You identified the problem very well ! Now I understand where all the issues with engine sludge on carcomplaints are a result of. All those engines with internal waterpumps that leak coolant into the oil, or headgasket leakage, result in engine sludge build up. Any coolant leakage into the oil changes the viscosity, and sludge blocks the oil passages. Those of us with the external water pumps only have to worry about head gasket failures. Good job keep up the great tutorials !!

Great video Jesse!! I´ve never seen a 16 year old explaining engine problems (especially on the 2.7) like this. Respect!!

My 2001 sebring just hit 200,000 km and I never had to change any timing chain or anything on it. The only parts I had replaced were the front wheel bearings, rear struts, the control arms, steering rack, and a new starter. All cost me $1700 with labour everything! Not bad for a 10 year investment!!! Great car! Also, my water pump never failed, still runs strong!

While this comment is 11 years after this video, I'll say the following: My 2.7 L Intrepid has 130,000 miles on it right now with the original water pump and timing chain. It has begun burning oil in the most recent 3k miles. I replaced the PCV valve at 128K miles a few weeks ago. I very recently drove it across the U.S. for a 1400 mile round trip. This showed me that the oil burning issue is substantially reduced, not eliminated, by the fresh PCV valve. I use Royal Purple 5-30 oil every 5000 and K&N filters every 5000 miles.

mine just hit 180.000 miles. It runs great.

Ive had my Chrysler Sebring Touring for 2 years now, it had 69,998 miles, now its at 115,648 miles and still going strong. I change the oil every 5,000 miles and never have had any issues with oil sludge.

Just replaced the water pump and primary chain on my '01 2.7. the engine was spotless inside... no sludge. The PO changed the oil every 3K... runs great.

its ppl that dont care about maintenance my Chrysler 300 doesnt burn oil leak oil etc. 160 k miles. and still running strong. ...2.7 liter

I have a 2005 Stratus with 173,000 miles. Gone through my outside sales job, and all 3 of my kids abusing it. Still running strong.... I’ve definitely got my money out if it, it’s now my hoopty commuter car.

"The notorious 2.7, that's what this is!" lol.... well said! Great vids.

i own a 2000 intrepid 2.7 just hit 382,000 km bought it for 600.00 two years agoo has never let me down first dodge i have ever owned i am amazed its still going after the stories i have heard about the 2.7 blowing early

You are the 1st persen ever, that I hear, that says good things bout those 2.7 engines :)

I had a 2000 Intrepid with the 2.7 V6. 418,000kms and still running strong. The rocker panel on drivers side rotted through so I had to let it go. I never replaced anything in the engine. I ran full synthetic oil for 10K kms intervals and never had an issue. At 315K it started to burn about half a quart of oil between changes, which is minimal. You are correct in the video in stating that regular maintenance is key to prevent problems. Hopefully Chrysler's newer 3.6L Pentastar will fare better

@rgssr thanks for posting the videos on rebuilding the 2.7's few questions.is it easier to replace waterpump in the sebring or intrepid. i am looking at buying another sebring but i was going to find one with low miles and replace waterpump the minute i get it....from your video...it doesnt seem too difficult in the intrepid since the timing is at the front of the engine and easy to access however sebring looks like it must be from wheel wells how long does it take how difficult?

Have a 2007 Chrysler 300. 2.7. 197,000 miles. Got it with 20,000 miles. In 2018. We replaced radiator, water pump 2 times, alternator and 1 coil,. And head gasket blew when water pump failed the first time. Been a great car. Wife loves it. Hopefully no issues this year. Needs new struts. Have them but haven't put them on.

Great Video Jesse I just got a Sebring Touring V6 Full, with 145.000 miles, and this car runs like new I love it. Went to my mechanic and he is going to replace the gasket do a tune up and ready to go.

Prior to buying my 2004 Intrepid 2.7L at 192,000km in August 2013 I saw this video and many other ones commenting on the maintenance of the 2.7L. The mechanic that certified the car for me opened the hood, saw the engine and immediately said you bought garbage and you might as well change it to a 3.2 or 3.5L (Apparently they all use the same transmission idk) I did get the car certified but I felt like shit when I left his shop because I didn't want to pay for an engine replacement especially since I bought the car for $1,200.00 So the month after I changed the water pump, the chain and started putting only synthetic oil in it ($700 together). Almost 3 years later the car is 281,000km and still running smooth. I recently got an oil change and I asked the mechanic to drop the oil pan before putting the new oil in. There was no sludge found. I did a compression test and coolant pressure test on the engine. It read 130+ for all cylinders and no coolant leaks. At this point i'm actually curious to see how long the 2.7L will last. Will probably do another chain and water pump change this summer.

