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Dodge Neon Car Repair Questions and Answers

Question: 1999 Dodge Neon mileage: 87,000. I bought a used from a car lot - a year ago. The car was running fine but when I took a look at the radiator about 2 weeks later, I found oil in it. I took it back and they said someone put quarts of oil in the radiator and drained it and cleaned it out. It seemed to run fine, but after a few days, it started dying out on me. I took it back in and they said it was an o2 sensor, they said they replaced it. Then I drove the car for a while and within a few weeks (after the warranty expired) it started surging/holding back when I accelerated and burning a good amount of oil along with lots of gas. I changed the fuel filter, and PVC valve, and spark plugs. My only other thought was there is something wrong with fuel injector (S). What is your thought? Yes, the check engine light is on. It will cost me more to see what is wrong than it will to fix it! Help

Answer: Scan the computer for fault codes. Also, have the head gasket checked for leakage. Neon has had problems with head gaskets and heads.

Question: 1995 Dodge Neon mileage: 56,000 Hello Bob and Ken, My daughter's Neon Problem. The engine cranks over but will not start. I have checked the error code and it says 42, (fuel pump or auto shutoff solenoid) and I cannot hear the fuel pump whine. The fuse and solenoids test good so I replaced the fuel pump, but still have the same result. So, being a backyard mechanic, I cheated the relays and was able to energize the pump, gas is present at the injectors with no leaks in the lines. thought it might then, be a timing belt problem. Everything lines up and I've even taken the plugs out and put a little gas in the cylinders. Turned it over and it starts, so I figure timing and spark are there. I guess that leaves me with an injector or power module problem. **An Important note, My Daughter said she was bumped from behind when she stopped for a traffic light, nothing serious. But since then, it became harder to start each day! I know there's an emergency shutoff sensor, but I thought it would shut fuel completely off not work in between. Any Ideas or Thoughts would be welcomed; I've gone way beyond my capabilities. Thanks, Steve

Answer: We do not know of an emergency fuel shut-off sensor your car. What you should do is scan the PCM for fault codes, which should pinpoint your malfunctioning component.

Question: 1999 Dodge Neon mileage: 91,000. I have a Dodge Neon and I would like to pep the motor up a bit. What would you recommend?

Answer: The only thing you can do is keep your car in tip-top running condition. These cars were designed and synchronized to meet emission standards and any modifications to the engine will not only void your warranty, it will cause other components to malfunction.

Question: 2002 Dodge Neon mileage: 44,000. Ever since I purchased my Neon the trans slips on the first start in the morning. It has been to the dealer many times but all they say is they can't duplicate conditions. This does not happen all the time it is intermittent. Please help with some advice my husband & I am going crazy.

Answer: You did not mention if your car was an automatic or a stick shift. In answering your question, we will assume it is an automatic. What may be occurring is the transmission fluid is draining out of the torque converter into the transmission (internal leak). If this is the problem, it will take several hours, or possibly overnight for the fluid to drain into the transmission. Check the transmission fluid level in the morning before the car is started. The fluid level will be extremely high if the converter is draining back.

Question: 1998 Dodge Neon mileage: 89,000. I know Neon's are supposed to feel some vibration in the steering wheel when they hit 65 but my Neon’s vibrating so bad through the steering wheel that my arms are shaking all over the place, at lower speeds there is also a slight vibration from the front-end. What do you think the problem is and what could I do to fix it? Thank you

Answer: Check the tires and rims to make sure they are balanced properly and the rims are not bent. Check for tire cord separation and check the wheel alignment.

Question: 1998 Dodge Neon mileage: 90,000. I am trying to remove the crankshaft dampener pulley in order to remove the head to replace the cylinder head gasket. I removed the center bolt and tried to pull the dampener with a 3-jaw puller. It won't budge! I tightened the puller bolt so tight that it started to bend. With the puller still applying pressure, I tried rapping on the hub of the dampener using a hammer and a piece of brass round bar and I even tried heating the hub with a torch (I didn't dare use too much heat, though, for fear of getting the crankshaft too hot and damaging the front oil seal or igniting the residual oil on the front of the engine). Is it normal for the dampener to come off this hard or am I doing something wrong? Any help or insight would be GREATLY appreciated!

Answer: Assuming that you removed the washer that is behind the crankshaft bolt, you need to get a special puller for crankshaft pulleys. If your three-jaw puller is the type used for gears, it will not be strong enough to remove the pulley.

Question: 2001 Dodge Neon mileage: 76,000. Whenever I have traveled about 65 miles on a new tank of gas, my gas gauge suddenly drops to "empty". After that, it swings back up to where it should be on occasion and then drops again. Any clue why this is happening and how much it should cost to fix?

Answer: It sounds as if your sending unit in the gas tank is probably giving you erroneous readings. Most likely, the float itself is faulty.

Question: 1996 Dodge Neon mileage: 108,500. My oil light comes on on/off while driving more on than off. This has been going on for about 2 weeks. I'm also getting white smoke out of my exhaust pipes. I was told it could be a blown head gasket. Do you think so? And, is it safe for me to be driving my car? I am going to be getting it fixed. But, I wondered what you thought?

Answer: The oil warning light indicates no oil pressure to the engine. Continuing to drive a car in this condition can result in serious engine damage.The white smoke out he exhaust pipe is probably caused by a blown head gasket or a cracked cylinder head.

Question: 1999 Dodge Neon mileage: 98,500. I've had an oil leak for about 1 month. Well, I just checked my water today and it is loaded with oil. I was told it could be a blown head gasket. Do you think so? And, is it safe for me to be driving my car? I am going to be getting it fixed. But, I wondered what you thought?

Answer: From what you describe, yes, your engine may have a blown head gasket or you may have a cracked head. No, it is not safe to drive your car

Question: 1997 Dodge Neon mileage: 91,500: Hey guys! Been having problems with overheating. It has been overheating and fluid has gotten low each time it overheats. Took it to the garage to have it looked at. They said that the radiator cap was not holding pressure and that it needed replaced. Told them to replace cap. They also said on the backside of motor it was leaking oil. They said it was coming out of the head gasket. Asked them if it needed to be replaced and they said not till I use about a quart a week. Asked them if it was leaking antifreeze out of it and they said it wasn't leaking antifreeze out of it. The next day I took my child to school and drove around city a little. It took awhile for it to start to throw heat out of heater. When it did, it threw hot than cold. Got towards house and started to overheat again. Took it to the garage and told them what was going on and they said they would take a look at it. Told them to check the thermostat out and they said they would do it. They called and said it needed three things. They said it needed a thermostat, timing belt, and a head gasket. My question is does the timing belt have anything to do with it overheating. Second question is does the head gasket need replace right now since it isn't leaking antifreeze out of the head gasket, or if there isn't any antifreeze in the oil does it need replaced? Thanks! Please let me know what u guys think. I don't really have money to replace all three things at the same time.

Answer: The timing belt needing replacement should not cause the overheating. The oil leak may not be the head gasket. Instead have the “O” ring on the distributor checked, that may be the oil leak.

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