Hello
It’s been a while sense I post a question but I was reading a couple of different repair manuals on a dodge 98 sohc neon and noticed that that each one had a bit of different info on the topic of the ignition coil one stating that when you test the primary side of the coil that the reading for the ohms test should be between 0.45 to 0.65 anything out of that range to replace the coil and that when testing the crank sensor to connect a test light on the harness side of the ignition coil to the center pin or as the manual called it b+ pin to the ground or battery negative and that the test light would flicker as the engine is being turned over and the second manual states pretty much the same thing expect for the readings and that the reading for the primary side of the coil should be 0.2 ohms or lower and the coil should only be replace if the reading is above 0.2 and that the test light would be constantly lit which brings me to my question which one is correct because I would think that the one that’s states lower then 0.2 could be like 0.01 or even 0.00 in which case that that would be a good reading which in my opinion is a bit of a difference from the other manual reading of 0.45 to 0.65 and I would also think that the test light would flicker as the crank turned over not stay constantly lit?


Thanks

 

hi i was reading your post, the correct way is at the coil connect your meter between the center pin (b+) and each end pin, in turn. now has far what reading you should get my manual has .45 to .65, and yes i too think that you should see a flashing light when testing crank sensor

 

Hello
Thanks VART I was trying to get ready for digging into my neon for a no start problem and started glancing at a couple of different manuals and thought that the one manual that stated 0.2 or lower sounded a little funny I have never seen any manuals state that a primary reading should be quite that low. So now I know it’s 0.45 to 0.65 and with that be said I have a few more questions sorry I’ll just start at the being.

With the fact that I have a 98 sohc dodge neon and the other day I stop for gas and when I stated the engine back up after I pumped my gas it ran for a minute and then died and won’t start back and I know that it can’t be that it doesn’t have gas .lol So I check for a spark at each of the plug wire and they wasn’t any spark produced by any of the plug wires so I consulted alldata manual and another manual but as my earlier questions I think it’s a little off so I’ll just stay with alldatd anyways I being testing the car for a no start condition. Starting with the ignition coil my readings was as follows.

Primary coil test
Driver pin 1 to center pin b+
Reading 0.00 ohms
Driver pin 3 to center pin b+
Reading 0.00 ohms

Secondary test
A cross towers 1-4
Reading 10.500 ohms
A cross towers 2-3
Reading 10.000 ohms

However the alldata manual says that the primary tests should be 0.45 to 0.65 ohms and that the secondary tests should be 7.000 to 15.000 ohms. So I have one ordered it will arrive Friday

I then tested the crank position sensor alldata stated to do that by hooking a test light to the b+ center terminal of the harness side of the ignition coil and to turn the key on but not to the starting position so that the engine does not turn over and to look for the test light to come on and then go right back off as that the PCM will not energize the coil if it does not get a signal from the rotation of the crankshaft and since we have the key in the on position and not the starting position that the test light would come on then go off and then to continue with the test by turning the key to start the engine while watching the test light and that the light would began to blinking as the crank rotates and unfortunately the light doesn't do a thing doesn’t come on at all.


So I check the b+ center terminal with a volts meter and only have 0.20 volts not even a full 1 volt in the sarting or turning over state of the engine at which point I would say oh thats it. Its the crank sensor but there’s one little thing that I can’t quite get I went to scan the trouble codes as part of my testing and the 98 neon OBD self-diagnosis won't respond it didn’t even light the tool up to begin reading the code as if the data link was dead so I thought will maybe it’s the tool so I plug up to a different car and it read the code on that car fine and I even did the key trick on off on off on and nothing so I’m starting to think that maybe it’s the PCM however anything else in the car seems to work so is there any way to test it without swapping another one in and see if it works? And is there any other thing that could cause the on board diagnostic not to respond?


Oh I also check the asd relay and it was fine I haven’t checked the wires to see if the asd relay is getting power from the battery yet I probably start checking over the wiring on Friday or Saturday so if there’s anything that I should be checking that you or anyone would suggest that I check for this kind of strange problem it be great.

Oh sorry one last thing there is a tool that will allow one to program the vin and mileage into another PCM what is that tool actually called seems like a lot of people call that tool by a lot of different names and is there an inexpensive one like a little hand held.


Thanks

 

Wow bvil sounds like you have something crazy going on for sure okay lets slow down here for a second and get back to the basic's honestly to me it sounds like you have a short bro what condition is your wiring harnes in? Remember the ecm has to see a signal from the crank and cam sensor in order for the engine to get spark and start. So be sure to check both connectors to make sure that you are getting a good connection - make sure thier is no corrosion inside the connectors okay if so you have just found your problem. take your multi meter and check for continuity of wires at each end of the connectors if it pass the test. Then here is the next step get the wiring diagram for your car find out which signal wire run to the ecm for both the cam and crank sensor and check them both with a multi meter for continuity (.000) by placing one lead at the sensor and the other at the ecm plug if you see any resistance then you have a short in that circuit. did it pass the test?? if yes next check all grounds - be sure that the ecm has a good ground - and is recieving 12 volts if all has check out to be okay than we have reached the problem the ECM
Good Luck Bro

 

Hello
Sorry it took me awhile to post back however it is a short so you’re right VART a 20 amp fuse in the power distribution center keeps blowing. So I got a wire diagram and took the PCM out so I could get access to the PCM harness wires for ohms testing. When I took a look at the wiring diagram it seems that it starts at the ASD relay or actually it starts with the 20 amp fuse feeding power to the ASD relay then a green and orange wire runs from the relay terminal 60 to a point when it then splits into 6 wires.

One is going to the upstream oxygen sensor
One is going to the downstream oxygen sensor
One is going to the generator
One is going to the PCM ASD relay output
One is going to the Fuel injectors and one is going to the center pin in the ignition coil harness.

Ok now with a self-powered test light and multimeter and with the PCM Disconnected and Relays and fuses removed from the power distribution Center I should be able to touch the test light to the ASD relay corresponding terminal 60 to the corresponding PCM ASD relay output harness side terminal and the tester should light up or to any of the corresponding connection of that circuit (upstream oxygen sensor, downstream oxygen sensor, generator,, Fuel injectors, or the center pin in the ignition coil,) and the test light will light up if there is no broken wires in that circuit which it does light up and my ohms reading on those wires are .03 however I don’t believe that it should light up if I was let’s say touching the clip of the test light to the b+ center pin of the ignition coil harness side and the other end of the test light to the ground in this case just the metal body of the car and if the test light lit that would mean theres a short in that ciruit if that’s wrong by all means please correct me for my light is lighting up and my ohms reading on those same points b+ center pin to ground are 11.9 ohms big jump from all those other wires testing at .03 ohms.

I guess I’ll find the short sooner or later I haven’t traced all of that circuit wires in the car yet but the one thing that makes me scratch my head is that with the ASD relay removed I would think that with me touching the B+ center pin in the ignition coil harness to the 20 amp fuse that provides power to the ASD relay that the test light would not be lit.


Sure the 20 amp fuse is connected to the top 2 ASD relay terminals 58 and 57 but the lower 2 terminals 61 and 60 from what I can tell with this diagram is that they are not connect to the 20 amp fuse that is as long as the relay is removed.
And of course if the relay was place back then they would be connected through the relay however my test light and multimeter are lighting up and given me a reading from the b+ center coil harness pin to the 20 amp fuse as if the relay is there even though it’s been removed? lol

I’ll let you know how it goes when I’m done finding the short or if I can find it. LOL
Thanks