I have a 2000 Dodge Neon with 84K miles on it. Got it new and I keep it up. I was driving up a hill yesterday and heard a little pop and then I noticed a exhaust leak sound. I can smell some exhaust coming into the car sometimes. I stopped at a repair shop and they think it is the manifold. Has anyone else ever had this happen? What did you do to repair and how much should this cost. They advised that the head could have a issue soon if not repaired fast.

Please help if you can !! Thank You

I hope you got an extended warranty to 100K miles. If not I woul dsuggest to start searching for manifolds in the local junkyard. You might lose some performance but unless you get debris in there I don't see how you could damage the head....someone feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this. I am not too familiar with 2nd gen Neons.

Thanks for the reply. No I did not get the 100K extended. I will have to try to find the part then. I wonder how easy it will be to put on. I am used to working on older cars (1968 Firebird)

Anyother feed back will be helpful!!

I've never heard of this happening, at least not like that*. Has the car ever been in an accident, or been bottomed-out really hard? I'm wondering if one of the studs on the manifold broke, and maybe the pipe is no longer sealing to the manifold now. Stranger things have happened.

*I've heard of cracked manifolds, but not this way and this severe. That doesn't necessarily mean it /didn't crack that bad...

It was hit in the rear end by a truck a couple months ago. But that really only messed up the deck lid. Was not a hard hit. As far as bottoming out not that I remember.

One repair shop thinks it might be able to be welded once they see the leak. You cant see it because of the shield. However they want about $50 to remove the shield then they can quote me on the repair.

The dealer says it will cost about $600 min.

It does not take $50 worth of labor to unbolt the shield. I would honestly take it to an exhaust shop and get an estimate from them. Dealers will always charge about 3x as much as its worth.

I will try calling one. The $50 was from a auto shop here in town. What he was saying was that if he can weld the crack it would be $50 because taking off the shield. If he has to replace it he would have to find the part used as new would be to much.

Thanks

I started having a noisy exhaust leak and took to my mechanic. It was a cracked manifold. He said it was kind of a common problem. The manifold is cast-iron and he said welding wasn't a good option. I called a few salvage yards, but couldn't find another, so he had to get a new one from Chrysler -- $150 I think. There is also a ceramic gasket on the manifold that can crack and cause the same problem.

Jeez, for $150 you could get yourself a Pacesetter or Chikara header.

http://www.modernperformance.com/dcx/95-99_exhausts-headers.shtml

he has a 2nd gen.. those won't work.. and the pacesetter has to be modified.. just get a magnum header of the .org its just as good as a borla header about about 1/4 of the price. And no i've never heard of that happening at least to a 2nd gen

he has a 2nd gen.. those won't work.. and the pacesetter has to be modified.. just get a magnum header of the .org its just as good as a borla header about about 1/4 of the price.

So go here: http://www.modernperformance.com/dcx/pl2000_index.shtml They have Pacesetters for G2 Neons, too.

I really, really doubt the Magnum header is as good as the Borla. But you're entitled to your opinion. :)

Jeez, for $150 you could get yourself a Pacesetter or Chikara header.

http://www.modernperformance.com/dcx/95-99_exhausts-headers.shtml

I guess that's true, but for me it wouldn't make much difference. The stock model is all I needed for my old bucket, tho' I cringed at the cost. Thanks anyway.

look at the picture if you had a 2nd gen you'd know our exhuast bolt pattern is a 4 bolt one.. and yes the magnum is considered to be just as good as the borla ask around, the borla is probably the priciest shorty header i have ever seen.. i think you'd be better off with a long tube( which is anywhere from 250-350 depending on brand) than that crap.