Jeep Rubicon or Chrysler 300?

Question 1
Jeep Rubicon or Chrysler 300?...  A lifted Jeep Rubicon with leather seats and the whole works goes for around $32,000. The Chrysler 300 goes for a lil more than that. I love both cars but don't know which one to lean towards getting. I live in Pittsburgh...so the Jeep may be better due to the climate we have.

thoughts, opinions?
I was looking into the Jeep and i think you guys are right, the Jeep is a better choice. All around its a solid vehicle. And...Dave...they do come with Leather seats...you just need to get an islander, sahara, or a rubicon for that option.

Appreciate the help

Answers
1)   I would go with the Jeep. I'm a jeep person what can I say. You will get a lot more use in winter with the Jeep. Does it have a hard top? That would make a difference. You can take the top off in the summer months. A soft top can be rough in the cold sometime. Good Luck. - mikie

2)   Both could be great vehicles for the right person/application.

Both are completely opposite of each other in almost every way too.

You are probably going to have to get allot more specific with you driving needs and what you intend to do with it if you want any descent advise but i will tell you this. The wrangler is great off road but it svcks on snow or icy roads. Short wheel base and light weight make helpless on a slick road despite 4 wheel drive.

What I'd like to know is where you are finding Wranglers with leather seats? Sure didn't come from the factory with them!

Best of Luck! - Dave

3)   Jeep. I'm not a Jeep person per say, and I do like the Chrysler 300, it's a sharp car. But the Jeep is much more versatile. 4WD in the winter, fun in the summer. You can go wheeling with it. Go for the Jeep. Let us know what you choose! Good luck! - Erin

4)   Jeep definitely. - nate

5)   The 300 definitely, I'd lower it and get some wire wheels, that would be SWEET! - Sam

6)   Well if you're looking at those two cars I'm guessing that your budget has wiggle room for gas. I would take the Jeep personally. You won't find a vehicle that mixes luxury with performance capability better than Jeep does. And when the snow hits you'll be one of the few that doesn't have to worry about shoveling the driveway. My Jeep plowed through 3' snow drifts on several occasions. They're unstoppable. - mainman2004

7)   You are asking people to tell you if they love apples or oranges. There is no comparison between an off road vehicle and a luxury car. And to be quite honest, there is nothing more ridiculous than a leather interior in an off road vehicle. That just smells of poser around serious Jeep and off road folks. It's almost as ridiculous as the yuppie Harley rider I saw this morning with a cup holder in his motorcycle for his fancy Starbucks drink.
I digress - do a serious check list of pros and cons based on the activities that you like to do. Also, take the time to test drive both vehicles at length in traffic and on the highway.

I once owned a Jeep Sahara, and the only thing I hated about it was the noisy flappy roof when going down the road at 60 mph. On a 4 hour highway trip it will drive you bonkers unless the weather is good enough for top down driving. - Delamothe

8)   Both are terribly unreliable cars, they depreciate quickly, and are old designs.

Everything else on the market is better than those two vehicles in the price range.

I highly recommend not buying either one. - Mike


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Question 2
How much will it cost for me to have the top half of my 2007 PT Cruiser's engine rebuilt?...  The crankshaft seal keeps popping out, so they are going to have to rebuild the top half to fix it. Any idea on costs?
It is a problem with the crankshaft itself, but there isn't a recall on it. Since the car has 60,000+ miles on it, the warranty wont cover it.

Answers
1)   more than 500 bucks for sure, up 1000 maybe - Its me Again

2)   depends on where you take it
you should pick up a newspaper call a couple of places ask them for estimates - Mike

3)   Wouldn't that still have powertrain warranty on it? That's very new for that kind of repair. - Mike

4)   Probably nothing if you bought the car after August 2007. Beginning in August 2007 all Chrysler cars have a complete lifetime warranty on the engine. If you bought it before August 2007 it might be under warranty for three years so it would still cost you nothing. The lifetime warranty only applies to the original owner. The three year warranty transfers to you if you bought it used. - Howard L

5)   Check with your dealer, have your VIN # ready. Alot of People buy Service Contracts and arent aware of it....and if you dont talk to the service manager and ask if there is anything that can be done in the interest of Customer Retention. - jlmracing@sbcglobal.net

6)   you shouldn't have to rebuild an engine just for a bad seal. - mjmik1


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Question 3
How do you add transmission fluid to a 2006 Chrysler 300?...  

