahoo.com.

    Thank you very much.

    Sincerely,

    Alexandru Papoiu.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    alpx29 - brake problems can be difficult to find .Is the problem on the front or rear? if its the front brakes. You can try removing the fuse or relay for the ABS pump. This will cause the ABS not to work , but normal braking still works. If you then drive the car and it still happens with the ABS pump disconnected , it's not the ABS. If its the back brakes are the emergency brakes on? Could one or both be seized on and causing this problem. Lift the car off the ground and try to spin the rear wheels by hand , they should spin freely. If not they could be seized. It could also be a bad wheel bearing . I am surprised the dealer could not find your problem, maybe try another dealer. Hope this helps.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Emale... Had to chuckle when I read your last post. I'm about to become "single" again and thought that's perhaps why I'm considering the truck. Nah...I don't need it.. It's not a mid-life crisis...perhaps it's "post divorce" crisis? One for the social scientists to ponder. My father's new 2002 quad cab is in--the 5.9 and Multispeed auto feel much more spry than the 5.9 in his 99' quad cab. I've noticed that the brakes FEEL as if they are in a completely different league. Their initial stopping power is noticeably stronger than the 4 wheel disc/ABS on my Intrepid ES. Cabin is whisper quiet at speed..
    I read with delight that Chrysler's JD Power numbers were higher than VW... Bet we won't here the foamy mouthed Passat dogmatists chatting up that tidbit!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    jason,

    a mid life crisis vehicle is a VIPER, not a truck! btw, the 45rfe (multispeed) isn't available behind the 5.9l engine, only behind the 3.7l and 4.7l engines. the 5.9l is hooked up to the old 46re tranny, and that tranny only. when the hemi debuts this fall, it'll be available with the newer 5-45rfe which is basically a 45rfe that eeks out another overdrive ratio to give it 5 speeds. the 5-45rfe has been serving duty in the grand cherokee and durango for a year or two.

    i'm real interested to see and feel how the hemi performs in these trucks. i've heard great things about the 45rfe tranny too. i don't think i'll trade when the hemi becomes available, but i'm definitely gonna take a test drive!!

    keep us informed...
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    The Town Hall is about to take on a new look in an effort to make content more easily searchable and accessible.

    Have you seen the Letter from the Town Hall Manager on the Town Hall Welcome page? If not, you might want to follow that link to have a look.

    And hang on to your seats. Change is never easy - for any of us - but resolving the Search problems we've had will be worth the pain.

    Pat
    Sedans Host
  • binubinu Member Posts: 81
    Have any of you had brake pads/rotor wear and tear issues ?
    At 57,000 miles on my Concorde I have changed my rotors twice and brake pads thrice. The dealer says that it is normal maintenance.
    BTW, I do not have a lead foot.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...I'd say something isn't quite right there. I got 39,000 miles out of the first set of pads on my '00 Intrepid. It's pushing the 65,000 mile mark now, and I'm planning on pulling a front wheel off next oil change (at 65K) to see how they're wearing. I'm still on my original rotors though.

    My rear brake pads made it to 51,000 miles. Only thing I can think of in your case, is maybe if you're having the dealer or someplace else rotate the tires, they're over-torquing the lug nuts? I know it's real easy to warp them that way. I rotate my own tires and always hand-tighten the lug nuts.

    Oh yeah, I should add that I used to deliver pizzas with this car, so by all rights, I should've gone through brakes much faster than you! Unless you're moonlighting as a cabbie or delivery driver or something!
  • samalsamal Member Posts: 2
    You mention that you hand tighten the lug nuts. Any idea on the correct torque for them? Thanks!
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...well, I probably should get myself a torque wrench so that I'm doing it right, but I always just took an estimated guess! I'd tighten them to the point that I'd have to start putting a little muscle into it, and then stop. I know that "a little bit of muscle" is hardly a quantifable term...it'd mean something totally different to Ah-nold Schwarzenegger and PeeWee Herman ;-)

    Sorry I can't be more precise. I haven't lost a tire (or even a lug nut) yet, or warped a rotor, so I must be guessing pretty close!

    Something else that might mess up the rotors too, is the order you put the lug nuts on. I was always taught to put one nut on, and then put the nut on that would be the furthest away. With a 5-bolt pattern, you'd actually have a choice of two lugs. Then go to the next lug that's furthest away. Basically, just like drawing a 5-pointed star. This way, you don't put too much stress on one side of the rotor all at once.
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Well, I guess you guys may be right. The wife (her car - 2002 Intrpepid w/2.7L engine) said the car shakes more and now makes a thumping sound at an idle in park or when stopped. I popped the hood and the engine was shaking back and forth (laterally) pretty good. Going in next week to have engine mounts looked at. It runs fine, so maybe that is it.

