97 2.0 sohc dies after its warm then restarts once it cools.

This is the place to ask questions about your engine components like cams, valves, pistons? just anything that is generally "engine" specific.
neon=ferrari
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Post by neon=ferrari » Wed Feb 01, 2012 8:57 am

F it get another neon for like $300
1995 neon $300 + dirt track 1995 dohc 2.4 swap neon with 300+ hp abs disk brakes front and rear sway bars = ferrari

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:01 pm

yeah im either just fixing this one and keeping it or thats about it. as many problems as ive had with these cars i will never buy another one again as long as i live. The only plus its ever had to be honest was the gas milage. nothing else.

neon=ferrari
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Post by neon=ferrari » Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:43 pm

Well neons hate u then because almoast every neon owner I know has little to no problems, I beet the crap out of my race car every Saturday and only broke things because I was in a wreck or the holes in the track broke my axel on the last lap when I was in first :(
1995 neon $300 + dirt track 1995 dohc 2.4 swap neon with 300+ hp abs disk brakes front and rear sway bars = ferrari

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Fri Feb 24, 2012 12:24 pm

ok, i got a code reader on it and go figure the car wont start at all now. but after a bunch of cranking i checked the codes and i got one.

P0118: engine coolant temperature sensor circuit high voltage.

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Fri Feb 24, 2012 1:14 pm

just put the scanner back on to see if it would give me coolant temp, and luckily it did. the coolant temp is jumping all around from 70 degrees F up to 260 degrees F. so i called the dealership i used to work at for dodge. and the service manager said that its probably a grounding issue. somewhere. he said to check all my grounds and make sure theres no coroded wires or anything. so thats my next step i guess. so next nice day im free im going hunting lol. also going to test the sensor and make sure its getting a good ground and its 5 volt reference.

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:21 pm

update............

today i unplugged the coolant temp sensor (cts) and checked to see if the circuit was getting a good ground and receiving its 5v reference from the computer. it did both perfectly, so then i plugged the harness back in and back probed the sensor. when doing this it had 2v on the reference wire. so i called my buddy at the parts store and asked him about it and he said that without the car running and being ice cold it should be closer to 5v or closer to zero volts and not right in the middle at all.

i just now talked to one of my teachers from college and he said that on a neon a bad cts can cause a no start or a stalling condition like my car has. he also agreed that the sensor voltage should not be in the center like it is and that it was bad.

so i got a sensor and hopefully once i get it in it will fix my problem.

long story short for those of you with a no start condition check your coolant temp sensor as it may be the problem.

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:27 pm

well...............

got the coolant temp sensor in today and still just crank, no start :(

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:12 pm

checked a bunch of pins on the wiring side of the harness and it shows i have grounds to my major sensors. but yesterday i found out the ground from the tranny to the chassis was completely missing so i have some 4 gauge wire laying around and today bought some eyelet ends and a wire wheel for a drill to clean up the metal. so hopefully by cleaning grounds/ adding new ones my car will run again.

if not im pulling the wiring harness out and carefully going over it. if its good then buying a pcm

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:57 am

just found this on the big neon forum so hopefully ill get some answers soon.



FSM Failure to start test:

1. Disconnect the harness to the coil pak.
2. Connect a test light to the B+ center terminal connector of the harness and ground.
3. Turn the ignition to ON. The test light should flash on then off. Leave the key in the on position.
a. If the test light flashes momentarily, the PCM grounded the ASD relay (proceed to step 4).
b. If the test light does not flash, the ASD relay did not energize. The cause is the relay or one of the relay circuits.
4. Crank the engine. If the test light flashes momentarily during cranking, the PCM is not receiving a signal from the crankshaft position sensor.
5. If the test light did not flash during cranking, unplug the crankshaft position sensor connector. Turn the ignition key to the off position. Turn the key to the On position, wait for the test light to flash momentarily once, then crank the engine. If the test light momentarily flashes, the crankshaft position sensor is shorted and must be replaced. If the light did not flash the problem is in either the crankshaft position sensor/camshaft position sensor 8 volt supply circuit or the camshaft position sensor output or ground circuit.

