2000 Dodge Neon Under the hood Photos

[285south]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
If you had been using Pyb you wouldn't have that varnish but you choose to completely avoid top products?


short answer Valvoline was Good oil and cheap at the time compared to synthetic, the price difference was around 2 dino quarts to 1 syn.

Originally Posted By: accent2012
Not bad at all! The oil consumption it has now is very typical.

Was the timing belt ever changed?


Just now annoyed about the quart every month but will keep taking notes on the oil since having the pump, oil pan gasket, and sensor replaced.

Timing belt has been replace the same time the water pump was replaced. No rough idling or revving, since every 20K I poured down the tank STP Complete Fuel System Cleaner 5.25-oz and now will use Redline SI-1 once a year.

Originally Posted By: FutureDoc
I could never do that OCI... I would expect a lot of that "patina" would be avoidable with 4-5K max OCI with VWB... depending on the highway use... and a 14 yo car at 110K, I do not think it is getting a lot of big HW miles.

I would keep to 5K with the MS5 and go with a full Syn if you want that 10K interval


It doesn't get that much HW miles, which is why I'm now going with 5K OCIs with synthetics. From my oil stash it will first have Mobil 1 HM, then Mobil 1, and Castrol. After using up all my Mobil 1 and Castrol it will be 2 years then I'll use the other syn oils in my stash (Castrol Gold with Ti, Pennz Ultra, German Castrol according to "born on date" on the jugs)

Originally Posted By: daves87rs
Not bad...

But I'm curious too about the never call on pennzoil products..

I've had good runs with SOPUS products in general...


Got born into when/with Pennzoil contained wax.


Originally Posted By: Clevy
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Hi. My name is varnish.

My thoughts exactly. PYB at those intervals would have kept it spotless.


Perhaps...or the reason why I have varnish is that I used 10w-40 instead of 10w-30, so it being thicker it stayed on the metal longer. Which is why it is a clean engine with major varnish.

Originally Posted By: VNTS
These pics show me that 5K mile oil changes on dino are realistic, and 8K is pushing it.

I have a 2.4 turbo and I had the valve cover off at 100K miles, I ran from records, Amsoil 0w-30, Mobil1 5w-30, PP and PU 5w-30 for 6-7K intevals, you could eat off the valve train and ditto the Valve cover.

I wonder about the condition of the ring packs when you sea the varnish like that.

Also I change the PCV valves on my 2.4's every 20K.


Agreed on conventional oil being solid for 5k and after that you're pushing it. I wonder about the o-rings too and why I am going with Mobil 1 HM for the first three 5K OCIs. HM should also help with the consumption. I change the PCV valve every 3 years since its only like 4 bucks. Also within the first year I had the car, received a postcard from Chrysler in the mail saying that the pcv valve had to be replace for free for being faulty.

I was corrected, yes 2.0 Dodge engines are made in "trenton" and wasn't a Mitshu engine, so it should last another 200k.

Yes, engine still feels good. Everything else with the car is being replace one at a time as they fail or according to milage.

 

[285south]

One Year Update:

110K 09/22/13
130K 09/20/14

So I found out that the PCV valve is a design flaw. Some guy in Texas that owns a 06 PT Cruiser has the same problem of oil consumption, but not really oil consumption since the darn thing is a design flaw, and told me how to fix it. YAY!

So I have not fixed it with his solution but will next month when I do the OCI with a new NAPA Platinum or M1 filter.

Unfortunately I can not say "this brand" (Mobil 1) synthetic oil cleaned the varnish from VWB but can say (a mix of M1 HM, M1, GC, Castrol Edge, QSUD, Pennz Ultra, and Edge Gold/titanium) synthetic oil did cleaned it, when I get rid of the car in December 2016 and will pull the valve cover again to take photos.

So the past year here is what was added into the motor:
9/21/2013 114,XXX Mobil1 10-30 Gal, Ultra .5 qt Napa Platinum
10/15/2013 115,300 M1 HM .7qt + .5 MoS2 Marvel Mystery Oil, 5 oz (fuel tank)
??? 118,775 Pepboys oil change Mobil 5k 1600 miles
3/5/2014 120,200 Maxlife 10-40 .5qt + .5 MoS2
3/10/2014 120,375 oil change Castrol 10-30 Gal + .5 MoS2 4500 miles
3/23/2014 121,100 .25 quart low, .25 qt MaxLife
3/30/2014 121,425 .25 quart low
?? 122,300 add a quart; Maxlife
4/25/2014 123,000 add a quart of QSUD 10-30
?? add a quart of QSUD 10-30
6/16/2014 125,600 add a quart; Maxlife 1040
7/2/2014 126,400 .5 qt; MLHM 1040
?? 127,353 .25 above add; qt of GC
?? 128,300 Marvel Mystery Oil, 5 oz (fuel tank)
8/17/2014 128,740 add a quart; Maxlife 1040
9/4/2014 129,700 Qt GC
9/14/2014 130,540 .5 5w30 Ultra

After I added the 2 qts of GC it felt smoother because of the PAO.
?? = I forgot to write down the date

 

[Artem]

Personally, I've yet to see solid before / after pics of your regular engine oil cleaning up varnish.

I've personally tested Kreen and Auto-X in my own car, a 98 Toyota Camry V6 with a "discolored" engine and found that the best oils which are suppose to CLEAN simply couldn't touch the varnish, which is now part of the metal.

