20 Most Recent 1998 Plymouth Neon - Page 7 Questions & Answers

Disconnect the battery and wait for 5 minutes this will re boot you computer this will get your car started or a check engine light one of the two.

I'm very sorry. I hate to say it but i believe that you are correct and that you do have a blown head gasket. Repairs for this could get a little expensive. If you can't or don't want to cut your losses, then my suggestion would be to ask around to find a good mechanic locally and get estimates from more than one place to ensure your not being ripped off. Even if your a DIY, the worst case scenario if you attempted this could be a cracked head if its been like this for a while. It is kind of hard to tell without taking it all apart. So the best thing to do is get estimates and if it doesn't seem worth it then just cut your losses and find another reliable vehicle. Sorry again for the bad news.

Did you get fuel and leave the car running? Check to make sure the gas cap is tight and take it off make sure there are no cracks where it would seal, if your not sure replace it (There cheap) If you find nothing with these suggestions take it to a shop where they will smoke the system to find the leak. Also does it say "evap leak" or "evap malfunction"? Evap Malfunction will be a completely different set of diagnostics

This belt is a serpentine belt. They are easy to re-belt, but the only difficulty is that you will have to re-tension the tensioner. To start out, pull the belt off the tensioner, but don't get your hand too close, or the tensioner will fly open and nail your hand. You can now pull the old belt off. Do so, and place the new one in the exact same order the old one was in. Now, take a crowbar or a big long screwdriver, and pull the tensioner to its max point, position the belt under it, and let it push into the belt.

A lot codes are refer to the Vacumm Solenoid, could you send us excalty the specific code number that you find there?

go to dodgeproblems.com/neon--this sight will tell all!! have a good day!! just click on your year vehicle when page comes up.

timing belt has been fitted wrong ,the timing is wrong ,so watch its doesnt hit the valves on teh pistons

see picture and instructions below. also recommend you read my tip at http://www.fixya.com/cars/r5973094-starter_replace before pulling the starter. Let me know if you have any questions.

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
2. Raise and safely support the vehicle.
3. If equipped with A/C, perform the following:
   1. Use a floor or jack stand to securely support the engine and transaxle assembly so they will not rotate.
   2. Remove the front engine mount bolt from the insulator and front crossmember mounting bracket.

Fig. Fig. 7: If equipped with A/C, unfasten the front engine mount-to-bracket bolt

Carefully lower the front of the engine, rotating the engine forward allowing more space for easier access to the starter.
For easier removal, do not remove the wiring from the starter at this time.

1. Remove the 2 starter motor-to-transmission housing mounting bolts.
2. Remove the starter and solenoid assembly from the transmission housing. Position the starter accordingly for access to the wiring.
3. Remove the positive battery cable nut and remove the positive battery and alternator output wire from the starter. The wiring is shown in the accompanying figure.

Fig. Fig. 8: Location of the starter wiring connections

1. Detach the push-on solenoid connector. Pull back on the slide and push down on the rear tab to release the lock.
2. Position the starter vertically so the pinion end faces downward, then remove the starter motor through the bottom of the vehicle. It may be necessary to move the A/C lines aside slightly to maneuver the starter out of the vehicle.

To install:
Clean the corrosion and dirt from the cable and wire terminals before fastening the wiring to the solenoid.

1. Connect the positive battery and alternator output wire to the starter solenoid post.
   

WARNING It is imperative that the alternator output terminal be connected to the positive battery terminal of the starter solenoid for proper starting and charging system operation.

1. Connect the push-on wiring until it is fully engaged.
2. Position the starter face into the transmission housing. Support the starter in the pilot and start the top bolt.
3. Attach the ground cable to the lower mounting bolt and start the bolt.
4. Make sure the starter is aligned properly before tightening the mounting bolts to 40 ft. lbs. (54 Nm).
5. If equipped with A/C, perform the following:
   1. Using a floor jack to carefully raise the engine and transaxle assembly to its original position.
   2. Install the front engine mount bolt through the insulator and front crossmember mounting bracket. Tighten the bolt to 40 ft. lbs. (54 Nm).
   
