I have a 1997 Plymouth Neon Highline and the car drives good, just makes a rattling noise. I've been told it is probably my rocker arms and was curious if anyone could tell me how much it would cost to have it fixed. I am currently car shopping, but I would like to try to get as much as I can to trade it in.

 

Where is the noise and how loud is it?

Neons have a hydraulic lifter assembly, so there's always a ticking noise, particularly when the engine is cold. That's normal and nothing to worry about. That's what I'm guessing it is. Even "experienced" mechanics make that easy mistake.

A louder ticking from the top of the engine (head) could be a broken valve spring, broken/cracked rocker, broken rocker shaft (not likely), damaged camshaft, mavbe a couple of other things. With the exception of the camshaft, these are things you can do yourself with handtools and/or a special part (valvespring removal tool) rented for free from Autozone. A shop would run you $500+ because their manual says to remove the entire head to do anything, which means they'll be charging you for more parts than necessary.

Ticking from the bottom of the engine is usually bad... Worn bearings, bent rods, etc. Typically very loud and scary to drive. Easiest fix is engine replacement, unless you're experienced at that sort of thing.

Best of luck!

 

The sound is coming from the top. The sound is very noticable and has gotten a bit louder the longer I let it go without getting fixed. It also changes as I accelerate, and have been told that it doesn't make the sound after the car has been running a bit. The car runs fine, except for the noise.

 

You can remove the valve cover and look inside. Have to take off the coilpack and remove the spark plugs (well, makes it easier...), but it's only held on with a dozen or so bolts of various sizes... Take a good look and see if there are any obvious problems - components cracked or broken, etc. You won't need a new gasket or gasket sealer to put the cover back on. Make sure the tubes for the spark plugs are seated as well (rubber boot connects them to the valve cover, sometimes they pop off). The whole thing should take maybe an hour start to finish.

If the noise is going away after the car warms up, I'd say it's the normal valve noise. Some people complain that their car sounds like a diesel... Making sure oil level is correct (bottom half of the "good" range), using the proper weight oil for your climate (5w-30 or 10w-30), and using synthetic oil (Mobil1) seems to help the most. Mine ticks, but not as bad as some I've heard. if it's really bothering you, take it to a reputable mechanic or see if there are other Neon owners in your area that can help (www.neons.org regional forums would be your best bet).