We have also had a problem with this part. As we were on the interstate we heard a noise and noticed the temperature gauge went up and then started dropping quickly. When we pulled over the housing had blown apart and the noise we heard was the top part of the housing hit our hood! We now have a dent in the hood. With it happening on the weekend there is not a part available - so we are trying the JB Weld until a part can be ordered. Fortunately my husband can do maintenance and it took him about thirty minutes to take it off. We will let you know how the JB Weld works.

 

find all about car auto parts, visit this web site, theautopartsshop.com. Chrysler Cirrus AC Condenser

 

the new design requires u to remove the intake to replace the tube that goes under the intake to the back water hose.

 

Thank you ! it's great

 

I had an old post about this. Go to Napa. They sell just the water box part. It'll make your job alot easier.

Bill

 

I tried Napa (Canada), they couldn't find it. Do you know their part number and was it Napa Canada or USA ? The one I found on their US web site (p/n BK6051763) is not the right shape.

 

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate this forum, although not the Auto services that over-inflate prices to make a buck. This job was quoted 345 at Bill Maynards, on Loomis Road in Milwaukee, wi., but out in the burbs, it's 240. Why so much difference??? I can see if it's 30 dollar difference, but not 105 dollars!!!
Maynards gives customers a bad taste in their mouths....All I can say is Shop Around!!!!

 

Hello guys, in reference to the water outlet housing/jacket. I bought it in Louisiana for $116 plus tax $127. It was very easy to instal. I would suggest that you get a old fashion clamp that screws on for the big hose. I loosened the intake and raised the end just enough for the swivel socket to do its job. The entire process took less than 30 minutes. I didnt want to take a chance with repairing the old on. Good luck on your cars. Thanks for all the information you guys posted.

 

I just replaced mine on my '01 2.7 L convertible. To remove the old one, I used a wrench I bought at Lowe's, it has an open end wrench on one end and a swivel ratcheting box wrench on the other. I think they call it a "gear wrench" or something like that. 8 mm size. It helps to remove the MAP sensor for a little extra room to swing the wrench. The other three bolts come out easy.
I bought the part at a dealer for $78 including the temp sensor, but I have since seen them listed at Autozone for less than $20 not including the sensor. I'll try there next time.

 

This forum is a great resource! I've been lurking for a while, and just signed up.

Last February I purchased a 2002 Sebring Limited Convertible on eBay from LA. My wife and I flew across the country to pick it up beginning a 50-day road trip. We drove the car about 6500 miles in a round about road trip back to Vermont. We had no problems other than a weak heater and a burnt out headlamp. The car was great fun!

When we got back to Vermont, I took it to the dealer for state inspection, etc. They found that the coolant was low, topped it off and replaced the radiator cap (among other things, totaling around $1000).

Since then we've hardly driven it (not much top-down weather in Vermont this summer). However, my wife took it out a couple of days ago as her car was showing a dash diagnostic (since corrected). On the way home she was greeted with a plume of steam and a loud "POP" from under the hood. The temp gauge immediately dropped from near hot to cold. Since she was close to home, she drove the rest of the way.

When she arrived, I checked under the hood and discovered the "coolant outlet manifold" had separated at the glue seam. [A glued plastic part in the cooling system!! what were they thinking??] I called the dealer since the car was still on an extended drive train warranty. After a lengthy discussion with the service writer and the parts department, they determined that the coolant manifold (part 4792639AA) though seemingly part of the engine, is not covered by the drive train warranty. Replacing the part ($107+tax) was estimated at something over $400 (including towing, I think).

So I did some online research and found the most valuable information in this forum. [Thanks!!] Although I noted that some folks indicated the intention of using JB Weld to put the parts back together, I could not find whether or not this was successful or long lasting. Nonetheless, I tried it. I scraped out the old glue, roughed up the services with steel wool, vacuumed the dust, cleaned with acetone (my wife's nail polish remover) and dried it with her hair dryer. I put on a thin coat of JB Weld, pressed the parts together and put a brick on top for about 6 hours. The next morning, after topping off the coolant, I started it up. No leaks. I let it run with the heater on until the cooling fan cycled on and off several times. I turned on the A/C to put a light load on the engine and raise the temp a bit (it came up to about 3/8, normal light load operating temp, I suspect).

I was unable to bleed the air from the system using the connector on top of the manifold, but bubbles did flow into the overflow reservoir and the heater worked fine. So I took it first for a 6 mile drive, checked it again, then for a 25 mile drive. No problems or leaks, but with the top down, I thought I could detect the sweet smell of Prestone. Perhaps it was left over from the flood of coolant that collected in various engine crevices when the manifold failed. I'll keep an eye on the coolant level.

Questions: [finally!]

Should I trust the JB Welded manifold? A mechanic acquaintance suggests that it is probably stronger than the original. Or should I drive to the dealer and have them put in a new one (at $400+)? [Are the replacement units as weak as the original?]

Should I order a replacement from Rock Auto (or the like) at less than half the price? And if so, should I install it (I'm not a mechanic, but in the past, have rebuild master cylinders, and relined disk brakes, for example. I have a few tools and could purchase others if needed.) Or should I just stow the part in the trunk, just in case?

Could the failure of the manifold related to replacing the radiator cap (17 lbs)? Was the radiator cap replacement just an cheap guess at the cause of the initial coolant loss?

Should I have the cooling system pressure checked? Why do you suppose the temp gauge was showing an elevated temp *before* the manifold popped? [It is possible my wife was confused about the order of events, but she believes the gauge was just short of the "red" zone when she first noticed steam.]

Thanks for your patience in reading this far. What would you do? Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!

Roger