I've got the buzzing every time the door locks so judging from complaints I've read in a few forums, it looks like I need a new actuator ... and may be in for a few more failures rather soon (92,000 miles). A friend of mine with a GM product replaced his recently and got his new part on eBay for about $50. There's a supplier offering Mopar for about $100. Anyone have a discount part source of is a $100 about what I can expect to pay?
www.chryslerpartsdirect is one of several on-line discount dealers - they happen to be in NJ. There are others around the U.S., but any will ship top any state. Like most of these dealers, there's a drill down for vehicle and part description, but it generally is faster if you have a part number ready, and generally if there is an updated part, their system will tell you the new number (for example, my older parts list showed the two part numbers given below, but ending in "...AD" - their system substituted the later "...AE" when I put in the older numbers), list price, and their price.
Part numbers: Right side rear door latch: 4574022AE Left side rear door latch: 4574023AE
Both are right at $95 each plus shipping (list is about $120).
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
Hi Bill. Are those numbers for door latches or door actuators? I need an actuator. By the way, can I be reasonably sure when I get into that door that the only cause of that buzzing is going to be that actuator? I don't think ther's anything else electrical in there that could be buzzing. And I don't think a little lubrication on any component woud eliminate the buzzing, would it?
The lock actuator is part of the latch - not separately serviceable - actuator goes bad, you must replace the latch. Based on my reading, contributing to, and otherwise participating in LH car-specific forums for several years, I'd say better than 99% chance that the actuator/latch is the source of the noise. I haven't actually experienced a failure of one of these latches on either of my Concordes, but from the posts I've read on their forums, the noise is pretty loud and obnoxious. Not sure if your term "buzzing" fits, but for the time being I'll assume so.
Someone did a post-mortem on a failed latch and posted a photo of the gear that strips inside the latch on one of the forums. If I can find it, I will post a link.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
Oops - see below.
See the 7th post in this thread - the one with the two photos:
BTW - consider hanging out on the 300M Club. I do - and I don't own/never have owned an M. I own 2 Concordes. But they welcome any LH car owners.
Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')
photos:
That was helpful... and pretty much what I expected to see based on the sound. It's very discouraging to see something so inexpensive fail buy carry a price tag in excess of a hundred bucks. The horror stories I've heard hear about the door buzzer, transmissions, inner tie rod bushings, evaporators... it's enough to make me want to unload my 2000 today. And I would if I could get a decent offer. Unfortunately this car fits into the gas guzzler category by todays standards, and the resale price reflect that. I just want out from under this beast before the transmission go. I's already had an evaporator... with no factory help. My '95 had not only that but a transmission replaced at
28000 as well. I'm usually pretty practical; little chance of lighting striking twice in the same place. Uh huh! It did!You introduced me to the 300M forum a few years ago and I used it from time to time. Unfortunately, Time Warner's Roadrunner (my ISP) dropped the newsgroup service as part of the subscription service. They said nobody used it and it cost them to maintain it. Hell! I used it all the time. Feeling cut off from society with all my groups gone in one felled swoop, I desperately searched for a replacement. I discovered Google Groups which go me my main forums back. Unfortunately, the 300M apparently isn't carried here. Any suggestions of how I can access it? I'm not a blogger so I don't subscribe to those RSS feeds. But I'm not opposed to if it has something I'm interested in. I'm big on news, facts, how-to, and small of gossip.
photos:
I replaced the evaporator on one of my Concordes. I think the tranny failures are exaggerated. It usually is speed sensors (two $20 parts - replaceable in 15 minutes), or the solenoid pak - a couple hundred dollars. Worst case - torque converter, but that's fairly rare. I think early on people were getting a complete rebuild when all that was wrong was speed sensors, thus the bad and undeserved rep.
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