Hi there.

I have a 1997 Dodge Neon that I bought in march of 2006 used from a civilian. It had $115k miles on it when I bought it and ran smoothly for a little while, but in the summer it would stall every so often. It started right back up when it stalled, and didn't have any driveablity problems, so I waited until I had a chance to go to a mechanic, and they literally could not find anything wrong with my vehicle. I drove it after, and it still stalled every once and a while, butalmost onlywhen it was hot outside, and not when it was cool outside. I thought it was the heat and kept driving it, and it didn't break down at all (except for the fan relay which was a fluke) until last week.

I'm car stupid, so I don't know much about doing anything to a car except taking it to an oil & lube every 3000 miles. In the past year this has worked.

Last week, I had my car going down the freeway (I drive 30 miles each direction to go to work) and it began to buck lightly. Kinda sounded like the exhaust would stop and spurt every time it did buck. I figured I had to be at work, so I drove it the whole way, and it didn't die, but it did get progressively a little worse the longer I drove it until I did stop at work. Once my shift was over (8 hours) I got back in, and had to try to drive it back (because I don't know the mechanics in the city I work in well, just the one I live in.) While driving it back, sure enough, the same problem arose, and it bucked a bit harder, and more often until when I got it home, it seemed to just die on me. I gave it to the mechanic I knew (and trusted) and he told me that he can't fix it. He has no clue about the intakes, and doesn't do that kind of work, so I grumbled and towed it to another place. That place said they could, and two days later gave me back my car. They charged me $650 and replaced something to do with the fuel (I think it was the pump, whatever it was it was attached to the gas tank) and told me that since I ran it so hard, I brokethe fuel part and it had to be replaced but if I would have justhad ittowedat the start of the problem I wouldn't have had to, I would only have had to pay for them cleaningit. Atany rate they told meit was running fine from that point, and gave me back my car. I ran it that whole day and indeed it did run fine, with a few round trips 20 miles away (because I was taking my g/f to college classes.) I got my car back on a thursday, and it ran fine until tuesday morning, when again, bucking on the freeway to work, it infuriated me. How could a $650 repair job not do anything to solve the problem? were my mechanics imbeciles? Fut the Whuck?

Well, since I was too far gone to turn back, I parked my car at work, and on a break I searched for an actual Dodge dealer. I called them, talked to their service dept and they said bring it in, so I did, and they took it in. Rather funny, since I gave my car tomy hometown mechanicthe previous week on tuesday, that I give it to Dodge literally one week later. Anyway, I take the bus home, and the next day they tell me that it's the oxygen sensor. So, I tell them to replace it. After that, my alarm gave them problems (not their fault) so they had to have my car an extra day to disable my alarm (since I lost the keychain when it was offwhich didn't matter till now.) I told them to test it to make sure that the car works, and this took yet another day. So, on Friday (today), after they tell me they do three 10 mile round trips they say it's running fine, and I pick my car up, paying $370.I drive it home, and...

Yep. Same problem.
It begins to buck about 15 miles from the dealer on my way home (about halfway).
How the hell can I spend $1000 at two seperate mechanicsand not solve this problem?
What is wrong with my car?

I know this was a long post to read, and I thank anybody who read it and is going to reply.
Any help, any feedback, anything anybody can do to help me out with this problemwould be an immense help.
(I'm begging.)

 

Ok, so I take it your CEL isnt lit? Can you verify the light bulb is good?

Your problem could be fuel and/or spark related. When you bought the car with over 100,000 miles on it, do you know if the timing belt, water and idler pulley have been changed? They have a 100,000 mile life on them.

Problems that I can think of, off the top of my head would be clogged cat, fuel injector(s) clogged, fuel rail clogged, air filter, spark plugs and/or wires, maybe a bad coil pack. Have you changed any of this stuff as part of routine maintenance?

 

im thinking timing belt.

 

Ok, so I take it your CEL isnt lit? Can you verify the light bulb is good?
-The CEL was on, the codes were written down and flushed by the mechanic who did the first diagnostc. (Hometown mechanic)

Your problem could be fuel and/or spark related. When you bought the car with over 100,000 miles on it, do you know if the timing belt, water and idler pulley have been changed? They have a 100,000 mile life on them.
-I hadn't thought of that (but then again I'm car stupid) and I will bring it up to the dealer. I'm fairly certain that neither have been changed, however I do know that my hometown mechanic did say he altered the timing on the car to help it not to stall.

