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car idiot---right here


nappeal
08-01-2007, 01:56 PM
i have a 2001 neon w/96600+ mi. i had the timing belt, alternator belt, drive belt, and cam shaft sensors replaced-i bought the car only 4 months ago. so i've already been taken by the guys @ midas, i dont have the slightest idea about anything car related, and id really appreciate some kind of info. first, when my car is in idle the engine shakes terribly, but only with the air conditioner off. the car drives the best in the morning, and by the time the engine heats up i notice that i get a hesitation from the engine when im going at a consistant, 30+ speed, as if it wants to die. the transmission in no way transitions smoothly between gears, and my blinkers in and outside of the car occasionally decide not to work(i assume wiring). i came to find that dark colored trans fluid is a sign for new fluid, but i would guess to just get the trans flushed? a few people have told me that the solenoids may need to be cleaned, and the spark plugs and wiring have all been checked and replaced. i have no $, time or resources.

denisond3
08-01-2007, 05:16 PM
My Neon is a 97, so my advice may be imperfect. Hopeully someone more familiar with the 2nd generatin Neons will answer.
With 96k miles on it, it was time to replace the timing belt. And since replacing the water pump involves removing the timing belt first - its a good/economical idea to replace the water pump at the same time. Much the same story for the labor of replacing the drive belts for the accessories.
The shaking at an idle could mean its idling at a slower speed than it really should; but if it doesnt stall at traffic lights, its hardly worth the expense of replacing the 'Idle Air Control Valve' to see if it might run at a different rpm and shake less. Having the air conditioner on means the computer has told the Idle Air Control Valve to move enough to keep it idling at about the same speed - but just a few rpm difference can mean a big difference in the engine vibration at an idle.
Does your car have a tachometer in the instrument cluster? If so what does it indicate when it is warm and idling? Is the 'check engine light' coming on?
Im not sure what you mean by 'not transitioning smoothly' between gears. It should shift without shaking the car, but it wont shift so smoothly that you wont know when it does shift. If it is shifting more harshly than other cars, it could be the Shifter Control Cable is out of adjustment. This cable runs from the throttle body to the transmission, to tell the tranny how 'hard' to shift. The scheme for the adjustment leads me to believe it must go out of whack from time to time.
The blinker malfunction could be a sticky switch inside the steering column. Its called the 'multifunction switch'. I think you remove the steering wheel to replace it, which also means avoiding triggering the air bag while working there. My guess is the switch would be between $40 to $60 plus the installation cost.
Yes, dark colored transmision fluid is a sign it should be changed, but I wouldnt ask for a transmisson 'flush'. Thats a more involved procedure (at least you pay more for it) than just a 'fluid and filter change'. This should cost less than a 'flush'. When you do the usual fluid and filter change, you really only change about half of the transmission fluid. The other half of the fluid remains inside the torque converter. This is true of all automatic trannies for the last 60 years. I wouldnt bother to get a 'flush' done, since it means getting the fluid out from the inside of the torque converter, and this is very seldom necessary. If someone asks if you want the transmission flushed, be sure to ask how much it costs, and how much it would cost for merely a 'fluid and filter change'. The solenoids inside the transmission get cleaned by the tranny fluid flowing through and around them. With the few transmissions I have worked on (rebuilt) there was no need for cleaning the solenoids inside the tranny.

If you have replaced the plugs and the plug wires, the hesitation while driving along could be from a dirty manifold absolute pressure sensor (MAP). I would hope somone familiar with the 2001 Neons would answer.
Is your car the Single Overhead Cam type, or the Double Overhead Cam? - not that it makes much difference in terms of diagnosing problems.

nappeal
08-01-2007, 10:01 PM
The check engine light doesn't or hasn't come on, it really only did that for the cam shaft sensor, and I was told that the water pump didn't look like it needed replacing. When the air isn't running the idle seems to get rough in cycles, from really bad to just slightly, and back again, but if I release the brake it gets a little better. I was also advised it may be a vacuum hose that may need replacing. The idle for sure is worse when the engine temp gets higher. The transition between the lower gears does actually jolt the car, of course, particularly when the air is on. The blinker switch may be bad, and I'be ruled out a blown fuse, but I'm just confused as too why it works sometimses and not others. I don't want to get a flush unless it's totally necessary and I know as long as the fluid doesn't have a burnt smell I'm doin ok. I'm not sure what or if any maintinence work has been done on the car and I'd like to get started with that. I've been told newer model cars don't need tune ups-is that true? What can I do to start some simple maintinence (oil change, fuel injector cleaner, etc.)? Thanks for you help

denisond3
08-14-2007, 10:33 AM
I would put in a can of fuel injector cleaner once a year. Thats more of a preventive measure, and may not be necessary. Tune ups on modern cars dont amount to much more than changing the spark plugs, maybe the spark plug wires, and maybe replacing the pcv valve. All of the other chores that used to be needed on cars 40 years ago are handled by the cars computer based on the inputs from the sensors. Oil and filter changes should be done about each 3 or 4 months for most drivers. If you cover 10,000 miles a year, each 3 or 4 months is good. If you cover 40,000 miles a year, each 3 or 4 months is still good - because long distance highway driving is not hard on motor oil. Driving to the video store and back home - thats what will contribute to dirty motor oil! Keep a record off all work that is done on your car, with the date and mileage and description. Whenever you take your car to be worked on, make sure they know that you keep such a record. 1. They may want to look at it to see what has been done. 2. They will know that you care about your car and are organized. They will appreciate this.

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