Finally picked up my srt6 last week after two weeks of waiting. The dealer put $3k into the car - new tensioner belt, struts, new fluids, etc.
Overall, the car runs beautifully. I have noticed a few possible issues though.

1. The ignition doesn't always turn from the off position. It's a lot like when you accidentally "lock" the ignition by bumping your steering wheel, except nothing was bumped. Is this the "sticky key" problem?

2. The steering overall is fine. However every now and then, the car almost swerves to one side, as if a strong gust of wind pushed it. I've read about tie rods and other components wearing out that can cause something like this. The wheels themselves, and the steering, are practically silent, completely smooth. And aside from this weird issue the car drives better than my daily driver (Volvo c30).

3. When I'm sitting in stupid rush hour traffic on a hot day, the needle on the temp gauge starts rising. At what point is the fan meant to come on to cool the engine? I'll admit to being a bit overly cautious.. When I see the temp rising, I turn the heat on high in the car to pull heat away from the engine. That seems to do the trick until traffic starts moving again. I also tend not to run the ac just out of personal preference, so I don't know yet if running the ac would help kick that fan on.

4. I've noticed that when I'm at a stoplight, the engine idles very low. The car itself sounds fine, I can feel the engine idling and it feels perfectly smooth and very quiet. Is this normal?

Overall I'm in love with my new baby. I just want to get these issues sorted out so I can feel comfortable driving the car more often.

 

#1 where in fl? yes the sticky key ,get that done asap, if the key turns the cost is a LOT less than if the key does not turn, it will STOP turning then you have to get it towed and a lot of labor to fix it.,, if u r n south fl call matt he can fix it 786 877 5959. call him he will come to you but not rightaway,
the temp should not go past the needle width past 1/2 way on the gauge that = about 210*
steering https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...surprised.html

the swerving could be, not saying it is but, the bushing on the rear suspension,, or sub frame.

 

Wlcome to the forum.
1, If you are at all handy with your hands then the sticky key fix can be done by yourself for no cost.
CLICK here for the details of this fix. The dealer should fix this, give him the instructions he should do it in 30 minutes. It is a known problem.

2, You have an answer to your second question. Get the dealer to fix it, it is a safety road worthiness problem if you want to slightly exaggerate it. At any rate the cylinder is probably worn out.

3, How much does the needle rise? It can go slightly above the midway point in some conditions.

4, If it sounds fine it probably is fine, what are the RPMs?

We try to help people fix their cars for the minimum cost to them, we really should not be advertising for professional mechanics to come to your house and charge labor and traveling fees.

 

some people want and or need help , that is why we have a thread of mechanic shops all across the country, anyone that can do the work themselves is always better off, we also need a good shop to rebuild a transmission if we should ever need it done,,, members on here have recommended shops to be posted below.

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...air-shops.html

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...air-shops.html

 

Atlas. You have your answers. All you have noticed we all have dealt with one way or another. I am fortunate not to have had any sticky key issues yet, but my day will come. If handy at all, you can do this as 180 stated. Steering stabilizers were cheap from the factory to begin with, and I would replace it. Again this is something you can do if handy. Needle shouldn't rise but a needle width above the midpoint. This is a normal range. If you start having a rough idle at stop lights and such. Then it could be a warning that you need to replace the CPS. Position Sensors go bad over time. Good luck with your ride.

 

Thank you everyone for the help!
I've got a great mechanic in my area, so I'm going to give him a call tomorrow about the sticky key and steering stabilizer (and whatever else might be going on under there).
I could go back to the dealer and ask them to fix it, but past experiences have made me weary of doing that. I'd rather trust my car to someone that I know will do the work correctly, even if it costs more.

 

all the instructions are here on the forum , print them and show your mechanic (which will say he knows how to work on a crossfire but don't .. or maybe he is one that does. , we have found that Chrysler dealers don't want to work on this car because they have no tools or knowledge of or for the crossfire. 99% of the Mercedes dealers will now work on a crossfire. that is why onehundred80 has put together a list of problems and fixes /repairs ,that u can do yourself,,and to keep from being gouged print the repair you need and give it to your mechanic,, if he is a good ,and real mechanic he will thank you because he will learn something.and you get your car fixed without spending a lot $$$$

 

$3,000 for a belt, tensioner and fluids? That better also include a new convertible top or at least four new tires.

I would offer some tech advice, but it is clear that you are just going to take the car to someone and pay obscene amounts of money to have it "fixed", so it's a waste of time to try to help you.
In time, you will get sick of this and sell the car OR become "one of the cult", never to take the car to a 'shop' again.

I really hope you follow the latter path.

 

Just an observation but the thermostat is progressive and the fan does not come on until over 200F UNLESS the A/C is on, then it is on all of the time. If not on with A/C you have a fan problem.


In general I have found the 3.2 to be a pretty cool running engine. If you want to monitor the temp, torque pro and a BT dongle do a great job.



Torque pro

 

Agreed. For the record, I didn't pay for a penny of the work the dealer put into it prior to purchasing.
I called up my local mechanic and explained everything to him, which turned out to not even be necessary. The guy knows and loves Crossfires and their Mercedes counterparts.

The car is going to my mechanic on Thursday, where the sticky key issue will be fixed, steering damper replaced, and it will have a thorough check inside and out. Any other issues found at that time will be fixed.

I'm not the kind of person who sells a car just because it requires maintenance. My daily driver has cost me thousands in repairs and preventive maintenance, and I'm ok with that. I stay on top of what the car needs, and it's never let me down because of that. What matters to me is having the car(s) that excite me, and keeping them in top running condition so I can drive them hard.

 

congrats on the new ride and welcome to the forum!

let me know if you need help