This is mostly going to be a copy/paste of most of my post in the New member area save for the introduction. Maybe more people will have ideas here in this thread. I'll also be adding a few more details

The previous owners neglected the car itself but thankfully it seems they didn't miss oil changes or let it overheat despite it leaking antifreeze & oil like a sieve (The previous owner stopped driving it and just garaged it once coolant began leaking). It had many many issues when I got it and still does, but fortunately I'm chipping away at them and will soon have it in a near perfect condition despite having to use it for work (I deliver pizza, yes I understand how much wear that causes)

Things I can remember offhand that have already been replaced:
Radiator
Upper Radiator Hose
Thermostat Housing
Oil Pressure Sensor (no more oil leak)
Intake Manifold Gaskets
Lower Control Arms (Front Both Sides)
=================================
And this is what still needs to be done:
3 out of 4 motor mounts (Tranny mount is a trooper) (Parts already ordered)
Lower Radiator Hose (ordered)
Right outer tie rod end (ordered)
Water Outlet (ordered)

After I finish everything listed that still needs to be done I will have gotten it to what I would consider a "good condition" meaning every issue I know of has been fixed

But then I don't really know what to do for it after that. I mean of course keeping it up maintenance-wise is going to be priority #1 with the car but I'd also like to invest in it quite a bit, I don't mean I want to do anything crazy like add horsepower (it is an 05' Sebring after all). What I want out of it is for it to last as long as possible before needing a new motor or transmission, for it to handle a bit better, and if its even possible with this car to make it safer (maybe aftermarket brakes would be good?).


Details:
I'd like to point out that once I get the tie rod end then an alignment done it should hopefully be the first time I get to drive with it lined up properly with no play in the wheel. So I may be satisfied with how it drives once thats done.

It does burn the tiniest bit of oil but this is supposed to be normal for these engines with this amount of mileage? Not really too concerned as I check the fluids at least every 3 days but usually daily.

I'm worried about the water pump leaking into the engine but google says they usually fail around 60-70k miles unless a gasket they made later on for these engines is put in, its currently at 158k miles and isn't showing any signs of this happening. So am I safe to assume that someone did this before the car made it to my possession or could it just be luck that I don't have milky oil yet? I don't have the proper tools to really do anything about it nor the money to take it somewhere that does. Some sources I've found online say that this issue only affected up to the 2004's and wasn't an issue on the 2005 and later models? Does anyone know anything about this? I can't find anything concrete or official and what I have read is very contradictory from source to source when it comes to this car.

 

First the water pump. The issue with the water pump gasket failing was resolved by 2000. There was a later issue with the PCV system not up to snuff but that was resolved by 2003. There is always the possibility of the water pump shaft seal failing but that will be seen as coolant coming out of the weep hole just below the thermostat housing. Bottom line, I would not be concerned about the water pump nuking the engine.

I would suggest a transmission pan drop and filter change (no flush). A fuzzy magnet and black/gray film on pan is ok where metal chunks are not. Refill with licensed atf+4 ONLY, no universal fluids, no additives. Service fill is about 4.5 quarts so have 5 on hand.

Inspect the upper rear strut mount for corrosion (white powder). OE had an aluminum mounting bracket that would disintegrate over time due to contact with steel (electrolysis of dissimilar metals).

Plugs change interval is 100k miles. If uncertain if this has been done, no harm in doing it now. Use OE Champion/NGK plug, no need for exotic metals or funky electrodes.

The only brake suggestion I have is either semi-metallic pads or ceramic. Semi-metallic do bite a bit better but throw off more dust. I ran ceramic and could lock up the tires if needed (ok, chirp the tires with abs).

As for safety, the convertible is built like a little tank due to the couple hundred pounds of reinforcement needed as a convertible. It is designed and built as a convertible, not chop off the top and bolt on some extra metal to stiffen up the body. As long as you keep the shiny side up and rubber side down, you will be good.

I would suggest visiting 'sebringclub.net', a site dedicated to the care and feeding of sebring convertibles.

 

water pump failures are hit or miss it seems. I've seen many a 200k+ 2.7L without a new water pump, and yet I have an 06 with 120k sitting in my driveway with a water pump that is like a do not pass go do not collect $200 water leak out the weep hole.

for the plugs, yea 100k is the recommended service interval, don't do that. plugs i've seen that have run that long look horrid, are prone to misfires, and put stress on the coils. I know the rear bank is a pain to do, but when you do a trans service, do the plugs on the same schedule.

 

One issue I had with a 4-wheel alignment was the rear camber was out-of-spec ('04 and '06). Installed moog adjustable lateral links and was able to adjust back in spec.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...etzEGuaqo95AEu

 

Replacing the rear plugs is not that bad. You can easily remove the weatherstrip on the cowl to give yourself a little extra room. It slides off and on again without difficulty. Use a 3/8" ratchet with a couple of short extensions and a u-joint between the extensions to get the spark plug socket onto the plugs.

 

Have you tried double platinum plugs with this engine?

 

Use the OE specified platinum plug, champion RE10PMC5, as they are good for 100,000 miles. Very difficult to improve on that. They should come pre-gapped to .050, so good out of the box.

For the rear plugs, I use a pair or 2" extensions on the spark plug socket. I hold the socket in the hole, add an extension, lower the new extension, add the next extension and set on spark plug. Snap on the socket wrench and good to go. I am able to do mine without the swivel/u-joint piece. It is cramped back there though.

 

as ggoose said, whatever the sticker under the hood says, use that part number. don't get fancy. chryslers have long been notorious for not reacting well to non-OE part numbered plugs. (this potentially excludes anything that's actually a mitsubishi or mercedes engine btw. I've not lot of personal experience with non-actual chrysler engines.)