This is a 1998 Dodge Neon SOHC automatic, 120000 miles (approx)
Fuel pump turning on- can hear it. Has lights, lights dim a bit when try to start. engine tries but does not start. was not hot, had been sitting for a good hour or so.

negative battery cable is corroded and a bit loose, but can tap it down snug, used a terminal and post brush and cleaned it up a bit anyway. NOT able to tighten, too corroded.

After 4 hours of trying, was able to get it running 3 times; IF it starts, runs for a few minutes, then cuts off like someone pulled the plug. Still has lights, but no RPM. Battery and oil and CEL come on.

no spark from plug wire #4, which was previously unaffected in the codes + Previous hard start, 2, 3, 4 key turns before it would catch, led me to believe it is the ignition coil.

pulled ignition coil pack
Primary resistance is 0 ohms
secondary resistance across the points is 10,000 ohms

which led me to believe that it was bad. so i got a new one, hooked it up, started right away. turn off, turn on, ok. running for 20 minutes, turned off, on for another 30, off, on, went a few blocks, then it died. battery and oil light comes on. (dont remember if the CEL did at that point). was able to start it again, 2nd try. made it a couple more blocks, cut off again, still have cluster power, lights, but battery and oil lights come on. refuses to start. trys, wont catch.

NEW spark plugs- was getting 300, 302, 303 codes previously, and major misfiring while driving, which is why I changed the plugs.i quadruple checked the gap before i put them im.

i DID notice a bit of a flutter in the idle right before it died. which makes me think cam sensor. i *just* replaced it 3 weeks ago. and 3 times last year. I also had to splice in a new harness for it last year as well, as the line got cut. everything looks intact, so idk.

now, i didnt have time to put the code scanner on it ( had to hoof it to work) but i will later. im thinking its
1. the cam sensor *again*
2. a dodgy ( get it- dodge .. ) negative battery cable or ground
3. some other funky wiring.
4. ?????

This car makes me so mad .. but its my DD. so what else is there do do but get it runnin for now.. and start saving up for another car, i guess.

I will also post with updates and info as i have them over the next 24 hours or so, maybe it will help someone else. Im trying to read thru the previous posts.. theres so many regarding stalling! and none so far match exactly.

ideas?

 

The fact that your negative battery terminal is basically crap and cannot be tightened down, and even more so, you are having electrical problems on a car that is very touchy when it comes to getting a good, solid battery connection...sounds like a $2 terminal would have been the best place to start IMO. Give it a go.

My car kept shutting off on me because there was some corrosion inside of the negative battery terminal crimp (where the terminal was crimped onto the wire at the factory). I replaced the wire and terminal and all my woes were gone instantly.

 

I was going to just replace the terminal connection, but once i peeled the insulation back, i saw just how much corrosion there was in the wires. Ok, so ill have to replace the whole cable. except i cant seem to reach it where it connects to the starter solenoid. I wonder if its easier from under, i looked, but didnt seem like it. Did you have to remove the solenoid to get to it?

thats one issue. I checked the fuel injectors: the wires are bare in a couple spots, so i wrapped them up. fuel injectors seem to be ok, i disconnected them one at a time and there was a difference in idle.

I borrowed a fuel pressure gauge: 1-5 psi with ignition on, and no change until i start it, when it slowly goes up to ( and holds at ) 50psi. turned off ignition, it drops back down to 1-5 psi, then over about 3 minutes, bottoms out completely. There are no leaks that i can see, so imma have to assume its the fuel pressure regulator/filter, or the fuel pump.

also! No codes. the CEL does come on when the car starts, but it gives me no error codes, even after stalling.

 

ok, so replaced the fuel pressure regulator, and still stalls after ( im assuming?) it gets to a certain temp. I drove it in circles behind the house, then pulled into the parking spot, let it sit for a moment, then, IDK how else to put it.. its like the engine gets quieter, then it stalls. Someone also suggested a clogged cat.. I am getting P0442, but ive gotten that ever since ive had the car ( 5 years). no other codes still. I WAS able to get it to start after that, but it died right away. idle seems fine, hovering around 1000-900rpm. I wish i hung onto the fuel pressure gauge, but i gave it back already. I also suspect the crankshaft sensor.. that and the cam sensor seem to trip each other. and i know for a fact the cam sensor went a few weeks ago, and i replaced it, but not the crank sensor.