    How major of a repair is it if the engine mounts are bad?
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...took me about maybe an hour, cost about $15.00 (IIRC). 'Course that was a '68 Dart, your mileage may vary ;-)

    Seriously though, I don't think it should be too big of a deal. They just lift the engine up a little bit, there's one bolt that goes from the mount to the engine, and one bolt that goes from the mount to the sub-frame (well, on a Dart, at least!)
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    njdevil,

    try using a different brand of gasoline. i've noticed that most of my vehicles have idled rougher on ethanol blended fuels...for whatever reason.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Morning folks. Gentleman--at my last inspection I was told that I'd need to change my front pads in a few months. I'm at 33K right now--any thoughts on better pads that won't "break the brake bank".. Don't ask for good humor before the second cup...
  • binubinu Member Posts: 81
    I had the front pads and rotors changed. Cost me close to $400.
    I went with OEM Parts this time.
    I do not know if Bendix Pads and Rotors are any better but It might be worth a try next time, if I have to replace in another 20,000 miles.
  • andre1969andre1969 Member Posts: 25,652
    ...I kind of cheaped-out and bought my pads at Trak Auto. I bought all of 'em at the same time, front-and-rear, and I think it only ran about $35.00. I can't even remember what brand they were. Anyway, I bought them when the car had about 25,000 miles on it. Traditionally, I was used to going through brakes about every 10-20,000 miles, depending on the car (those big V-8's could eat up drum brakes pretty quickly)

    Well, when I checked the brakes, they still had plenty of meat on 'em, so I waited until they got a little low. Ended up swapping out the front ones at 39,000. I just did it myself. The back ones finally needed it around 51,000 and I just had my mechanic put on the brakes I had already bought.

    It just blows me away how quick rotors go nowadays though! We recently had new rotors put on my grandmother's '85 Buick LeSabre, but it has about 156,000 miles on it, so I guess that's no big shock. Only Chrysler product I ever put rotors on was a '79 Newport. It had about 230,000 miles on it (I don't know if they were original rotors or not, though).

    One thing I've heard is that if you have the rotors cross-drilled, they'll dissipate heat better and last longer. Don't know if it's true or not, and I've never had it done.
  • Jason5Jason5 Member Posts: 440
    Thanks.. I was thinking about using a local "auto store" that has done oil changes in the past. They always have a pyramid arrangement (good (OEM), better, best)with regard to their services and I suspect they do the same with breaks. I'll probably get front pads and an alignment.
  • binubinu Member Posts: 81
    My 5* invoice lists that the rotors and brakes cost around $175. The rest is labor.
    So if you are going to pay so much for labor then better get the best available pads and rotors.
  • scotianscotian Member Posts: 1,064
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Well, the Intrepid (2002 SE w/2.7L engine, <6000 miles) finally goes in for service tomorrow. The engine continues to thump and shake, with the check engine light on continuously for the past 2 days of driving. I'll let you all know what happens.
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Well, the Intrepid has been out of service for 2 days now. Spoke to the dealer yesterday, and he said the thing has a bad "cylinder coil". It was described to me as the thing which makes the spark plug spark, therefore I'm assuming I was running on only 5 cylinders, therefore the rough running. The writer then added that he hoped it was not the "controller" for the coils, as they are on backorder (I guess there is a little bit of a problem with these things!), but that the tests they ran showed that it was just the coil.

    Low and behold, I called today, the new coil was in, but the thing still running rough. Therefore a new "controller" is on order, and will be in next week. I'll keep you all informed.

    PS...And to think I dumped my Malibu because it had engine problems!
  • emaleemale Member Posts: 1,380
    wow, a misfiring cylinder and the on board diagnostics didn't click on the "check engine" light! that's really odd...
  • njdevilsrnnjdevilsrn Member Posts: 185
    Actually it ran rough for about 2 weeks prior to the check engine light coming on Tuesday morning this week. Had to drive it like that x2 days.

    Picked it up today, because I needed something to drive this weekend. Runs a little better than before, but not perfect, I guess that is where the control module comes in...they called it a "PCM"
  • rdg1rdg1 Member Posts: 10
    Our new '02 Intrepid has 4500 miles on it. I noticed today, that the front tires look like they are half worn. They are worn evenly across the tread face.......it does not appear to be alignment related. Rear tires look like new. I had planned to rotate at 6000 miles. Anyone else experiencing this? Seems to be pretty premature!
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Sorry to hear about your problem. The 02 model LH cars are using a new style computer system . They combined the transmission controller and engine controller into one unit this year. They had a few problems with this and it looks like you are experiencing one of the bad ones . The unit is called an NGC and this is what they will be changing in your car. Once this unit is changed to an newer version you should have no future problems, and don't worry this is not an engine problem its a electronic problem.

    c01 -njdevilsrn did not say the dealer could not find the problem .What the dealer said is , it needs a new computer and they are on backorder .The dealer knows what's wrong and will change the part when it comes in.
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