Tune up today. 04 Dodge Neon 2.0L SOHC

[GumbyJarvis]

Tuned up my roommates car today.
Other than the oil and the filter, the rest were off Rockauto for about 50$ S&H Included

So here we go...

Spark Plugs
Off- OEM Champion Copper (dated 2003 mind you)
In- NGK V Power

Air Filter
Off- Fram cone (totally gray sigh)

In- Firestone Closeout Warehouse filter cone

PCV
OUT- OEM (clogged to high heavens. Like, blew in it to have a JB WELD/used grease appearence to it)

In - OEM

Spark Plug Wires
Out OEM dated 2003
In - champion wires

Coil pack
Out - oem
In - whatever brand was cheaper at the time on rock auto

Oil
Out - whatever the local 10 min lube put in (or didnt)
In - QS DEFY 10w40

Oil filter
Out - some random jobber filter, ecoee design, solid green

In - Purolator Red Filter (classic)



The idle has gone down, no more rough idling, roomie bought from his now ex gf a year or two ago, the idling at fully warmed up was at 2000rpm
Now idling at 1200rpm ish

Plugs gapped to .35

Did due to noticing a bad idle while driving to and from austin with him not that long ago, checked oil levels on way back, very low, topped it off at the flying J with delo 15w40 until i could look at it.

Dropped the oil pan today too. Cleaned about a cm of sludge and cleaned with kerosene, allowing to dry replacing gaskets.

Fun morning teaching someone who relies on 10 min no name lube joints.



Oh, and his EX had gotten a "multi tune up" from a local shop

Cant explain the original PCV and Plugs though.

Hmph

 

[GumbyJarvis]

Oh and after yelling at the spark plug metal sleeves in the engine, and having worked on the 2.0L SOHC before on all 3 makers neons (dodge plymouth and chryslers)

I have come to a conclusion.

These engines were a great idea, poorly executed.

I now rate Neons above pretty much any Saturn L series and any AM General HMMWV as being the biggest PITA to work on to me

 

[Eddie]

Why a new coil pack?

 

[GumbyJarvis]

As well as, if anyone owns one, the cone filter is a pain, and it runs locally for 23$

Check out rock auto, they can be had for 2-6$

 

[GumbyJarvis]

The new coil pack was from learning the hard way with the trucks high idle.
At that time of doing a tune up on the truck I replaced everything from battery to wires to plugs to spark plug wires to pcv valve to oil to fuel filter...

Turns out it was a bad coil in the coil pack.

This car is sitting at 134k miles.
Better to be safe than sorry

 

[Donald]

After all that its still a Neon right?

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis
Oh and after yelling at the spark plug metal sleeves in the engine, and having worked on the 2.0L SOHC before on all 3 makers neons (dodge plymouth and chryslers)

I have come to a conclusion.

These engines were a great idea, poorly executed.

I now rate Neons above pretty much any Saturn L series and any AM General HMMWV as being the biggest PITA to work on to me


I'm confused, everything is right on top and couldn't be easier to get to. Plugs, wires and a coil on a 2.0 Neon should take 10 minutes.

 

[GumbyJarvis]

The tubes leading to the sparkplug coming out make it a PITA

As well as the fuel filter [censored].

Design was poorly executed.
Explain the conical filter, explain the basic design of some parts.

Very cheaply made. I am not the biggest fan of anything really out of the Daimler era except for some of the DI V8s.

The 4cyl engines were all... [censored].

This engine has potential, but the base model non turbocharged neon is greatly underpowered.

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis
Oh and after yelling at the spark plug metal sleeves in the engine, and having worked on the 2.0L SOHC before on all 3 makers neons (dodge plymouth and chryslers)

I have come to a conclusion.

These engines were a great idea, poorly executed.

