Hey...I am new to this and I got a question. I have a 1998 Plymouth neon SOHC. On Christmans Eve, two in the morning, I had just gotten off of work and I was getting on the freeway and all of a sudden I had instant speed loss. SO I pull over and turn off the car and when I tried to start it again it wouldnt. SO I had it towed and I had a buddy look at it. Turns out my timing belt broke...it was in about four or five pieces when we took it out. I replaced the belt but it still doesnt start. I was going about 45-50 when it happened, so I am pretty sure that some if not all of my valves are bent. My question is how much is this gonna cost me to have fixed?? and how long will it take? I can't afford a new car but would it be cheaper just to get one?

I have had problems with this car from day one. I bought it in September form a jerk. I was stupid and naive. Anyway, he said that it was in great condition...yeah right. About a month after having it the trans went. So I spent about 1200 on that, and now the timing belt boke and I might have bent valves!!!! I am just a little mad. CAN YA TELL???!!! Also there is oil in my spark plug sockets...what is that all about??

If anyone has any advice or tips I would greatly appreciate it!!!
-Lorry

 

when i broke my timing belt the dealership said that it would cost 3500 bucks to fix it, which sucked sine i got the car a week earlier for 2000. but if you can find a just yard you can probally get a new head for about 200.00 or motor for under 1,000. it isnt hard to fix as long as you know what you are doin or have sumone help that does. make sure the head gasket gets changed while you are at it.

 

Ahh timing belt trouble, most Neon owners I know have had it. It's like our Neons are going through puberty, timing belt, foggy headlights, water in the tailights, leaky trunk, wet back floor, head gasket failing, speedometer and other gauges stop working. Tough times but most of us stick by our beloved Neons. Mine has gone through all of those problems and a few thousand dollars later I'm still with her. My timing belt blew on Thanksgiving Eve, actually the belt tensioner blew, ate the timing belt, which then caused the pistons to slam into the valves bending all of them and cracking a rocker arm. I was doing about 30 with my foot off of the gas, coasting down an off-ramp when she died on me. I fixed it myself, sent the valves to a machine shop to be replaced, changed the water pump while I was at it, cleaned the engine up a bit, and put her back together. $1,000 later she performs better than ever. It took about a month to finish, it was done on Christmas Day. My Neon (a 1995 4 dr ATX) has had most of the common Neon problems, and is currently having the speedo problem and the wet back floor. The trunk was leaking too but I used some weather stripping to seal the tailights. I admit it probably would have been cheaper and easier to sell it for a few hundred or scrap it and get another car, but I love that Neon. I've had her since high school and I'm really attached to her. I bought it for $400 with a dead starter, altenator, no battery, and some dents and dings. I really needed a car and my family is a Mopar family so I got her, it was either that or a 1986 Olds, and now that look back I'm very happy to have found that car. I saved her from the scrap yard, put a lot of work into her, and turned her into a race winner. Anyway that was off topic. lol.