95 Chrysler New Yorker

Keep up with the transmission fluid/filter maintenance and make *certain* to use only best grade of the correct fluid, which is Chrysler Mopar ATF+4. This transmission will also accept less-expensive ATF+3, but +4 is the better fluid. Any kind of "universal" or Dexron fluid is NOT acceptable, with or without any additives. (change every 50k miles w/ATF+3, 75K w/ATF+4, do it now if you don't know when it was last done)

Be careful driving at night, these cars have poor headlamps.

That's about it.

Also if you bring the car to anyone including a dealer for the AT fluid change, tell them NO ADDITIVES. Just ATF+3 or +4. They will tell you that the additives are to supplement the fluid left in the AT during the fluid change. Tell them no additives period anyway. They will not do your AT any good and are not recommended by chrysler.

My wife has a '93 Eagle Vision, which is mechanically identicall to your New Yorker. Diffeerent body shape and interior, though. Its currently got a bit over 212,000 miles, still going strong.

The 3.5L engine is fantastic- just feed it good oil and give it a timing belt and water pump about every 80k to 90k miles (I've pushed ours to

100k on a timing belt and water pump before, and if the timing belt DOES break, the 93-97 version of the 3.5 will NOT destroy itself- it will just stop running.) Call or take it to a dealer and have them run the VIN to make sure that the fuel-rail recall has been performed, and GET IT DONE if it hasn't.

As for the rest of the car- there are a few front suspension bits that are known to get noisy, but fortunately they're cheap and easy to fix: sway-bar end links, steering rack-to-firewall isolation bushings, and tie rod inner bushings. If you hear "clunks" going over rough pavement, its the sway bar links, if you hear "clunks" when you saw the wheel left and right with the car still, its the rack or inner tie rod bushings.

NEVER put anything but ATF+3 or ATF+4 in the transmission when you have the fluid changed, and DO have the fluid changed about every 50,000 miles. RUN AWAY from any place that says they'll use Dexron III fluid and "an additive to make it compatible with ATF+3" There is no such additive.

Thats about it! Hope you enjoy the car as long as we've enjoyed our '93. The LH cars were the greatest thing to happen at Chrysler since the Valiant in 1960, if you ask me.

There was also a recall in the front suspension where they add a clamp to stop the attachment at the body from failing. Also a clunk from under the transmission console is probably the rear AT mount and not engine mounts.

Thanks everyone for all the help with the car. I'm going to get the tranny cleaned next weekend. Would i be better taking her to the dealership for this and all the work? She needs a front end alignment Thanks again, Judi

It's up to you, if it's not under warranty. Dealers charge 3-to-10 times as much as an independent for the same work. Little of that mark-up goes to the mechanics, so the dealership mechanics have nothing to gain by doing a good job; they're covered by Chrysler; you're not.

In general, stay away from the dealerships unless you're under warranty. They charge much more for the same work, and their mechanics have less incentive to do good work.

I've had the opposite experience. My local Chrysler dealer is typically within 30% of the cost of an independent garage and the work is almost always better. The only time I got really ripped off big was by an independent. If you are really paying 3 to 10 times more at a dealer, then you are really getting ripped off. My dealer charges $56/hour labor. That means you are getting for done for between $5.60 and $19 an hour. I'd really question that any garage can provide quality training and diagnostic tools for its mechanics at that rate, unless they don't provide them any benefits at all and pay them cash under the table.

Matt

My Chrysler dealer is quite decent and reasonable although I would probably get an alignment someplace else that does them more often.

Gentlemen, Thanks for answering but consider this. I'm a woman, most mechanics' assume we're dumb, this has been my experience. Case in point: My last car was a 1994 Chevy Cavalier rs. The head gasket started leaking. Took it to what I heard was a reputable repair place. $ 705.00 dollars and 3 trips later the damn head gasket was still leaking. The second time I took her in they gave me some BS that they needed to buy a "special sealant "from GMC to seal the gasket. What a croc. Had the :special Sealant" put on and sure enough a week later the head gasket was leaking again. Bottom line they thought I was stupid because they didn't fix it right to begin with. I traded it, told the salesman about the head gasket he gave me a $1000 trade and sold me the New Yorker for $3,809.00. I thought this was a good deal. Since I've bought two other cars from him in the past he did not charge me interest or finance charges and I got an awesome car!!!!! So to end a long story I don't trust any mechanic. If a reputable one will not do the job right twice on my previous car what would a shady mechanic do? One last thing: I'm going to get a tune up on her. Are bosch spark plugs going over the top? Any recommendations? Thanks again for all your help and advice!, Judi

Bosch spark plugs are junk. So are Bosch O2 sensors. Using either will cause driveability/reliability problems. Use NGK, Autolite or Champion spark plugs (my preferences in order, with Champion being a very distant third) and NTK, Echlin or BlueStreak O2 sensors.

DS

Around here some of the dealers still send their alignments out to an independent shop, who has the right equipment and experience, and an excellent reputation.

The "reputable mechanic" was neither - or he would have known to check the head for warpage and cracking. The vast majority of Cavalier head gasket problems require a cyl head replacement to fix.

Find a good mechanic, and hang on to him!!! Might be at a dealership, but a good independent (NOT a chain store) is more likely.

As for the Bosch plugs, my experience has been they are CRAP. The dealer supplied plug is usually about as good as you are going to get, or need.