Chrysler Sebring Convertible

reg48 · May 2011

Thanks for the response last August; I'm going to finally fix the panel now. Can you identify the resources that you referenced?

daford · November 2011

I have a 97 chrysler sebring convertible I need to replace my BCM know. It is located behind your fuses on the driver side door mine is blue. Do you know where there is cheap BCM the number 4671224AD help

stenn · November 2011

Sorry no, I stopped putting money into it, it got to expensive, good luck

reg48 · March 2012

Looking for a source for replacement grey leather seat cover (bottom only) for my '96 JXi - any recommendation?

eroosejx00 · April 2012

i just bought a 2000 sebring jx convertible and my back window is in with gorilla tape. were you ever able to find what works to seal the back window.

charlessr · April 2012

i used super glue at one time....but the part of the fabric covering the lower part of the glass windo ..keeps coming apart....I wonder if some type of epoxy might work.....they want far too much to replace the rear glass assembly

dklynn2 · April 2012

I found no successful methods and ended up replacing the top after the car flooded (water runs into a reservoir behind the back seat and sits if the drains are plugged (as mine were), causing the floor pan to repeatedly fill up...ugh!) I found a new canvas top (installed) at a local top shop for $1100 - can probably find for less if you shop around. (PS i replaced the whole top because most of the thread in the piping, around the window and some of the seams had rotted out - found no one willing / able to resew or install a new window w/o taking the top off, at which point you may as well replace. Vinyl is obviously a lot cheaper.)

neonitis · April 2012

eroosejx00: On the window of my 2006 Sebring attached to vinyl convertible top, i used Household Amazing Goop, purchased at Walmart for like 4 or 5 dollars. The vinyl was coming apart from window in most places, and window would shake while i was driving. The top part of the window was not a problem , so i just used that goop on the lower part of the vinyl top where it's glued, pressed, whatever the factory does to the vinyl top window. I went ahead and took the whole lower part of top loose from window, and used the goop thru from left to right. Just put about an 1/8 " bead, then press firmly against window. To keep together for over 24 hours to cure best, i used that clear packing tape across the window and vinyl top. It has been holding great for over 5 months wiith no problem even when i have the drivers windows down traveling over 50 miles per hour. Try it, should work fine. David

nstreet · May 2012

Cam sensor is part of the distributor, its a $300 item got to get the distributor, (Mitubishi) sebring V6 is prone to distributor problems and distributor electrical issues due to location of the distributor. Chrysler was going to have Distributorless ignition on this motor but decided against it because Mitsubishi wanted too much more money for it.

charlessr · May 2012

1. I would like to second the motion for the "goop" solution to the back window of the the top.....I did mine in stages working from the sides toward the middle....the top has been up and won a number of times and in some pretty good rain storms...working well...

2. last spring I had a problem with the top going up....I was told the right cylinder was bad and it was replaced....now..often the top goes up half way ..then stops...I put it down and try again and it slowly closes...someone said that it may be that the fluid has air bubbles.....anyone have experience with this??????

jokerwhs07 · June 2012

So What was the actual problem cause my 2007 Chrysler Sebring does the exact same thing. But the check engine light doesn't come on. The what do i do

jim1939 · July 2012

I have a 2006 Seabring convertible with a tan top. When the car was about 2 1/2 years old the edging (trim) around the top started to deteriorate-threads broke-trim fell loose. I took the car to the dealer-he said go get a new top ($1800) I called Chrysler-they claimed they had no other reports of problems. I have seen at least 50 Chrysler Convertibles with tan tops with the same problem. What can be done to pressure Chrysler to step up to this problem-they surely know about it but have chosen to ignore it because of the cost.

Claires · July 2012

jim1939, it looks like quite a few people have had problems with tops (not sure if they were all tan) and some of them have had luck repairing them themselves:

Chrysler Sebring Convertible Top and Sunroof Problems

ClaireS, Host
Automotive News & Views | Coupes & Convertibles

brklauss · July 2012

I've been noticing since I brought my car into the shop a few months ago a section of the engine, what looks to be part of the cooling system, to bubble and drip every now and then. It is concerning and any insight anyone can provide would be appreciated. I've included a picture with a nice "red" oval around the part in question.

