ok, I was driving home from work and my neon died, i go to start it and it ran for maybe 5 seconds. i waited 10 min and tried again. it ran enough to get me home. Now it will start but again die within 5 seconds. if i give it full power it will run but im not gonna do that. HELP GUYS!!!! Please i am starting to get on my feet i have to have a car right for work!!

 

Check engine lights? Start with the basics. Timed spark, compression, and fuel. Look around for any vacuum lines that have splits, rotted, holes, or disconnected. Check engine light should give you a direction so update us with the codes.

 

No check engine light what so ever, when the car runs it sounds like its starving, but if the car sits for an hour, it runs fine. im going to replace the fuel filter on monday (nobody has that part, they have to order it) but everyone that hears it "run" says it sounds like a fuel filter problem. I_RIDE_NEON you have helped me soo much and i thank you.

 

There is technically no fuel filter. There is a fuel sock on the pump, and a fuel accumulator on the outside of the tank near the fuel pump. I am not sure how someone can hear a bad fuel filter but I once had a guy taste oil and tell me its bad. I would get a fuel pressure gauge and hook it to the fuel rail. Check it while its running funny. You want to see 49psi or so (give or take a few psi depending on load change). Give it some gas and make sure the pressure stays up. -4an is the fitting and any fuel pressure diagnosis gauge should be default -4an with other adapters. I got one from advanced auto locally and it has worked great over the years. This is how I would diag it.

1. check fuel pressure
2. Check vacuum lines (shops can perform a smoke test, Just dont let them talk you into anything. I only smoke test for leaking lines or gaskets)
3. Check for restriction in the intake or exhaust (IE: filter or CAT)
4. spray mist the wires with water while the car is running at night. If they are bad you should see a little light show most of the time
5. pull plugs, clean, and gap. Copper champions for stock motors. NGKS for aftermarket setups. (Yea I heard the stories, I still stand by the coppers)
6. Have the ECU scanned at a local parts store just to be sure there are no codes hiding, does the CEL light work?
7. check Injector spray pattern and O rings.

I just hope it pops a CEL light
Check back with an update.

Your welcome for the help, just returning the favor. Spud and Das helped me with a lot over the years.

 

ok, i checked everything, everything is good. but the only thing wrong is the computer is saying the O2 downstream sensor is bad. could this be the problem?

 

That o2 not working will not cause any problems. That one pretty much reads the cats efficiency. I have built cars and left the O2 unplugged before. So if the cat isn't working, that can be the reason why its threw a CEL. Hit the Cat and see if it rattles around. Also get the car warm and use a digital thermo gun to see if the heat is getting trapped at the cat.

 

i replaced the sensor and i havent had a problem since, the cat doesnt rattle or anything. the cat is also at normal temp after i run it for about ten miles. the muffler is also hot as it should be. i have know idea what it is. i just know that when i replaced the sensor the cars been running fine. i also had it tested and there are no codes that are going off.

 

You changed the o2 sensor after the cat? Or the one closest to the motor? Glad to hear it fixed! I just never ran a second o2 and never had any issues in the past.

 

well i take that back, its still dying. when im on the freeway this is what happens. ill be driving 75-80 then my left turning signal light will come on faintly, my headlights and parking lights are on dimly even though my switch is off, then when i go to exit the freeway my car has a hard time staying at idle then my battery light comes on faintly but at that time my gauges jump and spike then my engine will sound like its starving, then my car dies.

 

Check power and grounds. Whats the date on the battery? Get a multimeter and check the voltage with it running and all loads on (lights, a/c, radio, and so on). Check all the little grounds in the engine bay. Do you need to jump the car to get it to start again?