I'm in for the final results but I doubt there will be ANY difference in color.

Just my opinion.

There's a strong chance that you could have kept the varnish away with shorter intervals, but who knows. If an engine runs hot and burns the oil inside, I doubt many oils will withstand the abuse and not leave a trace behind.

 

[tig1]

Originally Posted By: Artem
Personally, I've yet to see solid before / after pics of your regular engine oil cleaning up varnish.

I've personally tested Kreen and Auto-X in my own car, a 98 Toyota Camry V6 with a "discolored" engine and found that the best oils which are suppose to CLEAN simply couldn't touch the varnish, which is now part of the metal.

I'm in for the final results but I doubt there will be ANY difference in color.

Just my opinion.

There's a strong chance that you could have kept the varnish away with shorter intervals, but who knows. If an engine runs hot and burns the oil inside, I doubt many oils will withstand the abuse and not leave a trace behind.


However if an engine has hot spots, like some of the Toyotas a few years ago, a quality synthetic will certainly help prevent varnish compared to dino.

 

[285south]

Originally Posted By: Artem
Personally, I've yet to see solid before / after pics of your regular engine oil cleaning up varnish.


I have no posted them yet, for that I have another year to go before opening up the valve cover.

 

[donnyj08]

Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I you had been using Pyb you wouldn't have that varnish but you choose to completely avoid top products?



I've seen engines ran on PYB that have had varnish as well, it isn't a magic oil that is unable to produce varnish or sludge. It is a great oil, but so is VWB. i've seen engines spotless that used either one, and ive seen varnished engines that have used either. The real story is in the cars use and not the oil.

given the cars age and mileage at the time the cover was pulled it probably wasn't a highway queen. likely it was short tripped quite a bit. VWB did well. Varnish has little to no effect on how well and engine runs IMO. I've seen dozens of varnished and even moderately sludged engines that run and perform well.

 

[dlundblad]

I don't see how PYB vs VWB at those intervals would have made a difference. 5k intervals with either oil would have been more ideal IMO.

 

[Lex94]

"Perhaps...or the reason why I have varnish is that I used 10w-40 instead of 10w-30"

Use Pennzoil High Mileage 10w30 instead of 10w40.

 

[slomo]

Dump some Rislone inside it at each oil change. That'll clean her right up.

slomo

 

[cronk]

Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
I you had been using Pyb you wouldn't have that varnish but you choose to completely avoid top products?



I've seen engines ran on PYB that have had varnish as well, it isn't a magic oil that is unable to produce varnish or sludge. It is a great oil, but so is VWB. i've seen engines spotless that used either one, and ive seen varnished engines that have used either. The real story is in the cars use and not the oil.

given the cars age and mileage at the time the cover was pulled it probably wasn't a highway queen. likely it was short tripped quite a bit. VWB did well. Varnish has little to no effect on how well and engine runs IMO. I've seen dozens of varnished and even moderately sludged engines that run and perform well.


+1
Agreed!

 

[285south]

Update. So I bought ATP AT-205 Re-Seal Stops Leaks, 8 Ounce Bottle, to help reduce oil loss and poured it in around the first week of July with a quart of Castrol Gold 10-30. 1500 miles later I think it is finally starting to work its magic on rejuvenating the seals.

Checked the oil level this morning and I didn't have to add any from 2 weeks ago by pouring a quart of Peak 1040 dino. Will continue to monitor it weekly and fingers cross that it increased the miles before adding a quart of oil every 2 weeks.

Also the M1 filter is about to hit 10K and will be replacing it in two weeks.

 

[Ram01]

Please run a cycle of PU for a short 3k to help clean that varnish up

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: Ram01
Please run a cycle of PU for a short 3k to help clean that varnish up


Hogwash. Nothing that can be poured in there and be safe to the engine will remove that varnish. Manual cleaning in a hot solvent solution is probably the only option for this varnish.

Why such nonsense is constantly perpetuated on here is beyond me.

 

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: Ram01
Please run a cycle of PU for a short 3k to help clean that varnish up
Hogwash. Nothing that can be poured in there and be safe to the engine will remove that varnish. Manual cleaning in a hot solvent solution is probably the only option for this varnish.
Why such nonsense is constantly perpetuated on here is beyond me.

KrisZ, there isn't that much varnish. Its not that much where its loose and goopy. Maybe an HM synthetic or Pennzoil Ultra etc. will cut it down. I'd even put in some Gumout MultiSystem for the last 500 miles before an oil change on that one.

 

[ExMachina]

Originally Posted By: 285south
So two weekends ago, at 110K, I changed my original spark plugs to NGKs Iridium IX, seal to the valve cover and the dry rot caps to the valve cover bolts & spark plugs housing. Oh and changed the hose to the radiator reservoir.

Great choice of spark plugs. They should last a good long time.

Originally Posted By: 285south
Engine used Valvoline White Bottles for most of its life and oil changes averaged at 8000 miles. Now using Mobil 1 HM at 5K intervals with Napa Platinum filter at 10K intervals.

I'd only consider using Fram Ultra there instead, as Napa Platinums are famous for not filtering well enough compared to most other choices. A good synthetic HM oil like that at 5k ought to gradually get rid of whatever gunk is inside. Maybe an engine flush just prior to the next oil change.