Thank you in advance!

isaachernandez · July 2012

The "tower" looking device is part of the cooling system. It also contains a senser. I replaced mine a couple of years back. It is actually an assembly of pieces that are epoxied together. I was told that it is not repairable. The epoxy degrades and coolant leaks out. Since the leakage is red in color, I assume your coolant is red. It took about an hour and a half after I bought the part and a small tool due to limited clearance around the part.

unlost · September 2012

i have owned both and i can say by far the solara is better on reliability. however the sebring had a couple of advantages. it seemed like it had more room. i could control the back windows on the sebring where the solaras automatically roll down whenever you lower the top. not sure why or if it matters. solara engine will last longer. of course i payed thousands more for the solara, and i'm comparing them both as used cars. my advice is get the sebring if you want short term fun; get the solara if you want to keep it long term. here are things to beware of on the sebring- speaker grilles being cracked by passengers, head gasket/overheating problems on high mileage cars, speedometer shroud suddenly conks out (actaully not hard to fix if you can solder a resister), but the one i hate the most is the separation of the fabric from the back window. try as you will, i don't think it can be resealed permanently. Oh yeah, i almost forgot- the engineers designed the early sebrings so that you have to take off the fender and the wheel to change the battery. that's wacky. All of this is actually worth it if you pay under 2 grand for the car. the solara will need a new timing belt around 130,000 miles and if you decide to ignore that for over 150,000 you are taking a big risk.

sebringlady · September 2012

I have an '08 Sebring convertible. When folding up the support shelf in the trunk one of the hinges broke.
I took it to the dealership & was told they don't sell replacement hinges. That I would have to buy the entire support shelf to the tune of $570.00. A friend of mine bought 3 brass hinges & a friend of his installed them with rivets. Works like a charm & much stronger.
If anyone has had this problem be sure to use the rivits as screws will pull out.
I had called 5 junk yards to see if they had any & was told that when they get any in the hinges are bought immediately.
Now I have 2 of the original hinges & I'm going to be calling the junk yards back to see if they would like to buy them.

isaachernandez · September 2012

I have an '02 convertable and not sure if I have the shelf. Thanks for the tip anyway. I have found that hardware folks are always interested in helping find solutions for those kinds of fixes.

isaachernandez · September 2012

I own a 2002 sebring convertable and I have an intermittent electric door lock issue. When they work they work very well (not sluggish). When they don't work, I have to manually lock the doors. They always un-lock. Has anyone had this problem?

daford · September 2012

I am having problems know with the locks killing the battery I think I should just buy new locks. It is something dealing with the locks.

edith87 · October 2012

I have a 2005 Chrysler Sebring convertible and recently I have started to smell a burning smell from the front drivers side, coming from under the hood. A couple of times (especially when it has been raining) I have seen steam coming from under the hood. The hood on that side of the car is very hot to the touch. None of the gauges are reading hot and there are no check engine lights coming on. It heats up after driving only about 5 or 10 minutes but is also cooled down within less than 5 minutes of Turning the car off. Has anyone had a problem like this or know what it might be?

neonitis · October 2012

I have a 2005 Sebring Convertible Touring. No I have not experienced any burning smell. I have 72000 miles on it. I live in the Dallas, Texas area and if you'd like to compare cars, with the hot spot area, I'm open to it.
David

charlessr · November 2012

last year we took the 2002 lxi to a local station(we have used with good results) as there was an oil leak? in the garage..they said it was a transmission leak which was normal with Sebrings and wantes about $500 to fix....as I did not see a transmission lleak as the issue(based on the colr and the level) ....I decided to wait...another center(while installing tires) said the leak was a normal chrysler transmission and certain gaskets, seals, etc....need to be replaces as part of normal maintenance ...again in the $500 to $600 tange....this LXI only has 40,000 milles on it....driven not hard , obviously , by my wife...I see that there does appear to be an oil lelak ...judged by the levels...(once I started watching it)...aside from the filter and the plug..what elase could be the culprit....

oil pan bolts(?)....just tired of being ripped off

neonitis · November 2012

To:charlessr: Whaaaat??? I have had my sebring touring'05 since '06 which now has 72000 miles. When first bought it had 11K miles on it. I have monitored the transmission level and have NOT had any leakage more than a few drops at a time, but definitely not to where the level was requiring addition of transmission fluid. I routinely get under my sebring with creeper and inspect for any leakage, and observe sometimes a wetness around the transmission lower pan, and never any on the garage floor. The transmission has not had any work done on it while in my possession. In my experience the transmission should be serviced for: new transmission fluid filter, (chrysler brand) and new transmission fluid at 80,000miles, and 150,000miles. IMO

wileyib · March 2013

I had this problem on my 2004, Tried to get back seat out to check the pump.
Spoke with Dealer, their remark was that their experience was that the problem was never related topping off fluid level. So I found that when the car was parked downhill there was never a problem.
The problem disappeared after installing a new battery!!!
You might consider replacing an old battery.

