www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=110185

Sorry :-) Car not serviced properly.... Read more

Hi all, my first post so hopefully in the right place!

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I've owned my 300crd estate from new 2010 covering just 12700mls. The car rides very well on flat roads & irons away any bumps, potholes etc. It can feel a little floaty when pushing it a bit on undulating roads & the steering can be short of feel on hard cornering which can be disconcerting. It is no racing sports car but just a great tourer & as long as you treat it as such you'll be OK. That doesn't mean that you can't have fun because you can. I had mine re-mapped & now it is just shy of 300bhp & 0-60mph just under 6set's.
When buying a used saloon or estate they're basically the same except for the obvious check that it has had the Chrysler dvla re-calls done,you can check at dvla website. There are 3 recalls upto 2017 that I have been notified, a new ignition switch with keys replacement, bolt replacement on passenger & driver's front airbags, apparently they have been known to explode when exposed to damp/humidity so imperative you have it done especially in our UK climate.
They are carried out at your Chrysler dealer free of charge &should have been done but some may have slipped through.
The car can be cheap to run for the type of car it is if you use a good works. Chrysler dealers are a bit steep & a lot of dealers didn't last long so not that experienced the few that became Jeep.
A genuine rear wiper blade is approximately £20+v.a.t.
& not kept in stock. Even service items the local dealer wanted to order only taking at least a couple of weeks!
A service kit can be got hold of easy enough through motor factors, eBay etc & it's important you use the Mercedes graded oils. The k&n airfilter gives good performance for little money compared to the paper filter but just changing this means you have to tell your insurance company but having said that I found that even with all the mods I've done the insurance is cheaper by £600! by using a well known sports car /modified car insurance company under £400 fully comprehensive.
Things to look out for is failing alternator, mainly burnt out thanks to diesel fuel dripping constantly from 2 small rubber hoses that cracking & leak.
A new alternator, I had a Lucas unit @£165.00+v.a.t exchange. The hoses only come from Chrysler as a pack,2 rubber hoses, 4 fuel line clips & 2 metal fuel pipes which are approximately 8" long ea & costs just short of £100 with vat & again 2 weeks ordering time but when pushed for off the road 4 days no trade discount.
These hoses are now available from the Chrysler Store an independent company for approximately £25 plus many other parts & mods.
The thick cable that earth's the alternator can also be prone to rust which leaves the car unable to fire.Chrysler only or make one approx £100.
Need to change a repeater bulb means pulling the plastic splash guard away partially but be careful how many of the plastic rivets you remove as they are over £10each! & have to be ordered. It seems that any clip door trim whatever costs a bomb minimum of £5.00.
Suspension linkages need inspection especially on high mileage as tendency to wear but are easy to replace at a reasonable price, eBay prices about £200 for complete front set Inc top & bottom wishbones, track control arms,ballpoint etc or individually.
There are now silicon replacement bushes at the Chrysler Store.
Rear bearings have to be replaced on poorly looked after cars but are adjustable to a point.
Replacement brake discs and pads start from as little as £80 axle set but obviously more for the better quality.
Rear about the same but handbrake shoes about £35 & handbrake shoe fitting kit about £25.
Everything else is more or less standard service needs of any car, there have been issues with the swirl motor /flaps but mostly it's oil leaking into the turbo but that can be cured before or if problem with the modified seal kit from the Chrysler Store.
Trim parts need careful examination as stupid prices to replace from Chrysler. Check the leather seat slab for any signs of cracking or splits pushing down on the seat Base to expose hidden splits. If you find any especially on drivers seat Base negotiate a bit off the asking price as a genuine Chrysler replacement just for the seat NOT including the back rest is close to £700 + v.a.t!!!!! So either find a replacement used or a good trimmer.
Overall the car is brilliant don't be put off by some of the issues as they're mostly on poorly looked after vehicles. I'd prefer the diesel over the petrol unless it's the hemi, it's reasonably economical 24-5mpg local & achieves Chrysler figures on a run of just under 40mpg. Insurance group is higher than a jag xf by about 5 but check around the like of Adrian Flux etc.
Obviously buy the best you can afford &don't buy a boy racer that's been dropped etc unless that's what you like but get it checked properly to make sure it's not jack built.
Other than that I'm a keen fan of the Chrysler, ignore what top gear said that was about the early model & also Mr Clarkson said you couldn't alter the brightness of the instrument panel,well if he'd looked to the right he'd have seen the switch!
The sound system is a 8 speakers system standard with a cd/dvd player, a hard-drive with sat nav was option at £2500.00. The dvd player can be converted to TV with the mod kit approx £250.
All in all a great car & bargain. Boris the Spider.

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Next week I'm going to Drayton Manor and looking on Google maps it gives two routes avoiding tole roads. Wondering what people's opiniona are on M1 vs M40 both have the same eta but going via the M40 is 30 miles more.

We will be leaving at around 6AM so will hit rush hour traffic witch route will be more likely to have the least amount of traffic? Read more

Hi,

I recently purchased a CTEK trickle charger to keep the battery in my Mondeo topped up, as I am often away for a few days at a time.... Read more