If you haven't, consider some new champion plugs and some nice wires.

 

actually just put in new NGK platinum plugs bout a week ago (gapped to .035), probably could put new wires but it dont seem to be misfiring & wires look relatively newer. Im wondering if the coolant leak is from the reservoir bottle... every morning the bottle is empty but the actually system has coolant still in it. Im gonna check it tomorrow morning.

 

Was a leak down test preformed on this vehicle yet? If its burning coolant then you found your issue.

 

not yet. Is this a feasible task for the home-mechanic type? or would that require special equipment and/or an auto repair shop?

 

Possibly get one from a parts store, you need an air compressor. Did you do a compression check? Thats way easier. But the leak down test will actually show you the issue, the compression gauge will just show you if there is an issue.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...mpression.html

 

compression check will be soon. Maybe even tomorrow. I will let u kno what i find.

 

No compression test yet. But no coolant leak this morn! level stayed at a steady level in the reservoir. This is weird because the leak did not stop until i put Barr's Engine leak seal stuff in the engine slot, & some other brand transmission leak seal stuff in the tranny. It makes me think that coolant was leakin into the engine after all, which im hopin is not the head gasket. I know barr's brand is pretty controversial so I wasnt expecting much, & honestly would rather have not put it in my engine but i figured since im changin the oil soon it wont matter much.

Im gettin the oil changed tomorrow hopefully, with 5w30 semisynthetic Parts Plus brand oil and a regular filter.

I also put some Barr's coolant leak seal stuff in the coolant reservoir, which i was really hesitant to do since only my radiator was flushed but im gettin a complete coolant system flush as soon as the next paycheck comes in, and im gonna be driving it sparingly til then.

After i check compression, will that tell me if i have a head gasket problem?

oh yeah- i replaced the PCV valve today & a couple hoses that were dry rotted & cracked when my friend was replacing valve cover gasket.

also, see this link http://forums.neons.org/viewtopic.ph...source=message
^my car is doin EXACT same thing as his (except obviously mine is a '96, and i havent changed or flushed transmission yet). It should be noted that my gas pedal seems like it sticks sometimes after about 75% pressed, but only sometimes. There is an obvious jump in sound of RPMs if pushed down past that 75% sticky part. Not sure else how to describe it. -------------Anyways, i would like to look at the suspected components talked about in that thread, but i have no idea what all the components they are talking about actually are. 4 questions: 1. What kind of search terms can i use in google to learn more about this thing & 2. If i was to attempt to refer this potential solution to a mechanic friend, what exactly do i tell them to look at or how can i describe this potential solution to them? 3. what kind of replacement parts should i be looking into? and 4. Is this a job that an ignorant home-mechanic can do ?

EDIT: also my transmission fluid level dropped from the 3rd line (while fluid was hot obviously) to the 2nd line. I havent witnessed any leaks that were visibly dripping, is it possible that tranny can 'use' oil up or somethin? If there was a leak, then its possible it may not exist any more since i put in that transmission seal fluid. But it has driven 80 or so miles since the water pump was replaced, & the mechanic that fixed the water pump said he just topped off the tranny fluid cuz it was low. Not sure what this means but il keep checking & figure out if there is a leak or not.

I really wanna thank u guys for helpin me out immensely so far. I am learnin a whole bunch of things i never knew & i think I have a knack for this type of thing, i just never had anyone to teach me this stuff. So thanks.

 

If the motor was running funny, it can make the trans shift funny. Trannys cannot use fluid, but It may vary depending on circumstances when its checked like temp As long as it above the cold it will be fine. The best way to check is it to drive it around the block a few times, put the car in neutral with it running and check it. Keep in mind the tranny cooler in in the radiator if its an auto. Just a heads up I never add any stop leak to anything, all it does it swell the seals, make the system a dirty mess, and plug passage ways that are not suppose to be plugged. The shift points are controlled by cable that runs off the throttle position. The cable hooks to a kickdown arm on the trans. If this arm is sticking, it will cause it to shift funny.

 

Just realized that while there is no leak, after parking the vehicle after driving, coolant boils into coolant reservoir & out the overflow tube. I am replacing the coolant cap & thermostat soon (maybe today), just to see if it changes anything.

I just noticed today that the top hose that goes to my radiator from the block has collapsed due to suction or heat or something. What does this mean & what should I do??

Also, I replaced 2 hoses with heater hose since i couldnt find the original tubes, would that be ok as a permanent fix or should i keep lookin for the original tubes? also, what exactly do those tubes do? the one goes from on top of the valve cover down to the PCV valve, & the other goes from behind the engine to the air duct near the throttle body.

 

1st picture: Coolant can boil for a few reason. One is head gasket, 2nd is bad radiator cap, and 3rd your coolant is junk or you have to much water in it.

2nd picture: That is your PCV hose. From what I can see in the pic, there is no pcv in line on there. That will cause excessive oil burning. It may also cause it to run like crap.

3rd picture is a breather line. That line is no big deal. just dont block it off.

Heater core lines need to be replaced with header core hose (5/8? coolant hose). PCV or breather hoses need something that oil cant break down. So oil lines, fuel lines, tranny lines, or check the HELP section at the parts store.