Hello - my name is Ed and I live rurally outside the small town of LaPine, OR. I have owned many Dodges from my first, a pristine '65 four door Dart to my current a 2000 Neon which is where the "Help Needed" part comes in. About 2 months ago on a routine run I make and upon return it began to "stumble" and lose power. I pulled over and it continued to to idle but very rough. I was out of cell range and in the mountains so it was spend the night in the car or try to limp it along. It started up again and idled ok but would not accelerate. I shut it off and waited a few minutes and it started up and seemed to run fine. it made it the next 50 miles and then it stumbled again. It would not come back to normal this time but it did get me home at approximately 20 mph for about 10 miles. The check engine light came on and set the codes, # 1684 and 0171 which I have already researched. Fortunately a good friend of mine is a well respected mechanic in my area and I took it to him for some ideas. He ran it all afternoon on the scanner and it did not repeat the problem. A few days later the codes cleared, the light went out and for the next month and a half it seemed to run fine until this week. It started "stumbling" again but this time the check engine light would flash four times and not stay lit. I talked to him and fortunately he happens to have a 98 Neon in his shop with a blown motor so he suggested I take the coil pack and swap it out to see if that was the problem. It was not and started to stumble again but would eventually run. He suggested I try swapping out the crank position sensor with the one from the dead Neon. I did that last night and it seemed to run ok. Ironically I had to make the same run today and it ran great to where I had to go but on the return trip started "stumbling" again AND at almost the same location as the first time a couple months ago, but this time it would idle ok but pushing the gas pedal did nothing. I shut it off, waited a few minutes and started it up again and as the first time ran fine for about 50 miles and then again almost at the same location on the way home started stumbling, the check engine light began flashing the four times but this time, as before, it stayed lit and set the same codes again - 1684 and 0171. As before it stumbled for awhile and then suddenly came to life and seemed to run normally but with the check engine light on. My mechanic friend is bewildered as am I. Any ideas? I am ready to go nuts here. The bottom line is it definately seems like an ignition problem (as opposed to fuel) because when it stumbles it is like a switch turning the engine on and off. PCM going bad? HELP!!!! Thanks - Ed

 

what do those codes mean???

 

P0171 (M) 1/1 Fuel System Lean A lean air/fuel mixture has been indicated by an abnormally rich correction factor

P1684 Battery Loss in the Last 50 Starts The battery has been disconnected within the last 50
starts

 

The first code is described this way on this forum:

P0171 System too Lean (Bank 1)

 

p1684 is kind of a pain in the *** code may or maynot be a problem. I just cleared it off my car (came up under a transmition code(battery not connected to transmition)) and i havn't had my battery disconnected in over a year.

The po171 could be any sensor in the fuel system. Try the ones right around the intake manifold or on the fuel rail. Dont know if it would be any help but would be a good place to start.

 

I havent had any problems like that and hopefully I wont. Im sure someone here can help you. Thats crazy that your friend cant find the problem. Anyway welcome to the forum.

 

Basically my frind is helping me help myself find the problem. The problem is it does not set a code other than the ones I mentioned and those do not relate to the problem - and seem to be common. I am seriously thinking of swapping out the ECM at this point. Has anyone had experience with this IE: if I find a used one does it have to be "programmed" to work in my car? I read somewhere that the ECM need to match or be programmed to work. And is it even possible for an ECM to cause problems like this? Thanks.

 

It is defently an electric problem wich means no one ever knows the answer. Its always some weird **** you would never check likea bad speaker connection in the back. Good luck and hope you get it. let us know

 

you might want to check your wiring along all the sensors in your fuel system for frays and loose connections. if those codes are popping together, its probably a problem with your wiring causing the pcm to react wrong to a sensor not getting enough voltage and causing a battery drain.

 

maybe its the altitude, how high are the mountians you go through? depending on where the car was destoned for it may not be tuned for the right altitude? just a thought