I have condensation getting into my #1 spark plug hole.. Just cleaned it off my spark plug cap. Wondering if I have a water pump seep bearing going out an im getting antifreeze in the oil .. ??

purchased my 04 Intrepid 2.7 with 110,000 kms, now I am at 223,000 kms ( 133,800 Miles ) , changed the water pump , not the timing chain , changed every fluid in the engine, changed the transmission solenoid , use semi synthetic oil, change that every 3000 miles ( 5000kms ) zero engine sludge , keep it serviced religiously and fix whatever it needs immediately .. body is in great shape thxs to Krown, love the ride and plan on having it around a very long time ...

I had 1/4 million mile (404,000) on my 94 intrepid 3.3 Litre with no issues but fnt struts and control arm ball joint letting go causing the arn to "lift" beyond range pulling the right drive shaft to pull out ov the "CV" constant velosity socket and watched the bearings roll across the parking lot lol ))) glad it was in a parking lot. Had fnt struts replaced at 122,000 miles. However, with the 04 sebring I now have, much of the front end has needed replacement and of course the strut pads are wearing too causing the knocking (rattling) over bumps. Had both fnt control arms replaced and now this with struts! It's interesting as the car handle like my intrepid did which is like a dream but this newer (smaller/lighter) version seems to be more cost "needy". good luck all I wanna switch to a Pratt & Whitney JT8D Turbine and go AIR LOL Chris ))

250000 miles on my dodge intrepid. You are right, they do require maintenance.

A friend of mine ran one of these for over 400k miles simply by doing regular oil changes. They're great engines when properly maintained.

I'm getting a 2007 Chrysler Sebring Touring with the 2.7 Flex Fuel V6, it has 69,998 miles on it, my mechanic did all the work on it for the previous owner, soo I know the car had care and proper maintenance.

Every engine requires maintenance. Specially oil changes as recommended by manufacturer depending on weather where it is used. Chrysler repaired the oil sludge problem after 2002 on that engine. It was caused by crankcase ventilation system; hydrocarbons were entering the oil and breaking down the additives. (owner of 2003 Sebring Convertible Limited 2.7 40k miles)

keep up the vids man, theyre great!

The multitude of sludge issues, on many different makes and models listed on carcomplaints, confirms what you have pinpointed as the source of the problem. All these water pumps will leak a trace of coolant, they aren't precision made from the start. Good tutorial.

My 19999 2.7 300m has managed over 270000km´s without any sign of oil sludge. I believe the former owner mentioned that he had replaced the waterpump once.

Thanks for the important information!

I have 120 000 km's on my 2001, is the water pump change in the service plan? Runs well, oil is clean, doesnt burn any, everything works. However when it gets hot and i stop on D the oil light starts flickering. It fixes itself if i put higher viscosity oil in but whats the issue, bad oil pressure sensor or the car just getting too hot?

How difficult is it to change the water pump? Do you have a video on that?

I have one question about these Intrepids. I noticed on the model before this one the motor was placed in a RWD configuration. Normally in a FWD car the cylinders go from left to right but I noticed they were placed front to back instead. Intrepids were never RWD were they? Thanks!

I had a 2001 Sebring, changed the oil every 3,000/4,000 miles...Sold it with over 60,000 on it (mostly in-town driving) and it was perfect. The dealer said 'don't change the oil on this one and you have problems, change it and it goes and goes...Last I knew, it was still 'going'...

How possible do you think it would be to put a different 2.7 in the vehicle, like a hyundai 2.7?

Thanks for making and sharing :) Thank you for the practical advice and well done video. 2000 Intrepid with the 2.7L--changed water pump and timing chain *tensioner* at about 65,000 miles / ~100,000 km ...hmm. Based on reading over perhaps 150 complaint descriptions on a few different websites, I got the idea/theory that the tensioner may be faulty. I hope it's not the chain or I may be screwed! :( I hope no car maker ever again makes an engine with an internal water pump, though!

I wonder if you can add a little transmission fluid with detergent to the oil to help clean the sludge like we used to do the older engines. If I recall you only add about 12-16 oz when you change your oil.

@Shcubbebah with the sebring it is more of a PITA then the intrepid...the sebring you have to balance the motor on a floor jack as you will have to remove the passanger tire and motor mount just for starters.....it is very tight quarters to do the work but it can be done.

