05 sebring signiture

hey
my gf just got a 2005 sebring signiture in the awsome red color for her 16th bday and i was wondering if theres any problems with these cars i should watch for considering im the one who will do all the mantinence and also im looking to see if theres any performance mods that can be done by the way its got the 2.0L i think its the same one thats in the neon
thanks
mercman

wow...didn't know they still made the sebring :dunno:

but she got an 05' and your going to be doing the maintance...shouldn't that be covered under warrenty?

yep i says it on the sticker

are you sure it's a 2.0? They haven't used 2.0 In Chrysler Sebrings since prior to 2000? Is it the 3.0 DOHC V6? I work for Chrysler and no 2005 Sebring (convertible, coupe, or sedan) comes with a 2.0 4-cylinder. It comes standard w/ a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder but not a 2.0.

then yes its the 2.4L sry im a ford guy not so much into dodge knowlage

sorry, not trying to sound like a dick, just a little confused. If it's a 2005, like it was said earlier, don't bother trying to fix it, it's under warranty and guys like me work on that everyday. Honestly, you could void her warranty if you did anything, even if it was just as simple as replacing the oil pan drain plug, Chrysler strict about tampering w/ stuff under warranty, just FYI.

no u wernt sounding like a dick and thanks for the info when i say mantinence i mean like oil changes but any thing other then that yea its goin to the dealer

back to your original question, the 2.4's used to have a real bad head gasket problem, but they have since fixed that. Since that is no longer an issue, there aren't any issues to be concerned with on this car, in fact the 2.4 is a very reliable engine, not a lot of power, but still reliable. Doing oil changes yourself is fine. If you should ever change her transmission fluid, USE ONLY MOPAR ATF +4, nothing else. Chrysler transmissions are very sensitive to the type of fluid you run in them. If you don't use this fluid, she's going to have numerous transmission issues and could end up ruining the transmission in the long run. It's $5.47 a quart at your local Chrysler dealer and her car takes about 4.5 quarts. Pricey but the amount you spend for fluid is 50xs cheaper than putting in a new or rebuilt transmission because of the wrong fluid type. Also, if you can run synthetic motor oil in the engine, once it's past the break-in mileage of 1,000 miles. It'll do wonders for that engine and it'll last 200,000+ miles.

i already know bout the trans fluids but thanks for the tip and as far as the oil changes i wasnt sure bout useing synthetic or regular oil ao u think synthetic would be better to run?

no u wernt sounding like a dick and thanks for the info when i say mantinence i mean like oil changes but any thing other then that yea its goin to the dealer

If you change your own oil how do you prove that it was done at proper intervals? I thought you had to get it serviced through a business so that you would have a receipt showing the mileage. Personally, I get the dealer to do mine while under warranty just to avoid the aggravation.

I read an article a while back about some guy that ruined the engine in his Sebring because of oil sludge. Chrysler wouldn't replace it stating that he improperly serviced the vehicle. He followed Service plan B and they said he should have been using A. In my opinion, that's getting a bit picky.

Never follow service plan "B" in the manual, the golden rule is 3 months/3,000 miles. What you heard was about a guy who had a Sebring w/ the 2.7 V6 and the 2.7s used to have a real bad sludge problem due to bad oil pickups and other restrictions. If you change the oil yourself, have a ledger & keep all your receipts noting the mileage and what grade of oil you used. That way, if the motor should decide to seize up, you have legal documented evidence to prove that they oil was changed at these intervals. The secret to getting around Chrysler service advisors & managers is to not get upset, though that is hard to do. Be calm, be patient, yet be persistent and in the long run, they'll come around to try to keep the customer happy.

Honestly, run synthetic motor oil. It is 10xs more superior to regular motor oil, it reduces rust, reduces build up of gunk & sludge, allows engine to run at peak performance and doesn't break down as easily as regular motor oil. Granted, it does cost almost 3xs as much as regular oil, but in the long run, the engine will run better, won't run as hot, and it helps improve fuel mileage, a plus in the $2.70/gallon days we live in. I use synthetic in my 2002 Dodge Intrepid, and it runs like a top, gets 22-24 MPG on average and runs smooth if not better than it was when it was brand new.