Like Meatloaf sang, Two out of three ain't bad. I had planned to do the following this past weekend.

1. Swap out Cruise Control Amp

2. Clean all drains

3. Install Sirius Satellite Radio tuner

1) I started around noon with the cruise control amp and had to abandon the idea half an hour later as I STILL don't have the exact right tool to do the job. I was using 1/4" ratchet with a 3" extension and 10mm socket. I was able to get the socket on the cc amp's bracket but couldn't get enough leverage to swing the ratchet handle. I've gone at this thing twice before, when I had the lower dash panel off to work on the cluster, and I'm now at the point of wanting to take it to my mechanic and have him do it. I just don't want to go through those contortions again! I ended up with a killer backache.

2) Thanks to the info on this site I was able to get at all the drains on my 300D and found a few clogged. I'm still wondering if that's what causing the right rear footwell to get soaked during a hard rain (or is it the dreaded rear windshield seal?).

3) Almost a year ago I mouned the Sirius antenna where the old cellphone antenna was. I wanted to take advantage of the large hole dead center in the trunk so I modified the Audiovox (satellite) antenna so the lead would exit directly underneath, rather than from the front (I don't know if they have a "bottom exit" satellite car antenna on the market yet but one is very much needed). I carefully opened the antenna up, cut the lead free from the flat rubber "tail" through which it was threaded and fashioned a new bottom plate with a hole in the center the same size as the cellphone antenna hole. I threaded the antenna lead through both holes and "clamped" the backplate and antenna guts,to the trunk's sheet metal with some large washers. Then I siliconed the protective cap to the base (I'll post some pictures here soon). It was a little bit of work but I like that its clean, no wires running along the top of the trunk. But for almost a year it's just been the antenna: I couldn't deal with the work involved getting the antenna lead into the passenger compartment. On Saturday, after failing to swap out the cruise control amp and moving on to a better experience clearing the drains, I began emptying the trunk to see how far I could get with the Sirius installation. I noticed the old cellphone "brain" - that factory-installed big, black Motorola box - was causing the partition between the trunk and the gas tank to sag in the left corner. This thing is damn heavy, maybe 14 lbs. or so, and I decided to get it the hell out of my trunk once and for all. It just bugged me to have the vestigal thing hogging up real estate in my trunk - know what I mean? I got the partition out and had a hell of a time detaching the cellphone brains and backplate - the brains are locked (as in a key is required to removee it) to the backplate and the backplate is bolted to the partition, the boltheads inaccesible. Through a great deal of manipulation I was able to get a screwdrive onto three of the boltheads and undo the nuts. The fourth one would just not relent until I took a damn Black & Decker to it and drilled it out. I was so friggin' happy when the cursed thing finally came loose. It was such a PITA to remove I realized all the wiring for it must still be in place - which ran from the trunk to the center console, just where I needed to terminate the satellite antenna lead. I took a look and - sure enough- the cellphone interconnects (two multi-wire cables) had been coiled up behind the partition. I was going to pull out the backseat so I could snake the Sirius antenna lead through same "passageway" as the cellphone interconnects when inspiration struck me: I decided I'd use one of the interconnects to pull the Sirius antenna lead through to the console. I removed the (soaking wet) mat and carpet in the right rear footwell and located the path of the cellphone interconnects:from the vicinity of the rear seat, under the front passenger seat and into the front passenger footwell. Back in the trunk, I split open approx 1" of the interconnect jacket, pulled the same length of old wires out and laid the satellite radio lead in the empty jacket, wrapping the newly-mated old and new cables up with electrical tape. Then I went to the front footwell and started pulling the whole thing through from the trunk. I'd like to report that the whole thing went off without a hitch but there was one. I went back to trunk, freed things up and resumed. To shorten an already lengthy story, it worked like a charm. I was able to get the antenna lead just where I needed it. A side benefit of locating the old cellphone interconnect terminus was finding the corresponding 12V hot & ground down in the same area of the passenger footwell. I modified my Sirius power cable to take advantage of this (it's built to plug into the cigarette lighter but I didn't want to deal with that). I physically located the Audiovox Shuttle controller in the center console, plugged everything in and - lo and behold - it all worked! At first, I was using the dock's built-in FM transmitter to "broadcast" to my Becker but once I got near New York city I was getting too much interference so I switched to the cassette adapter (which I REALLY hate because I can hear the motor going on the cassette transport. Activating the Sirius account was pretty simple and I was able to drive home from my mother's house listening to COMMERICAL FREE RADIO!

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Diesel Fitter
Lily Von Shtupp: 1983 300D w/199k
Communication Breakdown: Chris T.'s new WFMU Podcast

"...Thanks to the info on this site I was able to get at all the drains on my 300D and found a few clogged. I'm still wondering if that's what causing the right rear footwell to get soaked during a hard rain (or is it the dreaded rear windshield seal?)..."

Check the right side door(s) window seals and door seals...

Especially if it is a four door check the right side rear door...

You can sit in the car while an assistant sprays the car with a garden hose/ car wash hose/ et cetera... watch for leaking areas...

I installed XM Radio in my ride.

Went for a drive today just to listen to the tune's.

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'10 Chrysler T&C Stow-N-Go White. Grandpa's ride.

'13 Chrysler 200 Touring Candy Red. Grandma's ride.

Age and cunning will always over come youth and vigor.