Dodge Charger Problems

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Jul 07, 2006 5:56 pm

The local SO contacted me this week about a couple of 06 Chargers they have coming in. One will be the police package and will be a marked car with the factory installed console and all police package options. The other is an unmarked car and IS NOT a police package.

I began compiling a list of needed items and ran across someone who told me a horror story about 2 Chargers from a SO somewhere in Virginia that the local radio shop did the install on.

Supposedly in order to install the siren speaker and grille lights the ENTIRE front of the car has to come off. Grille, bumper, ect. No big deal right?

Well, as the story goes Dodge uses some kind of special body clips/fasteners to put all of this together and during dissasembly these clips will break and cannot be reused. The radio shop could not get the front of the cars put back together so they took them to a body shop. The body shop could not get the cars back together and they both had to be hauled back to the dealership to be re-assembled.

Believe me, this post is not intended to bash the other shop by no means, I am just trying to find out if anyone else has run into a similar situation with the Chargers and if so, what can be done?

I consider myself an experianced installer, I have been doing this work for over 10 years. I just dont want to bite off more than I can chew.

All help is appreciated.

Wes

SafetyLighting · Post by **SafetyLighting** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 6:10 am

well, I have 6 coming in within a couple of months and I find it hard to believe that Chrysler would put one time use clips on the front section knowing that it will be removed for police equipment installation. So I hope you are wrong.

FireCpt809 · Post by **FireCpt809** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 11:03 am

My shop has done at least 3-4 so far this year. Yes, to mount anything other than a charger specific speaker we had to take the front bumper cover / grille off. When we first did the early models we used a whelen compact speaker with a bracket off the steel bumper. The secret to getting the clips off is using patience and the right tool. I know what clips the are talking about. A good snap-on or MAC dealer has a " trim removal tool" looks like a 2 prong fork.

CPI and Federal have come out with a speaker that mounts off the top support by the hood latch.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 11:41 am

Those clips suck! I know what your talking about since i have owned many a Dodge/Chrysler vehicles over the years, and worked on other's newer vehicles that still use those annoying clips.

As the Cpt pointed out there is a trim removal tool that you can buy to deal with them, most auto parts stores have them and i bought one from my local parts store. They are sold under the "Help!" brand name which also sells all the replacement plastic parts and door hardware, and other misc hard to get parts.

Those clips can be acquired from other than a dealer though, a good full service body shop should have them or can order them. Whenever i break trim clips, be it Chrysler, Ford, or Chevy, i just drop by my local body shop and pick up some.

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 5:32 pm

Well, I guess we will see when I get started on them. I am definately going to check on the vehicle specific siren speaker. I am a big fan of those versus trying to make a "universal" speaker work.

I have the clip removal tools, I dont see how anyone doing install work could ever make it without one.

Thanks for the tips and I'll post my findings here when the installs are complete.

Wes

Milkman · Post by **Milkman** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:52 am

Plastic cars w/ huge HEMI's . Just starting a fleet of 300c Hemi's (no police package) w/ Radio / siren kit/ Deck lights and grill lights. We did pull the front end apart to find the cheesy plastic clips. There's (5) on each quater panel not worth sweating over. They cost about $2 a bag at the dealership (5) per bag. The Mopar part # is 5-34201631. So go ahead and break them at that price.

Cant see it from my house !

Wes · Post by **Wes** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:42 pm

This is good information.

I have my first charger install next week and I will definatley pick up some of these clips before hand....

Wes

rcpd34 · Post by **rcpd34** » Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:53 pm

We found the covers are riveted on. We had to remove over 20 rivets. We purchased replacements from Dodge fairley inexpensively. There are a TON of install problems with these cars including:

The Police package harness plug (NECESARY) is not included with the car & must be pruchased seperately.

No place to mount hideaways up front.

Hideaways in the reverse lights will melt the back of the housing

If the car is shut off, key removed and locked with the remote, all emergency equipment will go off with the headlights after the delay.

Incomaptibility with major siren mfgs. Equipment will go on and off at will.

No room for full size spare and trunk mounted equipment.

No room for non remote mounted radios/sirens in console.

Inability to remove seats for installs as bolts are sensors for air bags.

Lots more...

This is a brand new platform that will take some time to work the bugs out. It is a great car and more info is coming out every day. By next year, most of these issues will be resolved. Most are already.

Brian

EVModules · Post by **EVModules** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:28 pm

Some things,...

Don't install HAW's. It's pointless and there's really no effective place to install them. Use the factory tail light flashers & HLF. Put lights on pushbumpers. Go to Troy and ask about the new consoles. They just made two but likely only sell one type as the other is exclusive to one shop.

Rear equipment tray, there is one made for it. Store the tire at the shop, home, dept, etc.

Use the wiring harness that goes to the front, install the horn ring transfer relay up front and put it on #2. Speaker leads are also provided as well.

The Whelen "adapter" is a joke. Save your $$ and use relays & resistors to turn on the flashers. It's necessary to prevent back feeding to the vehicle and causes funny things to happen.

Bumper cover? Drill out the rivets at the sides & two on top. Rest are useable fasteners. Reinstall with "Christmas tree" push fasteners.

Remove rear seat? Feel for the clips that hold the upper seats at the corners on top. Use screwdriver to "push" down the clips & remove.

Center thingamajig between the seats? No touchie... it senses vehicle position so it's location critical. Stupid location? I agree, cussing at it won't make it move so work around it.