Help my buddy Carter figure out his Neon EFI problem..

[Icehouse]

I helped him work on it and am out of ideas.... It's hard to fix a car that isn't quite broke... He describes it pretty in depth below all the symptoms. Fixing Nissan EFI is one thing, we have ton's of parts laying around and I know there systems pretty well. The Dodge Neon is "weird" to say the least, an EFI engine doesn't take much to run from what I have learned from Nissan, as long as it has a timing signal of some sort it will buzz along pretty good. Carters car flat out dies! "O weird it always starts up 30 seconds after it's died..."

 

Well if you read the whole thing and have ANY ideas please post them :D I've never not been able to fix something.... It's tough when you try and make it die and it won't...

 

 

 

 

I am appealing to all my Datsun and other auto enthusiast friends to possibly help me determine what is wrong with our family car which is currently not running well enough to allow my wife and kids to drive anywhere safely. We are borrowing my wife

[BEEBANI]

You're in luck! I just sold my daughter's '96 neon, after fixing this very same issue. On the coil pack (located on top of the engine) is a plug with 3 wires coming out of it. Someone had spliced these wires and either that was the problem or the plug had come loose. I bought a newer coil pack off of egay which came with a new plug. I spliced in the new plug with krimpaseal connectors and this fixed the problem 100%

 

When you loose power to the coil pack, you loose everything, and many times the car would start right back up. Used to piss me off, happened to me when I drove the car during "the arctic blast" we had a few weeks ago and left me stranded in the snow.

 

Check this out Jeff, wiggle the wires and see what happens.

[yello620]

Fuel pump was replaced, how about the filter? could it be clogged?

 

It just randomly dies, ignition key switch contact problem?

 

No codes makes me think that it is something other than the efi/computer system. It is an OBDII car, a code should have set if a problem was in the efi/computer.

 

Did a ground wire get left off going to the block/head?

[BEEBANI]

I'm pretty sure it's all to do with the coil pack Jason, I don't know if replacing the coil is what fixed it or replacing the plug.

 

I had a similiar thing happen on my beretta I used to have. The ignition module (under the coils) went out and had the same symptoms.

[agentalpha]

Thanks for the reminder why I went carbs on my Z.

Something about miles of wiring in one car just ain't cool.

Let alone in newer cars actually being able to reach anything.

And codes don't tell you what part went bad,

only that part one out of possible ten at $100+ each went bad.

Sorry for my rant...

:D

Crank angle sensor was my first guess, as I've seen that on Neons before cutting out randomly like that.

But that sounds a lot like a possible bad connection/bad ground/hot wire grounding out to me,

if sometimes it still cranks, and sometimes not.

Possibly in the ignition switch?

 

Don't take it to a regular auto shop.

Take it to an auto electrical repair shop.

Bet they can find it within a few hours,

have seen the same problem before...

 

With that many miles, I suggest a better car than a Neon.

As any New Chrysler product, have you changed the trans yet?

Get it fixed and bail on it.

Edited February 6, 2009 by agentalpha

[moparvwfreak]

i was gonna say fuel pump relay but its been replaced. my kids 87 sundance does the same thing but it will slowly sputter out and die but not restart at all. most times in accidents a whole lot more gets F'd up than just hte body. i would also check grounds. i know when my VWs start acting weird like that its usually a ground issue.

[]2eDeYe]

Time for another 510? :D

 

Clogged cat?

[hang_510]

...and I have not called a dealer to see if this is typical.

 

By the way, our 510 has performed flawlessly through this all and continues to be an ultra-reliable daily driver.

seems like beebani has the solution. :thumbup:

 

i had a similiar issue w/a 95 blazer. annoying pulsing/surge issue, esp @ idle, would die on hot days frequently.

was a recall issue to 100K and the dealer would honor the recall unless the chuck engine light was on, so of course it didnt come on until 103K :cursing:

 

same fix though - coil pack/ignitors (or something :? ), but the top of the motor had to be removed just to access it... ended up paying cost for the part and got free labor.

 

call the dealer - talk to the techs and see if they will divulge any secrets.

its how i learned of the recall :D

 

 

2eDeYe;128552'']Time for another 510? :D

 

X2 :cool:

[Bleach]

I'm with Beebani. If the tach drops fast to zero, you lost ignition (spark) while the engine was running. Just my opinion. :)

[DRIVEN]

I have a '95. Same engine/trans combo. I had this same EXACT problem. We bought it a 22K and it had already had the ECM replaced under warranty (back when it was 3yr/36K). At just under 40K it developed the problem you describe. The ECM was replaced by my uncle's shop. I was working 300 miles away at the time. It was mostly trouble free until about 100K. I did have to replace the oil leaking head gasket when I did the T-belt at 90K. It was rear-ended and repaired at about 100K. Shortly after (a couple months) it developed the same problems again. I don't know if it was impact related, caused by welding on the body at time of repair, or totally coincidence. Replaced ECM again and it has had no issues since. Currently has about 175K. The reason there are no codes is because the sensors are not at fault. The ECM is intermittently falling asleep. These cars are common in the wrecking yards now and ECM is easy to replace. I think I paid $20-$25 for the last ECM. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

[Bleach]

If I go to the Tacoma yard, I'll see if they have a Neon there.

 

The car is a 1998 Neon ACR w/ a SOHC EFI 2.0 & 5spd

[ezcruiser]

If you haven't gotten the problem solved with the above info I may have a couple ideas. Glad to see everyone helping out! Good stuff, I'll be waiting for an update!

[Icehouse]

Well he messed with some connections making sure they were seated right on friday and it has been running fine ever since, but it has went as many as 5 days with no problems so we will see what happens...

[DRIVEN]

Still running OK?