My mother has just acquired a 1996 Chrysler Concorde (3.5L engine) from another family member (89000 miles, $3600). She is confident that the car has been maintained, not abused, and all recalls are up to date. Aside from the air conditioner being inoperative (I understand this was a common problem with this model, quoted $900 to fix), the car appears to be in good shape and everything else is operational. Are there any other well known conditions-problems I should be on the lookout for since I will be keeping an eye on the car for her? Thanks for any replies.
I have a 94 with the same 3.5. AC is out on mine also. I also started to develop transmission problems at 90K miles. The symptom is vibration around 35MPH and it is slow to engage when it's cold. The dealer said that there was an internal failure but they couldn't say how long it would last before it failed completely. I've since put another 33,000 miles on it and it's still functioning although it's behavior is gradually getting worse. Don't know if this is a common Concorde problem but if you do start to notice the transmission misbehaving be advised that it doesn't mean that its going to stop working immediately.
Hang around here as much as you'd like, but you may want to also check out the
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forums. It has a good search feature, and many questions have been answered, including general ones that you asked, and possibly how to get that a.c. back up and running on the cheap.
For a '96, you want the First Generation forums.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')
As far as replacing them for the clouding, you can find them on the internet for around $60 each. Some of the aftermarket headlight assys. aren't that bad. I've not used this place, but you might check out
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That having been said, I'm sure that Daniel was refering to mediocre design and performance of the lighting - I'll let him fill you in on the details of what he was getting at. You also may want to do a Google Group search on this forum with "Stern" among the words in the keyword list - he has elaborated on the 1st gen LH headlights and their shortcomings before.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')
Two small issues: one, there was a recall for leaking fuel injector O-rings. You'll want to make sure it was performed by either calling a dealer with the VIN number handy or seeing if you can find the spot on the chrysler.com website where the information is also available. These leaks have caused fires in extreme cases.
Second, the 1st gen 3.5L is known for leaks developing around the water pump. Usually you can see coolant dripping out of the front of the engine when this happens. If you notice antifreeze disappearing, this is a likely cause. Change the timing belt at the same time if you elect to replace the water pump, and use a water pump that is the OEM replacement unit from a dealership parts department, there are some improvements apparently made to the design.
You may or may not have issues with steering noises, especially when turning the wheel at low speeds/low ambient temperature. Steering rack mount bushings are to blame, unfortunately they weren't available separately from the rack unit for a '96 when I needed mine. People have improvised their own bushings out of polyurethane; you might be able to find the material at a speed shop.
The A/C is frequently an evaporator leak requiring removal/replacement of the dash for access, unfortunately a common problem area for 1st generation LHs. Make sure somebody checks the system over thoroughly.
Some have reported problems with suspension bushings in the front end wearing out at earlier-than-expected mileage; I didn't have my '96 long enough to experience this.
The transmission requires regular maintenance with the *correct* fluid -- either ATF+3 or ATF+4. Be wary of quick lube places offering Dexron with an additive said to make it equivalent to ATF+3, it's a deceptive marketing practice. If you don't do your own transmission fluid changes, insist that whoever does the work (approximately every 30K miles) uses the ATF+3 (a.k.a. Type 7176) fluid -- and verify it. Premature transmission failure results from using the wrong fluid.
Other than that, the 1st generation LH vehicles are very good cars, possibly even exceptionally good, especially for their time. The 3.5L was the larger, more powerful engine, and owners report getting in excess of 200K miles from them with proper maintenance. If you replace the cloudy headlamps, you'll probably get many good miles of service from that car. Good luck.
Glenn - My limited (1 car) experience and what I read on various forums says that any polishing you do will likely get you close to water-clear appearance, but that that only lasts a few weeks and some kind of polish or wax will need to be re-applied periodically (easier after the first time because the major surface imperfections get polished out then, and it's mostly the effect of the polish filling in the microscopic scratches rather than actually smoothing out the plastic that creates the clear appearance by reducing diffraction). IOW, it's a good way to get decent lighting and avoid hassles with the law until the unit can be replaced. IOW - if it's a choice between spending a lot of money on a polish kit or replacing the unit, replace the unit.
Does that line up with your experience?
Also, as a preventative, I will be replacing my one cloudy assembly (the other one was replaced a year or so ago, so it is like new), after which I will put on the X-Pel adhessive-backed vinyl protectors (reduces UV and prevents sandblasting and damage from small stones) that I have sitting on the shelf - about $40 the pair.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my adddress with the letter 'x')
No, that just means you've got bad headlamps that have deteriorated due to UV from the sun. This has taken them from "poor" to "dangerous" -- those lenses should be clear; you'll need new headlamp assemblies.
Absolutely yes, especially if the cost of repairing injury and damage because of inadequate headlighting is factored into your price calculations. The aftermarket units are a mediocre lot, but since it's nearly impossible to do worse than what the factory installed in the first place (in terms of performance and materials/build quality) you may as well get the least-worst aftermarket items, generally supplied by TYC-Generra. Stay away from the stinkier varieties of aftermarket poo (Depo, DJAuto), stay away from any bulb sold as "Blue", "White", "Silver", etc., and try to find GE's new Night Hawk 9007 bulb -- that'll make the headlighting as "unworse" as possible.
...for a couple of months, at which point the deterioration comes back faster/worse. Polishing the lenses strips off the anti-UV/anti-scratch hardcoat, exposing the bare polycarbonate to the elements.
My sister just bought herself a 94 Concorde. Seems like a nice car and like new inside and out. The power antenna doesn't work though - it makes a noise like it is trying to move but doesn't. Anyone know if this is an easy cheap fix or a warranty item. The dealer sold her a 2 year extended warranty with the car.
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