OK ill start at the problem it (had)and then tell you what its doing now.i had an oil leak when my mom first bought me this neon (2years ago)last year she took it to an older guy to get the leak fixed.when we got it back (three days later)i drove it about 15min down the road the car started to drop speed (from aprox 45mph down to 0mph or until i made a complete stop before it would go again (it kept doing this until i turned around and went home)when i got home i could barely make it -up- into the yard.i popped the hood and it seemed to be smoking out of the tranny dip stick.i then parked it into the back yard.a few months pasted by and i desided that enough i am going got get it fixed my husband started the car and it wouldnt go into revurse!it just wined and wined,bad smoked alot too(out the tail pipe but i think that was because it hadnt been started) he parked it on a slab and it wouldnt stay started so he replaced the battery(that seemed to fix that problem)the he took it for a test drive,it was stuck at the end of the street (about a mile)the alternator went out (was caked with oil)he also put some transmission fix stuff in it(it then would go into revurse),while replacing the alternator my cusin forgot to hook one of the hoses up and my timing belt broke.well here we are a year later fixing the problems.he got a head from the junk yard that was good but my dad told him to replace the valve seals,he did that.i dont think he adjusted the tensior? right because he had to break the allen wench the slides into it.(i didnt know it was supposed to slide freely)the belt is rubbing abit also.we ran into it not shifting out of first gear (would go aprox 28mph)we got codes p0123,p0443 and p0352.he bought a tps from the local junk yard (we tested it and it was good as mine was bad)it still wouldnt act right.so he changed the tranny fluid and filter,(with that dexron? i told him what i had read and he did it anyway because thats what NAPA pulled up to give him blah blah he still will not listen)it now shifts out of first ans second (i can feel it)but now it takes WAY WAY to long to sift into third if at all.(i am afraid i will snap that t-belt)i was reading on someones that adjusting the bands may help? do you think this will help me? sorry its so long,i read on here if ppl dont know the story then they cant help you.

 

i have a short video of the motor smoking i think the head sounds a little loud(we havent changed the oil yet so that might be the problem)

and when i say we,i mean my husband,i read the manual and i tell him,so the hole tesnior is my fault because i didnt read it good enough.now i know you more than less need to study the book before the project.

 

I had a similiar problem with my transmission. I use that stop leak stuff and i was able to get my reverse back but the car wouldn't shift to 2nd gear (AT). I was told my Tranny was shot so i had to get another. You might wanna go ahead and do the same just to be on the safe side. Also you might have no 3rd gear at all. That is the problem with my Cavalier (AT also). She drives but she won't go into 3rd, she actually hesitates to go into second. Hope this little bit helps.

 

it shifts into 2nd now but when i drove it,it took about a min to get into third then i drove it again and it didnt shift into 3rd at all.i think i may just have to sell it when i get the title in for what i can get,i have already put $700 into it in the past two months getting it running alone,after replacing head and all,i had to buy a tool just to remove those valve seals.my husband just went out and bought over $300 in tools (not done)so he can work on our cars,the other two dont need any type of work,its just in case.its in need of an oil change i am for sure.after we get this belt issue done ill try to look more into the transmission.they sell transmissions at a local pull it yourslef,i wonder if a new SOHC trans will fit mine? hehe for $50 it would be worth it.

 

i have a dohc 97 auto