isaachernandez · March 2013

Thank you for the heads up. I have already replaced the battery. my hydrolic lifts have slow leaks.

mah53 · November 2013

Hi Sebringlady.I just paid 800 to fix those hinges by dealer. broke the next day. could you please send me a diagram or picture of the hinges you used so I might try them on my 08 convertible. Thank You mah53

mah53 · November 2013

help. paid 800 for the dealer to fix the package tray broken hinges on my 08 sebring convertible, they broke the next day at the body shop the dealer sent me to because he said he could not adjust my top it was beyond their knowledge.anybody else have this problem or a solution. Thanks mah53

skibjr · November 2013

The link at http://members.cox.net/dpeters30/97_sebring_dash.htm is dead, as my ISP decided to discontinue their web hosting services a few years ago. In case anyone finds this old topic, I've republished this tutorial here:

http://www.vintagesilversmith.com/Chrysler/97_sebring_dash.htm

Good luck!

Dave

Claires · November 2013

Thanks for moving the tutorial to make sure we can find it, Dave.

ClaireS, Host
Automotive News & Views | Coupes & Convertibles

traveler123 · November 2013

We are thinking of buying a used Chrysler Sebring convertible. Just wondering if one year is better than another. We see a lot of them around town. Have been looking at 2004 mainly because they are lower priced. Going to use it as a daily driver. Also wondering what everyone thinks about this car? Would you buy another one? Any issues with the convertible top?

kimfooter · November 2013

I own a 1998 Sebring Convertible, they are notorious for having distributor problems, I have been told and experienced. I leaned not to take to a dealer to get fixed. I have had to put in a new computer (which I do not believe was the problem), then told it was the distributor all along. Also, sometimes in this make there can be problems with the converter. When the car is running right, it is a dream to drive and has a good engine. Just get a mechanic you can trust. Good luck.

Kim

isaachernandez · November 2013

I really enjoy my 2002 convertible. I would buy another. The rag top has two problems. The first is the hydraulics, there is a slow leak somewhere so if I leave it down for several days, it gets air in the line and strains to go back up. I replaced the fluid with a compatible fluid that contained a seal conditioner and it is better. It worked after two days being down but I haven't given it a week long test. The other is the rear window defogger, they fixed it and it lasted past warranty. One of the wire connections broke off. Now I carry a squeegee. Also, the rear seal is going out and the fix is over $700. The rear seal and insert bearing are an assembly and require pulling the engine.

pravin3 · November 2013

hi I had the same leak on my 2004 sebring for 6years, simple fix its coming from $16 oil sending unit, bit diffcult to replace and its hidden under a protective cap you can call me at 604 5063301 or email me at pkumar@live.ca i replace my 3 months ago no problem after

jpf · November 2013

I would stay away from the 2.7 liter v6 engine. Notorious for engine sludge and timing chain issues. Good luck.

sebringnoobee · November 2013

Hello. Help needed. Recently purchased car with 115,000 miles on odo. Recently replaced transmission. Drove the car for about 200 miles. One day it wouldn't start. Family mechanic determined the crank sensor needed to be replaced. He was correct and the car started right up. However on the way home not two minutes later a new problem occurred. The engine hesitated and misfired. We could barely accelerate. He suggested the car had to learn the new crank sensor and it may take time. It's been 2 weeks and the performance is the same. Car starts fine. Drives great for 3 or 4 minutes then stalling misfires and spastic shifting make me want to punch the dashboard in. Curious as to whati should do. Also, we didn't use an OEM part so we are going to try switching to an OEM crankshaft but the cost are piling and if this doesn't work i don't know what to do. Thanks for any help.

wadsie · March 2014

@libertycat said:
Why is there no discussion about this hot-selling (and looking) convertible? It got on the top 10 list on Edmunds 2004 Buying Guide.

wadsie · March 2014

Changing subject refilling conv. Top oil resevore can be filled with needle & syring without removing motor. Just inject rubber fiil plug with atf u
ntil no more goes in. Fill plug will self seal

ssweetandsassy · March 2015

I really do love my Sebring convertable.she don't see freewAy much I hate driving freeway but all and all love it just nothing is cheap for this .But it is really nice on a nice night to just cruise with top down and down by the beach.

Chrysler Sebring Convertible

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