Herb Jenssen
06-11-2004, 10:28 PM
Well, after threatning to go to the local TV channel with my problems my phone started ringing.
The first was from the dealer I bought the Magnum from.
The guy said he talked to the area service rep. and he would be back here in about a week and a half.
I said that's not good enough. If he can talk to you on the phone he can talk to me or hello TV 6.
Ten minutes later the rep. called me. He was a very personable guy and asked if I could bring the car to Baton Rouge. He said he was at a Dodge dealer with a working updated Star Scanner computer. I said say no more I'm out the door.
I took off rather quickly and the tires actually chirped with the ESP on.
Hey! How about that? As usual when you bring a car in to the dealer it starts working like it should. Have no fear. It did not.
As soon as trafic would allow I came to a dead stop and used my stop watch to time the 0 to 60 mph. It was mid 7's. A hair better and that was with a little over a quarter of a tank of gas.
On the way to the dealer my Cell phone rang and it was a woman from Daimler Chrysler. She said, you called one of our engineers and he told me to call you. (I found the Chief Engineer who built the 300C and Magnum)
I said yes I did and I was hoping to talk to him.
When I told her my concerns she tried but didn't have all the answers.
When I got to the dealer they put it on the computer and while I was waiting I looked at a Magnum RT just like mine. I asked if I could drive it so I could compare it to mine. He said sure. I'll get the keys.
When I cranked it up I noticed the low fuel light was on. Before I put it in gear IT RAN OUT OF FUEL!!!!! Can you believe it?? I'm bit! No doubt!!
The service manager came over and I said tell me you found the problem!
No such luck! My car had all the updates. He said there were a few codes but nothing that had any thing to do with performance. I said, Now what?
He said he would talk with the area rep, he was gone when I got there, and get back to me. BUMMER!
About 5 minutes away the area service rep. calls and says I just taked with the service manager why don't you bring it back and we'll give you a loaner and we'll get to the bottom of this. Since I knew they wouldn't work on it over the weekend and we were going to Florida I said how about Monday?
He said Ok!
Just a little while ago I called the Chief Engineer again and he answered the phone. I went over all the issues with him and it was kinda funny because after I was through he said, can I ask you a question? I said sure.
He said besides those issues how do you like the car?
I told him you should be proud! You built one hell of an automobile and I love it.
I love the way it rides, drives, looks and also how solid it feels.
He said, good, I'm glad to hear that. He took the VIN, names, phone numbers and said he would get with the other engineers because, Listen up owners and future owners, He has NEVER driven a 300C or magnum with the Hemi that would not light up the tires with the ESP off!!
We also discussed the tow package and he told me the most important thing is the suspension option not the cooling. The Hemi's all come with the heavy duty radiator, not the one that will come with the Tow Package but it will serve the purpose. The package also has different fans!!
Anyway, he said with the independant rear suspension it's very important to keep it level because of the stress it would put on the shafts.
He said it consists of load leveling shocks and should not be a problem to have them put on at a :) dealer.
I also asked him about the 6.1 Hemi coming out and what did they do to the engine besides making it bigger to jump to 425 HP.
He said there was quite a few modifications including headers but that it was not going to have the MDS for fuel economy and don't hold me to this but I also believe he said it was not going to have ESP either.
He also told me that the posi rear end on the Hemi's works by the brakes being applied by computer. I said you mean it doesn't have clutches in the rear end like other posi's? He said no it does not. I said it seems to me that would slow it down. He said yeah, but very little.
Well, I guess I bent everyones ear enough for now. I'll keep everyone updated.
Later
Herb
The first was from the dealer I bought the Magnum from.
The guy said he talked to the area service rep. and he would be back here in about a week and a half.
I said that's not good enough. If he can talk to you on the phone he can talk to me or hello TV 6.
Ten minutes later the rep. called me. He was a very personable guy and asked if I could bring the car to Baton Rouge. He said he was at a Dodge dealer with a working updated Star Scanner computer. I said say no more I'm out the door.
I took off rather quickly and the tires actually chirped with the ESP on.
Hey! How about that? As usual when you bring a car in to the dealer it starts working like it should. Have no fear. It did not.
As soon as trafic would allow I came to a dead stop and used my stop watch to time the 0 to 60 mph. It was mid 7's. A hair better and that was with a little over a quarter of a tank of gas.
On the way to the dealer my Cell phone rang and it was a woman from Daimler Chrysler. She said, you called one of our engineers and he told me to call you. (I found the Chief Engineer who built the 300C and Magnum)
I said yes I did and I was hoping to talk to him.
When I told her my concerns she tried but didn't have all the answers.
When I got to the dealer they put it on the computer and while I was waiting I looked at a Magnum RT just like mine. I asked if I could drive it so I could compare it to mine. He said sure. I'll get the keys.
When I cranked it up I noticed the low fuel light was on. Before I put it in gear IT RAN OUT OF FUEL!!!!! Can you believe it?? I'm bit! No doubt!!
The service manager came over and I said tell me you found the problem!
No such luck! My car had all the updates. He said there were a few codes but nothing that had any thing to do with performance. I said, Now what?
He said he would talk with the area rep, he was gone when I got there, and get back to me. BUMMER!
About 5 minutes away the area service rep. calls and says I just taked with the service manager why don't you bring it back and we'll give you a loaner and we'll get to the bottom of this. Since I knew they wouldn't work on it over the weekend and we were going to Florida I said how about Monday?
He said Ok!
Just a little while ago I called the Chief Engineer again and he answered the phone. I went over all the issues with him and it was kinda funny because after I was through he said, can I ask you a question? I said sure.
He said besides those issues how do you like the car?
I told him you should be proud! You built one hell of an automobile and I love it.
I love the way it rides, drives, looks and also how solid it feels.
He said, good, I'm glad to hear that. He took the VIN, names, phone numbers and said he would get with the other engineers because, Listen up owners and future owners, He has NEVER driven a 300C or magnum with the Hemi that would not light up the tires with the ESP off!!
We also discussed the tow package and he told me the most important thing is the suspension option not the cooling. The Hemi's all come with the heavy duty radiator, not the one that will come with the Tow Package but it will serve the purpose. The package also has different fans!!
Anyway, he said with the independant rear suspension it's very important to keep it level because of the stress it would put on the shafts.
He said it consists of load leveling shocks and should not be a problem to have them put on at a :) dealer.
I also asked him about the 6.1 Hemi coming out and what did they do to the engine besides making it bigger to jump to 425 HP.
He said there was quite a few modifications including headers but that it was not going to have the MDS for fuel economy and don't hold me to this but I also believe he said it was not going to have ESP either.
He also told me that the posi rear end on the Hemi's works by the brakes being applied by computer. I said you mean it doesn't have clutches in the rear end like other posi's? He said no it does not. I said it seems to me that would slow it down. He said yeah, but very little.
Well, I guess I bent everyones ear enough for now. I'll keep everyone updated.
Later
Herb