 

My cable was only corroded near the terminal, so I just cut the wire back where there was no corrosion, soldered a ring terminal onto the end and sealed it with adhesive lined shrink tube. I'd still suggest fixing this problem first and go from there. It may eliminate other electrical problems.

Over time, the fuel pressure should drop off. I do not know how low, but I'd imagine it'll go to zero eventually. If the pumps don't have power, what's going to keep pressure in the line over time?

 

thanks! I went about 6 inches back on the insulation, and still corrosion. at that point, it would be too short to trim and replace the connection, which is why i was just gonna replace the whole cable, positive too while im at it, as it showed corrosion as well. and while i have the car jacked up to get to that, ill break out the multi-meter check the crank sensor.

 

Sounds like a good plan and a good start!

 

update:
replaced both the pos and neg battery cables. it certainly starts better now.

checked the crank sensor wiring harness- it was shredded. insulation gone, wires exposed. someone did a half-assed job wrapping them with electrical tape, but most of it had come off. so i cleaned the oil and grime off of it best i could, and re-wrapped it. good voltage from the harness- 8 on one side, 4.5 on the other. resistance across the sensor itself was also in the acceptable range.

put everything back together, started it up. took 2 tries to start, and when it did, the idle was a bit erratic. held ok at about 900- 1000 rpm, with the occasional intermittent dip to 800-500rpm. let it idle for about 20 minutes or so, and drove it around the parking lot a bit. pulled it in to park, and it died. no codes on the scanner. engine was overheating at this point ( the fans seem to not be working, thats another issue) so i let it sit till today.

started wonderfully. let it idle for 10 minutes or so, did a few laps around the lot. pulled it in to park, and it didnt die. turned it off, and came back 15 minutes later or so, and it refused to start. good strong tries, but the engine would not start. let it sit for a few more minutes, tried again, and it did start. again with the idle loping erratically, but it seemed to smooth itself out after a while, and it did not dip so low in RPM this time.

decided to check the MAP sensor. 3.5v from harness. not so good, as i understand it. 5.5 ohms resistance across the voltage and ground lines. .05 ohms across the sensor connections.

checked engine coolant temp sensor. plug was damp, not oil, not sure what it was, didnt look like it was leaking from anywhere nearby. getting good voltage from harness, 8v.
I admit at this point i was getting frustrated, and didnt want to tear stuff apart again to check the sensor, and didnt want to damage the temp sensor in my hurry. so i put it back together again, and did not check the actual sensor.

i did manage to get it to do a key dance, and got code 12. now, i know this can be caused by battery being recently disconnected. I read somewhere that it could also be caused by the fuel pump fuse?
checked the ASD relay, and when i connected it to the power supply and ground, and checked for continuity, there was none. the relay was clicking tho.

 

Start with ground straps. Make sure they are all present and in good conditing with firm connections. It is not a bad idea to add a few ground staps as well. Have seven 4 gauge ground straps on my car.

Second, what brand of spark plug did you purchase? Only cheap copper plugs (Champion or NGK) and not the platinum plugs work just fine in neons.

Also might be a good time to run some seafoam through for fuel system and air intake system, if this has not been done in the past few months.

 

when i took my car to a nearby shop for brakes a few months ago, they removed one of the ground straps from the passenger side wheel area.
I only used the copper Champions. While im glad my car is a cheap date in that aspect, its a bit odd.
I ran seafoam thru the gas tank 3 weeks ago, i thought that gas might have been an issue, but no change.

I talked to a local shop, and the first thing they said was "crank sensor". i checked the resistance on a cold engine, they suggested i compare it to resistance when hot/after stalling. so looks like thats next on the docket. cant recall which one he said should be higher, tho.. o.O