I am working on a 04 neon.I cant get the peice of crap started.I have replaced the starter, alternator,battery,relays,fusablelinks,and the ignition switch.I have adjusted the shifter cable and it slides through gears nice & smoth. The key switch lock turns to all positions. I have electric where I need to & all grounds are good.When I turn ignition to start it wont turn over.I have lights,radio,& ect.... When I turn switch to start position&bypass evrything by putting a jumper from starter to the battery it turns over but still will not start.I'm about ready to give fellacio to a 12 gauge.Can anyone please keep me alive.

 

Welcome to the site. I will move this thread to the Neon section,
FF

 

Sounds like your not getting any spark or fuel. When you turn the key on listen for the fuel pump to kick on. It will be a low humming noise from the rear. How many miles does it have on it??? Also how long have you had it??? Do you park it in the winter etc etc etc.

 

I'm new to Neons Heck i'm new to newer cars period.
But one thing I noticed. Is the car an automatic or a standard shift?
I did notice the cable adjustment portion of the post. Also the whole "bypassing" of the ignition switch.
Assuming it's an automatic, did you check the gear shifting switch?
As in does the car know it's either in park or neutral?

 

I'm with 04NeonRT - There are 2 main things that a car needs to start...fire (spark) and fuel. The first thing that came to my mind after reading all of your "replaced items" was "Well...did he do the most simplest and cost-effective thing? Check the plugs?"

For what I've read, if you go far away from the OEM copper Champions - Neon's eat plugs. I would check them before replacing anything else. They should be gapped at 0.035" - you can buy a spark plug gapping tool at any auto store for a few bucks. Look at the gap setting on your current plugs and the condition they are in. To replace all 4 - you're looking at maybe $8? and not even 15 minutes of your time. I changed my sister's plugs in 11 mins flat - and that was with me never working on a dodge before.

If your plugs, plug wires and ignition coil are all in working, good condition - move on to check for fuel problems. Turn the key and as 04neon said, ensure that your fuel pump is turning. I'm not sure on a Neon but on my Audi it is located under the rear seat, pass. side. If that is good and working, check your fuel lines, fuel injectors, etc.

Double check all of these things and keep us informed. Best of luck!

- Ben -

 

For the neon the pump is located on passenger side of tank and you can see it looking undercar. Also if you put the seat back down you will be able to hear the fuel pump clearly when you turn the key to the on position. If you hear no humming noise then you know its fuel pump or relay.

 

Blown head, Cracked Block, Fuel Pump, Head Gasket, Breaks in the wires somewhere? Some more background information might help.

 

ok when you turn the key is the motor turning over or is it just not doing anything at all? and about the bypassing the ignition switch idk about that. the ecu's in these neons are really funky about things being bypassed

 

I have an '04 Neon SXT and had the strangest issue. I'd gone to lunch and, when I came back out, my car started for about 2 seconds and then shut off. I tried starting it back up and it would only turn over, never start.

I remembered reading in the manual (do I give up my man card for reading the manual???) where the computer will shut off the car if it doesn't read the key's chip and there is a process for introducing a new key's chip. Just a stab in the dark, I turned the ignition completely on (just before engine start) three times quickly. On the third time, it chimed a few times and flashed some code on the odometer.

It started just fine thereafter.

 

do that key trick again and get the code. Let us know what it was, then we can tell ya the issue!

Oh, and start a new thread.