I know the firing order for the 2.7, but I need to visualy know what cylinders are which?..2002 dodge stratus SE. Front left to right, and the back(firewall)left to right?..thank you!!

I did the water pump in my 04 2.7L intrepid Once the engine was apart I scrubbed everything on the top of the heads with diesel and a brush... I even had diesel in a spray bottle and I sprayed diesel into the oil ports and such.. once I finished cleaning the engine I allowed the oil and diesel to drain completely from the bottom of the pan for about 1day...in a warm garage...

What do you think of synthetic oil . Is it less prone to sludge formation?

Thank you Jesse for a great vidieo.

Mines 2004 convertible pushing 120k miles running like brand new , any recommendations on keeping it that way ?

I intend on buying one of these cars within the next couple months. what would you suggest i have checked and/or replaced on it?

Men thanks for all this. I have a Chrysler Sebring 2005 GTC that has a letter C in the tittle. The car has 65,000 miles but I am expecting the car has 100,000 miles. The car was working fine till I decided to chain the oil, I didn't know what was using last owner so I decided to put synthetic oil to take better care of the engine. Always, after running over 45 minutes, the oil sensor will come up when I press the brake (when I stop). It didn't happen before. What should I do?

My 2001 sebring just hit 200,000 km and I never had to change any timing chain or anything on it. The only parts I had replaced were the front wheel bearings, rear struts, the control arms, steering rack, and a new starter. All cost me $1700 with labour everything! Not bad for a 10 year investment!!! Great car!

My bros car is a 00 Concorde just hitting 320k. 2.7l still runs strong almost beat a civic si uphill. We use only synthetic oil changes with nothing but penzoil. Treat this engine like a rotary with oil and it'll thank you with reliability and great gas mileage for a boat of a car.

I just acquired a 2.7 2000. I got it for really cheap, I've been doing research and have heard about thr engine sludge issue. it has 215000, the car seems to be in good condition. I'm just trying to see what I need to do to check if its in good condition.

You saved my car's ass body!!! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Continued....up and down over and over (almost like its shifting from 3rd to 4th, but it is not!! The rpm's stay exactly the same1 Completely consistent and u feel nothing!! what do you think this could be??? P0441 says NVLD but could be many different things imo, and what ive read.. dont know where to start first?? any suggestions?? Btw thx for the video!! I totally agree with proper maintenance these engines can last forever!! thx again! Jay

My boyfriend's mother had a Sebring Limited convertible for quite some time. It leaked oil, but for what it was worth, that car sure as hell had some oomph when you got into it. I never had the opportunity to beat on it, but I whole-heartedly believe they can last just as long as any other engine if you use synthetic oil.

I have a 2005 Chrysler Sebring 2.7, and axle issues are much worse than engine issues on this car. Everyone talks about sludge and so on but my car already has 300.000 kilometers and no engine issues apart from overheating sometimes. But I had the wheel fall off twice because of axle issues.

When you guys say it requires maintenance, are you changing your water pump every 70k miles? Do you have 418k kms on the original water pump?

I got a 00' Concorde 2.7L with 284000km on it now. Still runs like a top. I don't find it smokes at all. Runs very quietly! The key is frequent oil change! More frequently than the factory recommends!

@rgssr i figured that out....turns its a common issue....i however did not replace the water pump myself....the owner previous had done that.... and i guess had not replaced them.....i sold the vehicle and i doubt i will buy another with 2.7....i might if i can get ahold of a 2.4 sebring.

The reason why it burns oil are the exhaust valve seals are failing....did you replace them when you did the waterpump? Good write up...if you're looking to rebuild the 2.7 you might want to refer to some videos I have.

@rgssr i figured that out....turns out its a common issue....i however did not replace the water pump myself....the owner previous had done that.... and i guess had not replaced them.....i sold the vehicle and i doubt i will buy another with 2.7....i might if i can get ahold of a 2.4 sebring.

Would a bad thermostat lead to sludge

Its hard to find any info on the 2.7l v6 Dodge Flex Fuel version of this..yes its different..can't even buy a replacement dipstick for the damn thing..

I have a 2009 dodge charger with a 2.7 with 189 thousand miles and it runs great.

How much does it typically cost to change a water pump on a Chrysler 2.7?

