Engine problem - help

[dwalls9102]

My Wife's Neon is running very rough.
It is a SOHC. So far, no trouble codes have shown up.
The engine idles ok, but every few seconds there's a miss.
When I go to drive it, it coughs and sputters - mis-firing and backfiring - especially when under a load or acceleration - like going up a hill.
The problem developed suddenly while idling in a parking lot with the A/C going. Been running rough ever since.
I removed the EGR about 12,000 - 15,000 miles ago and used a block off plate and resistor.
It seems to be a fuel problem - like it's running too rich. There's black soot on the exhaust tip.
Any thoughts?

Thanks
Donnie

[Mopar2You]

if its running too rich I dont know... but if its running out of fuel check the fuel filter and see if maybe the catalytic converter is clogged.

otherwise... best place to go is

www.neons.org

this site doesn't have much for us neon owners

[dwalls9102]

Thanks for the info.

A MIL finally showed up - code 43 - ignition control circuit.
I had to fork over $90 bucks for a new coil pack.
I'll just be glad when I get rid of the car- it's beginning to fall apart.

I thought maybe, just maybe, I'd get some kind of response here before I went to neons.org. Those guys are a bunch of dorks 'tho. IMO, a bunch of "The Fast and the Furious" wannabe posers. Although, there are a few who know their stuff.

Thanks Mopar
Donnie

[Mopar2You]

hey!!! that hurts lol. I go there too.

Some of em are pretty bad, but not all of them.

[dwalls9102]

I didn't mean you

Most of those guys are just blowin' smoke - all talk.

I'd love to modify my Wife's Neon but she won't let me.
All I have to play with is my 4 banger Dak.
Those mods cost way too much $$$ anyway.

I got this cool pic from neons.org a while back.


Donnie

[Mopar2You]

I think that picture is fake it just doesn't set well for some reason.....

u should check out my cardomain site... www.cardomain.com/id/lordofchaos

lotsa pictures of my neon and what I have done to it, I will be putting a Mopar PCM in it this week, and running it at the track again, i'm hoping for a 15.2 or 15.3 (dropping weight and front tire PSI this time).

[dwalls9102]

That's a pretty nice website.

1 question - how can you stand working on a little car like a Neon? There's just no room in there. You have to take out all kinds of stuff just to get to anything!
My wife's neon still has the original belts and hoses on it - after 60,000 miles - because I can't get to it. I've never seen the front of the engine. The only way I can imagine to get to it is to remove the fender well, right?

I'm used to working on cars & trucks like your roadrunner where you got tons of room to work.
Heck, I used to have an old 73 D-100 p/u with a 318. When I went to work on it, I didn't just lean over the fender or the radiator, I climbed right in the engine compartment and made myself at home. Man, they don't make 'em like that anymore. Well, my Dak with the 2.5L is close, I bet if I really tried, I could climb in it.
That's just a pet peeve I have when it comes to these things.

I guess you could call me a shade-tree mechanic. I like to do all mechanic work myself, but when it comes to that Neon, I wish that it was someone other than me doing it.
But really, how do you guys do it? You must have lots more patience than the average guy. Not me!

Regarding the V8 neon, you never know. It could be real. I'm sure someone out there has done it. I have a pic of a Dak with a V10 Viper engine, and there's currently a thread on the Dakota Forum of a Dak with a straight 6 diesel that gets like 40 mpg and runs 13's in 1/4 mile, or something like that.
A V8 Neon conversion would be very difficult to do. How would you even get to the spark plugs?

Donnie

[Mopar2You]

actually, its relatively EASY to work on overall. however, the spark plugs are PATHETICALLY easy (actually... easier than that)compared to say a 440 with headers on it (YUCK) sittin in a dart or somethin.

Surprisingly, I have little patience, however, everything just fits together so its easy to take it apart, nothing can really go in anyplace else except for some bolts. I did the header and UDP when I pulled the head off to do the HG so that was actually quite easy

I just pulled the RR motor tonight, it had a bad piston ring.... yuck. I'm installing the bracket killer motor kit from Muscle motors in it.

Oh... did I mention I'm 18 years old? I go in the service starting july 30th as an aerospace propulsion mechanic (jet engines).

Check out my RR's site if you haven't yet, its got a lot of nice pics of it.
www.cardomain.com/id/lordofchaos187

I've seen a 440 dak as well, that diesel one would be cool... I LOVE diesels for some reason (must be the sound....)

[OnmiGLHT85]

well i agree i use to have a ramcharger i use to sit on the inner fender wall and put my feet on the frame thats how i use to work on it so when i wouls on a little car like that its hard to do. i also see something in that pic that dont sit right. it has a funky look to it like its not real?!? oh well also you said you changed a head gasket i have to do this soon to my 96 neon how hard is it? and i also heard that you dont need to pull the exhaust and intake is that true ( it will save my the $20 in gaskets) well thaks alot? best of luck to all


mike denofrio

ps i also get that feeling form neons.org they seem to want to would with stickers and carbonfiber dash insert! but over all its a good place to go oh and lets not forget a 4' wing does not = speed.

[Mopar2You]

All those pics are completely real!! I took em as I worked on the car.

I had to have the head shaved so everything had to come off . I didn't have a hard time cept my head was warped, everything just fits back together as well when you put it back together (cept some bolts... u have to remember where they go!!!)

[Mopar2You]

oops, my bad, forgot about the v8 neon link. I dont think that is real either . Thought you were talkign about my site.

[dwalls9102]

Mopar2You,

Originally posted by Mopar2You
I had to have the head shaved so everything had to come off . I didn't have a hard time cept my head was warped, everything just fits back together as well when you put it back together (cept some bolts... u have to remember where they go!!!)

Your HEAD is warped and you shaved it?
Oh... That's why you're joining the Air Force.
Just jerkin' yer chain.

Turns out that the MIL - code 43, was caused by bad plug wires, not the coil or ignition system. I reckon that makes sense, considering the car went over 60,000 miles with the original wires on it. Duh...
Maybe I should start taking better care of the car. Well, I guess I would, if it was me driving it everyday.

OnmiGLHT85 was talking about the V8 Neon pic, not the pics you took of your Neon.

Don't the intake and exhaust manifolds connect to the head? How could you remove the head without taking them off? Every other car & truck I've seen has the intake & exhaust connected to the head.

Hey OnmiGLHT85 - is that a mis-spelling in reference to the Omni GLH? Wasn't that the car that Chrysler made to compete with the Yugo GT?
No, seriously - that's a bad little car. Didn't they come with a 2.2L or 2.5L turbo?


Later,
Donnie

[OnmiGLHT85]

yes i was talking about that V8 pic you pics were good i liked you webpage. yes that is a refrencs to an onmi GLH i have one now sold it to get the neon it had a 2.2 turbo its a quick car i had it down to low 14.9 at the strip with almost no mods to it at all k&n was about the onl thing dont to it. well i know the exhaust and intake is connected but i read a post on this site that said you didnrt need to take everything off to just replace the gasket well mabe it was wrong i just want to know i have to do it soon and i have never done it on this car i did it on an older 2.2 ( not the onmi it was a k car) eather wat it will be a big job but its better than paying someone to do it

[dwalls9102]

Omni,

That was Mopar2You's webpage, not mine. I don't have one.

14.9 huh? Not too shabby.

Donnie