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:32 pm

so someone told me the rpm gauge should jump a little while trying to start if im getting a crank signal. it sure does in my dakota, but not in the neon. so now im back to either wiring or a crank sensor being brand new and bad. found a quick test to tell me if its the sensor or the wiring though. so after my food is done and i find some help im going to go find out. and then possibly pull the wiring harness out of the car if it be on that side.

and got the new ground in where i was missing one and it did nothing. pics later after i come in for the day.

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sun Apr 29, 2012 8:18 pm

well. im still trying to figure out the results of the test as it was worded a little confusingly but so far from what i can tell it passed.

so i ended up pulling the wire harness out for the engine and started going through it. so far im not seeing any issues though so im super lost.

also put my missing ground in before i did anything else but notta..............

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Tue May 01, 2012 9:32 pm

missing ground replacement pics

Image

Image

Image

gotta have clean metal
Image

Image


the ground didnt fix the car so step 2..........................
Image

pulled the entire engine side of the wire harness out from under the hood and i am slowly going through it
Image

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sat May 05, 2012 10:29 pm

so heres the story. after i pulled the harness out i found the cam sensor and plug were all oily so i cleaned the plug with electrical contact cleaner as well as replaced the sensor since it was lifetime warranty. after going through the harness i found no damage at all and the wires had zero resistance at all. so i figured it had to be the pcm. after getting one and installing it the car still did not run. so on a whim i took out the crank sensor which was also new and had a lifetime warranty on it. i took it back got another and put it back in. the car fired right up so out of curiousity i put the old pcm back in and the car still ran so i can still return the one i just bought. but yeah the car runs again finally. only problem is now that the alternator took a poo on me so i need to get another one. but luckily i bought the lifetime warranty one when i replaced it before. i think its just from dumb luck and a big stereo lol. but i can get a new one for free atleat lol.

08kgraves
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Post by 08kgraves » Sun May 06, 2012 7:49 pm

so i was getting ready to pull the alternator out and realized i didnt plug the electrical connector in (mumbled a few bad words) plug it in and crawl back out from underneath to hook the battery back up thinking this was my entire problem.............. nope that thing was toasty lol so i had to pull it back out lol

went into autozone with battery and alternator thinking i might have a lifetime warranty on both but knew i did on the alternator atleast. he goes to check the battery warranty, and it was out of coarse so he goes to test it and it says to low of voltage to test. ok well we will charge it up then retest if for you. i was like cool i got some other stuff to do while i was in town anyway. so he goes to test the starter, hooks it all up and it fails instantly. i said i told you it was bad it was actually taking power instead of giving it. so he goes to find a different ground and test it again. and of coarse it fails again. so he goes back to the computer and was like well we have one in stock for........ and i cut him off in mid speach and was like i was just told it was under warranty last night. so he does some more checking and finds it. does the whole scan thing and says ok your good to go. so i go to sears to buy some sockets and whatnot. stop and get some food and go back.

i walk in and he was like its a bad battery. so i was like i may as well take it with me since i dont have money for new one. i go down to oreiley's walk in and was like hey guys im borrowing the battery tester for a minute. there like ok, its in the usual spot. so i go out test it and actually set the cold cranking amps like your supposed to. and what do you know........... good battery. so i go home put the alternator and battery back in and shes charging at 13.33V steady when running. but for some reason my check engine light and battery light are on. so i chance it and drive the neon back to oreilys and went in and got there scanner.

so the battery light and check engine light were both on for the same reason. ambiant battery temp to high...................... so i was like what the ............. oh yeah........... pop the hood..... look down crawl underneath and connect the battery temp sensor and all is well. she runs great again

lilzachy91
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Post by lilzachy91 » Tue Feb 19, 2013 12:20 pm

check idle air valve on tb his and a bad o2 sensor combined can cause this exact problem

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