@hairyfatslobpig i dont know too much about transmissions however i do know the chrysler transmissions are very sensitive to the fluid they use...i believe they recommend atf+4 fluid....if any others are used or the fluid is dirty....transmission failure(friction material) or shift solenoids are common to fail.

ford uses 5-20 wt in their 3.8, wonder if doing that to the 2.7 will improve the issues being mentioned here...

My 01 Sebring 2.7 had 283,000 kms on it when the original water pump failed. The bearing went all at once so it wasn't sludged actually it was just like new inside! I also change my oil every 5000 kms with lucas and 10w40 castrol gtx. I just put a used engine in it with a new water pump and primary timing chain tensioner, no problems (besides an oil pressure sensor) yet. these 2.7's are just like any other engine, take care of them and they'll take care of you IMO.

Nice video. I have a question. I got a 2003 Chrysler Concorde v6 2.7l. My question is... Will a 3.5 engine from a Chrysler LHS fit in the Concorde?

You nailed it about the water pump. It is a strange and unfortunate design, which I might add is an issue with the 3.2L and 3.5L too, though their timing is belt-driven so the leaking coolant doesn't mix with oil (causing the sludge). The water pump still needs to be changed I say 80k miles or 7 years because a seizure risks the belt (bad!). I've seen several people with original 2.7s running 200k+ miles flawlessly (at least one closing in on 300k). It really is about preventative maintenance.

I thought the same about the sludge deal that it's on the owner and maintenance.

I have a 02 concorde with a 2.7 liter.. Engine rebuilt, mopar water pump, and tim. chain as well.. Now I have some emission codes such a p0441, p0056, p0158.. Runs and starts and sounds great.. Only problem i can see as well as the codes of course is the fact that it seems i have a air flow problem.. When idle its fine, when around town seems fine.. Problem is at hwy constant speed 45,55,70 etc.. Foot in same position or even cruise, i hear the engine/air flow engine rev higher and lower.

Great video. I just recently purchased a 2002 sebring 2.7 convertible with 140k miles on it. The body and frame are immaculate and i got it for almost nothing. Its evident that it was extremely well maintained. Doesnt burn oil, no blow by, oil stays clean. Guy who sold it to me said the water pump and timing chain was replaced(i failed to ask at what mileage). HOWEVER, i do have some concerns. While it runs and drives great, the oil light comes on and it has a code for the crankshaft position sensor. Even tho the oil light was coming on the dipstick said it full. To try to remedy this i ran a bottle of some stp oil treatment to thicken it up in increase oil pressure. Well that fixed the oil light but it made starting it hard. Would have to crank a lot before it fired up. So i did an oil change to start from scratch. Oil light is still off but it does struggle to start still. Sometimes it even sounds like its dry starting. I tried using a racing oil filter because while they don't clean as good as a normal filter, they have less resistance/better flow. It helped but did not totally solve the issue. The starting/cranking issue seems to be getting worse. The starter doesn't sound weak or anything. It will keep cranking as long as i hold the key. After she sits for a while i try cranking her for like 10 seconds, stop and wait 10 seconds, and she fires right up. Id like to know what jesse and the rest of yall think. The car didn't seem to have any cranking issues before i started messing with the oil.

great vid..nice exhaust sound for the 2.7, sounds pretty deep. Also I have an Audi with the same prob, it has black deposits on the muffler tip, and it smokes a bit on startup, does that mean its burning oil. Or is that just common?

This is a straightforward, honest engine. Why don't they put ceramic bearings in the w.p. ?

Is it easy to change the water pump and timing chain on these engines? I have a 2002 stratus 2.7. 167,000 miles and still runs smooth.

@blaikepp well no wonder why the pressure light doensnt come back on..... a thicker oil will seal things up more....but the oil pressure light will come on simply because the oil pressure switch goes bad...the 2.7 engine from 1997-2004 is recommended to use 5w30 and the 2005-present are to use 5w20 due to thin oil passageways... 10w40 is a bit thick for a 2.7 change your waterpump out and put a new oil pressure sensor in and use 5w30 synthetic and you will be set for a long time..

@Georgetheairplaneguy ummm if its only on start up then it is the valve seals..... if it is when you step on the gas then its rings....but if it is rings there will also be air blowing out of the oil cap when engine is running....(excessive blow by).....not my case....however i hear pcv valve can fool you let oil into intake.....they are 5 bucks so i changed mine just to be sure...

Use full synthetic oil, antifreeze and synthetic oil don't mix, no sludge.

