Hi guys, my farther's 95 neon SOHC has got me stump'd so im turning here as a last resosrt before he sends it to a mechanic. Well the problem is it takes about an hour or two to get it started in the morning's. But once u get it running it can be shut off and turned back on no problem. We've installed a new fuel pump and plugs but it still has this issue.. It's frustrating because once it get 's running it has n o problems whats so eva, acctually a pretty good drive in comparison to my VW. We've checked the gas at the fuel rail and it jet's out gas when u turn the key, but I've yet to check for spark, being i dont really understand the mechanics behind a coilpack. Any1 got any advice on what to check for next? Btw iv'e check'd the for codes and come up with nothing... Thanx in advance..

 

*UPDATE*

So this morning I checked for spark at the coilpack and wasn't getting any, so we let it sit for a hr or so and checked it again it started right up and was getting spark. I'm new to this kind of pcm + coilpack system so looking for advice on what to check on next? Why would it not start in the cold morning but later on during the day start up?

 

That is very odd. Have you checked the plug that goes into the bottom driver side of the coil to make sure it's in and the red clip that locks it in is there?

 

The coilpack receives its power from the ASD relay, and going back from there goes right to the battery (well, there's a fuse...). The PCM grounds the two halves of the coilpack to get the plugs to fire. Each half of the coilpack controls two spark plugs which fire at the same time. One fires normally, the other in the opposite direction. Also known as a "wasted spark" type of distributorless ignition.

The odds of the PCM being affected by the cold and not grounding the coils is pretty small. On the power side, there's a chance that the ASD relay is sticking when cold. There's a very small chance that the crank sensor is just ever so slightly out of position, but that's a real stretch... The cam sensor has nothing to do with spark control on the Neon. But if you aren't getting a crank signal within the first second of turning the engine over, the PCM will shut off the ASD relay (which also powers the O2 sensors and a few other items) and the fuel pump relay. Since you are getting pressure at the fuel rail, I'm betting the fuel pump relay is working fine. The fuel pump comes on for about 2 seconds when you take the key to the On position, then shuts off until you take it to Start.

Next time you go out to start the car cold, honk the horn first to make sure the horn relay is working. Then pop the hood, open up the black box behind the battery, and swap the horn relay with the ASD relay and see if it helps.

Other things to check (in addition to the connections, like mentioned) would be the wires and plugs themselves (fresh copper plugs and any decent wires - Accell, Bosch, etc.). The coilpack has been known to develop internal hairline cracks. The gaps will be bigger when cold, then as the temperature climbs, the metal expands and gets the gaps close enough to make a connection. It used to be fairly common, but I don't hear about it much any more. I'm still using the original ('95) coilpack after over 240,000 miles... You can usually get an MSD coilpack from Summit or Jegs for less than a stock replacement at the dealer or parts store. It's an identically built unit. And even though you're getting fuel pressure, don't forget that the 95's had an external fuel filter that's supposed to get changed every 35k miles or so. Just forward of the rear passenger tire under a panel. Fuel pressure should be 49 psi if you want to check it with a gauge.

Best of luck!