   
6. Carefully lower the vehicle, then connect the negative battery cable.

Some testing will need to be done to tell you whythe car doesnt run. do you have fuel? if you have fuel is it getting to the engine? A fuel pump pressuer test will tell you if pump is good. If fuel pressure is good spark must be tested .if you have spark to the spark plugs and the engine has compression the engine will run. let me know what is lacking gas spark or compression and I can give you an idea what needs to be done.check spark at plugs with a spark tester purchase or may be loaner tool at some part stores.ask them how to use it they should be able to show you. if you have spark probably a fuel problem.ask again after testing is completed

i would check to see if your catalitic converter is getting pugged up. it may sound crazy but try to run it with the cat disconected and see if than helps. if you have an exhaust back pressure gauge you can install it in the upsteam o2 sensor port in the exhaust is if ti more than 4lbs have your cat checked at a muffler shop.

you need to replace the serpentine belt and perhaps the belt tensioner. When a heavy load is put on the belt, like turning on the AC, the drag may stop the belt from turning. This would stop the power steering pump from turning causing a hard steer condition. The belt is not gripping the pulleys tight enough. This is due to a worn out serpentine belt or worn out tensioner. If the AC works( cools the car) then replace the belt. If this does not cure the problem then replace the belt tensioner as well.

There is a bare spot in the insulation on the power wire going to the fuel pump. You'll have to trace thewire harness back from the plug-in or run a new wire. Hope this helps.

your dash cluster is bad. It is cause by a cold soder in the cluster itself. If you know how to soder and can find a cold soder you can take it apart and fix it. Or you will have to get a different cluster. If you get a used one make sure it come with some type or warrany cause it is a very common problem on neons and the chance of getting a bad one is pretty good .

i dont have a solution for this problem. my car does the same thing. infact the only reason i bought this pos was the low mileage. little did i know it was bs. let me know if you find a solution to this.

Dot 3 brake fluid is OK for topping up the master cylinder. However if the level is right down and the clutch pedal has become spongy then you will have to bleed the air out of the lines. A low level also indicates that the slave cylinder has developed a leak and may also need to be replaced.

Bleeding the system is as follows. It also helps if you have a length of clear plastic tubing that fits snugly over the tip of the bleed nipple, which makes it easier to see if there are any air bubbles still coming out.

1. Start with the Master Cylinder full of fluid. (Don't forget to check after a few bleeds that it stays above ¼ full so that you don't introduce more air into the line).

2. Have an assistant pump the clutch pedal 2 or 3 times, then hold down, keeping weight on the pedal as fluid is released.

3. Loosen bleed nipple to release any air & fluid.

4. Tighten nipple. Assistant then lets clutch pedal return. It may be necessary to manually pull back pedal if it does not return by itself.

5. Wait a few seconds then repeat the sequence from #2.

Bleeding is complete when no more air bubbles are visible in the fluid released from the bleed nipple. If clutch is still spongy you may have to repeat the bleeding after a few days driving. If the Slave cylinder does not have a bleed nipple the union nut that attaches the fluid pipe can be used for bleeding. However, it is a bit harder to observe when all air is purged and of course very messy as fluid will drip everywhere.

To correct this problem which is caused by a sludged up automatic idle speed control valve and throttle valve I want you to get a can of intake cleaner (ABOUT $5.00) from any local auto parts store like NAPA or Carquest, do not use carburetor spray, intake cleaner only or u will damage the Teflon coating inside the throttle valve and air bypass valve, it is made by a company called CRC, remove the air intake hose to the engine, hold the idle high so the engine won't stall, then spray the can of cleaner into the intake while keeping the engine running, use at least 1/2 the can, shut down the engine and disconnect the battery for 5 minutes, then restart and complete a number of mixed driving cycles, town, freeway, stop and go etc., after a few days the problem will go away as the system will relearn to the clean intake.

Any difference after filter being changed? I'd save money and leave coil, but would do wires and plugs. Make sure you buy Champion spark plugs as noted in manual, or on sticker on underside of hood, or on rad support area. Champions work better in Chrysler/Dodge products.

may be distributor or the fuel pump, fuel pump usually will run fine cold the once it gets hot it will backfire and lose power, distributor will run fine then like quit once it get hot. Hope this helped Tim