I own a 2004 Dodge Intrepid 2.7L, and you're absolutely right about the water pumps. I've already had mine replaced for it's first go-round at about 95,000 miles (American miles). When the car was bought I didn't have the time needed to research its repair and recall history as I needed it for work right away. That was a huge bummer; out of my control. But, I was very fortunate though when I had my water pump done, I knew someone who knew someone who worked for the Grogan Chrysler dealership who was gracious enough to apply their employee discount toward my replacement and labor bill. It woulda been about 1250.-- otherwise. No one wanted to touch it, ya know? Because of that darn timing chain! I am fortunate, still, to report that, at it's current mileage status of 149,5---, the Intrepid is still going along just fine, aside of minor understandable issues for a 14 year old vehicle. But, you say Lucas 2 huh?...Sweet, I'll have to check that out. Thank you so much for your video!!

So I just bought an 2.7 05 Sebring. Oil light came on when I got home. Went to check it and broke the dipstick right off because it was stuck in there. Opened the oil cap and it's all sludge. Anything I can do to save it???

Mine is running good, it's abiously not a race street race car. Thank God 🙏 I acquired one of the good ones. I love my charger 2.7 I mainly pimp it out for car show/spl competitions, looks super clean on 22" I'm satisfied with it

Mine just hit 120k miles, still running great.

I have an '05 LIMITED and i had to change the thermostat about 2k miles back but hey it still burns rubber

"Oh shit!" Priceless!

@Shcubbebah I love the 4.0 Engine in the chrysler Pacifica with the 6 spd transmission. That is a good car with PLENTY of power.

We have a 2002 Chrysler Sebring and the oil light blinked a few times recently and now there is a clicking sound coming from the engine. We already changed the water pump. The car has 120000 miles. We are brining it to the shop tomorrow.

my cousin has a 2006 chrysler sebring with the 2.4 i think.. and the transmission was horrible and she never took care of it. im surprised that car is still running.

I have a Chrysler Concorde 2.7 with 214,000 miles all original

Good vid!

Thanks Jesse. In what years was this problematic engine produced? I have a 2007 Sebring with the 2.7L EER V6 (Gas/E85) engine. Does this have the same integrated water pump and sludging problem?

I have a 2001 sebring and was well maintained while going down the interstate oil light flashed on car cut off took it to shop they said engine shot only had 56,000 miles

Do you get a lot of engine oil sucked up the PCV tube ? They should have made the oil sump 8 to 10 (US quarts), not 5. :O/

Oil Analysis will identify coolant in the oil, it will tell you if there is a problem long before a mechanic will sell you a new engine.

Thank you How expensive is it to replace water pump or the bearings ?? What do you think about 2006 Sebring with 68k Can one keep that going for a while

Question? I have a 2004 Chrysler Sebring gtc with the 2.7 engine and the oil light came on. Should i fix the timing chain or have it serviced? Has 77k miles

you are very very right my man, its always been a water pump issue. but unfortunately, especially where I live, we all can't take our car in ever 50 to 60,000 miles to get a timing chain and water pump change. its expensive and california is in a huge rut so usually I avoid these cars. but if you got the money, then yeah, great car to have BUT! if you got laid off or something, I mean where's the money going to come from to fix it ya know? but you know what, you are absolutely correct.

@markothecroat some last forever, some do not....consider yourself very fortunate to have one of the few good ones..

GOOD VIDEO.

The water pump change is more critical than the timing chain. In theory, the timing chain should last a very long time... but when the water pump starts going and anti-freeze gets in there, the chain gets wrecked so if you can get the water pump before the thing starts leaking, the chain should be ok. But it's cheap enough to buy, and you have to get it off anyway.. so we change it while we're in there.

I never had problems with my Sebring 2.7 I keep up on maintenance regular oil changes and my car has close to 81,000 miles on it

@Shcubbebah take a look at the rebuild on a sebring i've got.

So how to prevent the sludge? I just need to change the water pump and the chain?

@ak12543 yah well.....it is a bit soon to be changing....but its definately cheaper than a new engine....

Thanks for the info. We have a seibring with this engine and it's been great so far. However at 120k it's literally falling apart. I have never had a vehicle were so many things went at once. I mean transmission, water pump, tieroends, headlight bulbs, brakes, drivers side window switch, windshield washer pump...I think I even missed a couple of things. I think this will be our last Chrysler product.

My 01 intrepid has the 2.7. Its got 143,000 miles on it, the timing belt has been changed once and the water pump was replaced 2 weeks ago. It doesn't use any oil, and I run it pretty hard.