i have posted some previous issues and had great success with your guys/girls help. I yet again have another issue that is plaguing me. (1998 Dodge Neon SOHC) Every once in a while for quite some time now, if you let the neon idle in park, the temp will spike up pretty rapidly to high temps, like temps that set the vehicles warning buzzer. If you throw the car in drive and take off, it'll drop back down to normal temp relatively quickly.

This has happened 2 times in the last week, and before that, i can remember like 2 or 3 times in the last several months. I tried letting it run when at home to try and diagnosis the problem, but i left it running a good 30 minutes, and it never went over normal operating temp.

Anybody have any input??

 

Im sure youve checked the coolant level already, a symptom like that i would suspect the cooling fan relay to be on its way out and not making contact every time its triggered.
When it gets hot run and check if the cooling fans are running or not.
They should be on by just over 1/2 way up on the temp gauge.If theyre not running, take the cover off the main fuse / relay box under the hood and smack the replay with a screwdriver handle or something like that and see if htey try to come on then, If not haul *** and get it cooled down again. You can swap the relays around in the box.
Like swap it with the fuel pump relay, and if it doesnt run you know the relay is bad.
Give that a shot and let us know what you come up with.
Also check the plugs on the fans.

 

maybe a thermostat or something like that too.

 

now on the relay/fuse panel, are the relays identified (fuel pump, fans, etc)??

 

i had this problem with my 99 dohc it was my car computer which didnt recongnize the relay so i t wouldnt turn on. i hope u figure it out man good luck

 

I had a problem on my neon where the radiator fans were not kicking on all the time..turned out to be a ground wire, located just above the radiator near battery.Hope you figure it out.

 

Theyre labeled on the lid of the box