I now rate Neons above pretty much any Saturn L series and any AM General HMMWV as being the biggest PITA to work on to me


I'm confused, everything is right on top and couldn't be easier to get to. Plugs, wires and a coil on a 2.0 Neon should take 10 minutes.

agreed. these cars are a simple to work on. that same job on nearly any transverse V6 would include removing the entire intake to get to the back bank.

seems that poor car went through a couple bad owners...

those OE Copper plugs should be changed every 30k mi.
also at that mileage, if the timing belt hasn't been changed, it's on borrowed time. it IS an interference engine. (supposed to be changed at around 105k mi)

 

[earlyre]

Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis
The tubes leading to the sparkplug coming out make it a PITA

As well as the fuel filter [censored].

Design was poorly executed.
Explain the conical filter, explain the basic design of some parts.

Very cheaply made. I am not the biggest fan of anything really out of the Daimler era except for some of the DI V8s.

The 4cyl engines were all... [censored].

This engine has potential, but the base model non turbocharged neon is greatly underpowered.


I changed the plugs on my neon 3 times, never had a problem getting them out. don't most modern engines utilize spark plug tubes anyway?

as far as i remember, there isn't a serviceable Fuel filter on the neon's, much like most other modern cars. it's a filter sock around the pump in the tank.

I can't explain the air filter, the previous owner of my neon(My older brother) had installed a CAI.

neon was my DD for 4 years, never felt it was underpowered(and i'm 300 lbs)

it's 130hp, how much do you need for a small economy car?

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: GumbyJarvis


I now rate Neons above pretty much any Saturn L series and any AM General HMMWV as being the biggest PITA to work on to me


You obviously haven't met a PT Cruiser yet... or the 84 Cavalier my wife had when we met.

Or about 100 other cars I can think of. The Neon is a cinch.

Even with the PT, to be honest its not the fault of the engine. Its the fault of the packaging to make it fit the chassis and the fact they had to wrap the intake back over the top. But even that pops off with 6 bolts and has nice silicone O-rings so it just goes back on and seals when you have to change plugs.

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted By: Donald
After all that its still a Neon right?

To the OP, why not change the fuel filter while your at it? It's one of the main things I'd address at that mileage.

Makes it much easier on the pump IMO

 

[Delta]

I'm surprised those OEM Champions lasted that long. With my 2002 I had changed them at 70K. Two of them the porcelain had failed.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Has the timing belt been changed? Like mentioned above - it is an interference engine.

Does it have the common piston slap that these engines do?

 

[racer12306]

A Neon is hard to work on?

As an owner, I have to disagree. Except for the cam position sensor. Whoever designed that needs to go meet Satin.

The air filter is very easy, 4 or 5 bolts and the housing opens up, out with the old, in with the new and button it up. I have an issue installing plug when there are tubes involved, thats where a piece of fuel hose comes in handy to get the threads started, then i switch to a normal deep socket.


Another notch about the timing belt, if it fails, the pistons and valves will get to know each other very intimately.

 

[Pontual]

Congratulations!

Now, any problem in that car will be your fault. Give goodby to your friendship, hehehehe.

Says
Dermapaint

 

[SwampSurvivor]

The cam position sensor seemed easy to change.

Changing the timing belt, not so much. Have to go up and down and forwards and backwards with the engine 5000000000000 times

 

[racer12306]

Originally Posted By: Miller88
The cam position sensor seemed easy to change.

Changing the timing belt, not so much. Have to go up and down and forwards and backwards with the engine 5000000000000 times


I'm not sure there is an easy transverse 4 cyl timing belt out there lol

I don't know if it's just my car or a 03+ thing or what, but my hard coolant tubes run right in front of the cam position sensor and on a 03+ they are 50,000 mile maintenance items.

 

[Ifixyawata]

Originally Posted By: racer12306


I don't know if it's just my car or a 03+ thing or what, but my hard coolant tubes run right in front of the cam position sensor and on a 03+ they are 50,000 mile maintenance items.


My '05 Neon made it past 200K with only 2 Cam position sensor replacements.

I also pushed my OEM timing belt to 170k+

It was very thin when I got it off there.

 

[racer12306]

I know you, you were on 2GN weren't you? Under the same user name.

I just put my 2nd CPS in at 110,000 and I put a magnet in for good measure as I had P0341 instead of just P0340.