Problems that I can think of, off the top of my head would be clogged cat, fuel injector(s) clogged, fuel rail clogged, air filter, spark plugs and/or wires, maybe a bad coil pack. Have you changed any of this stuff as part of routine maintenance?
- I know the spark plugs have been looked at by both mechanics and neither have suggested they be changed. I also think the fuel pump/injector is one part and was replaced when it was first in the shop. I suggested the coil pack to the dealer monday as I asked them to drive the car on the fwy until it had the same symptoms and can see if the pack is at fault when the car is heated up from use. They haven't gotten back to me on that yet. Thursday morning (Tomorrow) I am going to ask them about their progress and about the cat and fuel rail. I also heard something about something called the cam sensor which I'm not sure why but it could be the case according to a friend. Ill ask them about that too.

Thank you very much for responding (all weekend long I was like "aw nobody knows.") Now I realise sometimes it takes a little more time for someone who knows a lot to respond to all the newbs like me.

I will hopefully have updates soon but if anybody has any other suggestions, input, or questions for me by all means respond.

 

Well you posted the thread in the general neon section and the not the specific 1st gen section.

A bad cam sensor would cause the car not to start, not to run the way you described.

I would really like to know what the codes were.

 

*UPDATE*

I really don't know what the codes were.I might find out when I go back to the hometown mechanic though.
I just spoke to the dealer today. I'm not happy.

They said the fuel pump is the problem, and it'll run me about $600.

I politely informed them that it was already worked on, and replaced, and they insist that when this fuel pump gets hot, it fails, and that's causing my problem.

Somy problemhas to be one ofthree things...
1) The people at the hometown mechanic lied to me and charged me to replace a part when they didn't...
2) The brand new item I got from said hometown mechanic began failing in less than a week...
3) There's a completely different problem that multiple mechanics can't figure out which causes $600 parts to fry in short time which will force me to keep replacing fuel pumps until it's solved.

I really hope it's not 1. If it's 2, I expect a replacement for free. And 3 would be my worst nightmare. One thing is for certain - riding the bus is not fun when it takes you2 hours to get to work and 3 to come from work for a normally 30 minute trip.

At any rate, I'm calling the hometown mechanic tomorrow and having them tow my car from the town I work in, to the town I live in at their expense because their part failed. If they won't, I'll tell them the better business bureau might have fun with this case.

 

A Walbro 255LPH fuel pump is $109.99 and you can swap it in yourself.

 

metal or plastic tank?

 

I have no idea if the gas tank is metal or plastic. (the car is 30 miles away)

The two places both told me $600 (roundabout) without knowing what the other one charged.
BOTH raised the price over $400? *grumbles*

I do remember them saying something about it being a combination part though, a pump and regulator in oneor something like that. Is that still that $109.99 part?
and what does 255LPH mean? (I'm car stupid)

 

I would be going back to the first mechanic and asking for a reciept for the fuel pump they supposivly replaced! Of all the problems I had with my neon bucking/stalling, I even remember mine doing it only when it was hot also.It was never the fuel pump.You said the first mechanic changed the timing so that it runs better? That part boggles my mind also.Should never have to change timing to get a car running right, timing is set right from the factory, should never be changed.Is the car sohc, or dohc? The last part I replaced because my car ran ok when it was cold, then ran like puke when it was warm, was the coil pack.My car also used a lot of gas while it ran bad, and I could smell gas also, o and my cat convertor turned cherry red from too much gas not being burned from bad coil pack.

Im not saying the dodge dealer is wrong saying it's the fuel pump again.But I would be furious with the first shop, and demand they put another one in, if it's really the problem.Sounds like shop 1 dont know their heads from their you know what...."we changed the timing to make it run better"...lmao The better business beureu is a great thing to mention to them. As far as us helping you figure out what the problem is, the more info you can give us the better.Also something real simple and cheap that can make a car run bad is the pcv valve.It's located at your intake manifold.Might want to pull the hose of one end while it's running and make sure its got vacuum like its supposed to. Good luck, and let us know how things went, Im curious to know what the problem really was..