Hello everyone,
I was involved in a five car accident about a month ago which crushed the radiator and the trunk of my car, the engine was left intact. After I replaced the radiator and it’s fans the car worked just like it always had. Starting a week ago I was driving in the freeway and suddenly noticed that the RPM’s didn’t go over 2000, and if I tried to force it it’ll just fluctuate at that number, I’ll have to note that the car doesn’t die if I let go of the gas. When this happens I just stop on the side of the road and restart the car, this seems to fix it.
I took it to AutoZone for them to check the engine light and go the following error codes.
P0171 – Fuel System Lean (Bank 1)
P0131 – O2 Sensor 1/1 Voltage low
P0340 – No Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Failure
P2097 – Downstream Fuel System ½ Rich
P0457 – Loose Fuel Cap Condition:
P0456 – EVAP System Small Leak Detected
The vehicle had the EVAP error for some time now (about 6 months before the crash), I replaced the Fuel cap but it didn’t fix it.
The car exhaust also throws a lot of smoke that smells like gas of something like it, but only does it after a long drive
It also starts very strong when I turn it on.
It also wants to die when I'm stopped in a stopping light.
I’ve owned this car for four years and it never died on me until recently.
I’m a broke *** college student (I won’t be driving a Bi-Color crashed neon if I wasn’t…) so I rather diagnose/fix it myself and not take it to an expensive mechanic. Please help because traffic is horrible where I live and having a car with this issue is difficult and I also don’t want it to die when I need it the most.
Thank you.

 

Welcome to the 2nd Gen Neon forum

Good idea to have had the computer scanned & posting the trouble code clue Numbers, as they can help focus a trouble shoot.

We're supposed to work & put right the lowest trouble code numbers First & work our way up the list to the next highest number & you have a a good size list.

Manual or auto tranny on this puppy?

If auto tranny & its trying to stall when stopping, what happens if you quickly shift to "N", does that stop the stall?

On it not wanting to go over 2K rpm, if it isn't a case of tranny slipping from low fluid or worse, with your fuel pressure gauge perform a fuel pressure & flow volume over time test at the under hood fuel rail Schrader valve test port & post the Numbers.

How many miles on this O2 sensor & how long has the CEL been lit?

If the upstream/before cat converter O2 sensor has 75K miles or more on it, likely time for replacement, as their switching speed & range get slow with age, sorta like me!!! lol

The lean code & high start up rpm may be influenced by, or caused by a dirty/faulty IAC, what ever is causing the 456/457 condition, or you could have a vacuum line leak, or dirty fuel injectors giving a lean squirt, or....well you get the idea, could be a number of things to put on your suspect list for now.

To look for gas cap, or vapor recovery system line leaks, buy a Swishers Sweet cigar, "T" into with a piece of tubing & enjoy blowing some smoke into the vapor recovery lines around the gas fill area to look for smoke leaks, just don't get the cigar too close to the gas fumes, so it doesn't become a evening news item.

Some beginning thoughts for consideration, let us know how the trouble shoot goes.

 

Well larrvizu, it's been a week, so how is your trouble shoot going? Had a chance to do the smoke test yet, to try & determine if you have any vapor recovery line leaks, or engine intake side vacuum leaks, ect results you can post up?