Answers
1)   Before you add any, find out where it is leaking from. - Mike

2)   look for the stick other than where you put your oil in. io is most likely labled. the trans fill tube is about 5/8" big enough to fit a trans funnel into don't overfill it add small amounts at a time - mjmik1

3)   Looks like the 300 is has a sealed transmission. Alot of new cars are like this. Basically you have to take it to the dealer to have it filled or serviced. - Beth

4)   if it has a dipstick tube you add there with a funnel. other wise take it in to a shop and let them handle the mess. - mdk68gto, ase certified m tech

5)   The automatic transmissions of the 300, Magnum, and Charger are all sealed units. They have no dipstick, and have no tube for filling with ATF.

You need to take it to the dealer and let them check it and add if needed. - Frankie

6)   the Chrysler 300 is equipped with a NAG1 mercedes Transmission that is a sealed unit and honestly be serviced by a technician. As a dealer Parts advisor I am partial to a Chrysler tech but honestly a mechanic should be well knowledged enough for the job - jlmracing@sbcglobal.net


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Question 4
I have a 1970 plymouth valiant, given the age what weight oil should I use?...  I've been using 10W 40, but have been told I might want to use something heavier. What do you think?
P.S. it has a few leaks and I was told the heavier oil would help until I get the gaskets fixed, but I didn't want to do anything that might be bad for the engine.

Answers
1)   10/30, 10/40 should be ok - turkus07

2)   try lat, pennzoil, bardahl, miniral oil like 20w50 for older cars.
good luck - sluisvander_carolus

3)   More important than its' age is how many miles is on the engine and what your oil pressure is now with the oil you are using. - Harry

4)   It'll still leak even when using the 20w50, but it might slow the leaks down a little bit. Just don't expect a lot.

Chances are, it won't hurt the engine unless you experience very cold weather this time of year, then there's a possibility it will.
If it was mine, and I wanted to use a thicker oil, I'd probably use 15w40 instead of 20w50. But in reality, I'd probably just live with the leaks until I got them fixed.

You can keep the oil off the ground by placing a large piece of cardboard on the floor where you park the car and let it leak on the cardboard (or other material that would keep it from getting on the floor, like old shirts, old worn-out blanket, etc). - Mark B

5)   There are also gasket treatments that lubricate and restore moister to old gaskets... some swell the gasket slightly, but if you're going to fix the issue in the near foreseeable future then you might try one of those treatments as a temporary (and I do stress temporary) fix. If a portion of the gasket happens to be blown out, even a very very small hole, then even the heavier weight oils will leak out once they heat up. Good luck. Gasket work is a little less than fun... - mainman2004

6)   10W-40 is fine. Heavier oil won't help the leaks. If you've got good oil pressure then you don't need heavier oil. More important to the life of the engine is changing it on a regular schedule. Every 3-5 thousand miles. Although if you've got a 1970 and it's still running good and has minimal leaks you probably already know this. - Rick


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Question 5
Why does my 2008 Chrysler Pacifica smell like Natural gas when braking at a stop light?...  

Answers
1)   It's the sulfur in the catalytic converter-the same smell they use to scent natural gas. As is natural gas is odorless. - ImaHarper

2)   Probably the catalytic converter. You may need to get it checked just to make sure it is operating efficiently. - Laredo

3)   it's farting - Mike

4)   you are smelling the ceramic material in the brake pads..Im almost positive especially if you recently did your brakes. - jlmracing@sbcglobal.net


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