I’m trying to make my winter beater a bit quicker and I’m having a few problems. I have a 98 Dodge Neon 2 door 5 speed. I’ve already done most of the cheap mods including a dohc computer but now I have a check engine light that I can’t get rid of. I should mention that I already tried to clear the codes but the light never went out. Can anyone help me here?
First of all, you ought to figure out why the engine light is on in the first place:
http://faq.neons.org/faq/FAQ_ET.html#OBD
That should get you started.
The DOHC computer isin’t really a performance upgrade for the SOHC, it runs too rich and you tend to lose power above 5000.
With that being said what do you recomend for cheap upgrades? I’m not looking for the sickest car in the world, just a little more pull for my beater. Also, the codes I have are 31 (evap ckt) which is the only real problem, 42 which is from a bad fuel level sender, and 15 which is because my speedo gear in my tranny is busted. I read that the dohc computer is good to use if you have intake, exhaust, and a larger throttle body. Would the throttle body even this out?
Mopar SOHC ECU -$100-150
Pacesetter header- $100-150
Magnum Intake maniold from 2000+ neon (they show great gains on SOHC 1st gens from what i hear)
stock DOHC exhaust + DOHC muffler ( isnt loud or agressive but bigger pipe and MUCH better flowing muffler then SOHC)
Iceman Intake
or 3.0 Intake ( go to www.neons.org/forums and look up 3.0 Intake) its a cheap homemade intake that works just as good as the iceman but looks ghetto
I already have the AEM intake and the factory exhaust is more than big enough for anything I can do to it aside from being turboed (2.25 mandrel bent). The thing here is I already have a fast car to play with so I’m looking to spend as little as possible. As far as the intake manifold swap, what all would I need?
U Need To Quit Putting $$$ In That P.o.s. And Put THE $$$ In The Slomaro Fool!!
you’d need a magnum intake manifold :kekegay:
sign up at www.neons.org/forums for the answers to all your questions,
and be sure to look up Magnum Intake mani Swap.
but i’ll try to explain the best i can do from what i’ve heard,
the magnum intake mani has secondary throttle openings to say it easy,
you punch the gas to Wide open throttle and after about 4-4500 rpms theres secondary flaps within the intake manifold that open up for more power. which can also be controlled with a VAFC V-tec controller ( but i dont beleive you NEED one to use the intake) you could just change when the secondary opens at with the controller
heard its a major difference for SOHC guys, but in DOHC it doesnt do anything
Now if you Port n polish the magnum intake mani and put either a 60mm modern performance throttle body or an Automatic neon 52mm throttle body on you’ll see a pretty decent difference for the money, insane throttle response also
AEM for the neon is garbage, it puts the filter right above the exhaust manifold… iceman puts it down in the front (best intake for the 1st gen neon)
Damnit guffey, I know I need to put the money in the maro. But this car is too much fun. Anyway, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out I need the intake to do the swap. I was trying to figure out if it’s a direct bolt on and what gasket to use (first or second gen)?
By the way, I am on neons.org. 98Neon5Speed is my name on there.
believe its a direct bolt on, you need to wire a few things to make the secondary’s work tho,
and ya, no one beleives me how fun a neon can be :kekegay:
small, reliable, fun in the turns, great gas mileage, easy as hell to fix things on the motor
By any chance would you have any ideas why my car runs perfectly fine but sometimes stalls when I’m coming to a stop? Not all the time but enought to piss me off it will stall coming to a stop when I take it out of gear. This also happened before I changed my computer.
vac leak?
check your codes…
ON-BOARD DIAGNOSTICS
-
Cycle the ignition key ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON within 5 seconds. To cycle the ignition key ON means to turn it only as far as it takes to get the radio to come on. It does not mean to turn the engine on.
-
Count the number of times the “check engine” lamp on the instrument panel flashes on and off. The number of flashes represents the code. There is a slight pause between the flashes representing the first and second digits of the code. Longer pauses separate individual codes. For example, flash-flash-flash [pause] flash-flash represents the code 32.
A code of “55” represents end of error codes. If this is all you get then no error codes are stored in the computer. This is the normal condition for a neon.
CODE Description of Trouble Code
11 Timing belt skipped 1 tooth or more from initial learned value, Intermittent loss of either camshaft or crankshaft position sensor, No crank reference signal detected during engine cranking
12 Direct battery input to PCM was disconnected within the last 50 key-on cycles
13 No change in MAP from start to run
14 MAP sensor voltage too low
15 No vehicle speed sensor signal
17 Closed loop temp not reached or engine cold too long
21 02s sensor problem (oxygen sensor), upstream or down stream
22 Engine coolant temp sensor out of range
23 Intake air temp sensor out of range
24 Throttle Position sensor out of range
25 Idle air control motor circuits, target idle not reached (+/- 200),vacuum leak found
27 Injector control circuit
31 Evap purge flow monitor failure or evap solenoid circuit
32 EGR system failure
33 A/C clutch relay circuit
34 Speed control Solenoid circuits
35 Rad Fan control relay circuit
37 Torque converter clutch solenoid CKT or park/neutral switch failure
41 Generator field not switching properly
42 Fuel pump relay control ckt, Auto shutdown relay control ckt, No ASD relay output voltage at PCM, Fuel level sending unit volts out of range, Fuel level unit No change over miles
43 Multiple/ single cylinder misfire
44 Battery temp sensor volts out of range
46 Charging system voltage too low
51 Fuel system lean
52 Fuel system rich
53 Internal control failure
54 No Cam signal at PCM
55 End of error messages (If you get this only, no errors were found)
62 PCM failure SRI mile not stored
63 PCM Failure EEPROM write denied
64 Catalytic Converter Efficiency Failure
65 Power steering switch failure
43 and 11 are the devil
I have a list of the codes I’m showing already posted here. Any ideas?
31, 42, 15
first off, put your SOHC ECU back in, then get back to me and tell me what the codes are
There aren’t any with the other ecu.
theres your problem, the DOHC ECU,
put the SOHC ECU back in, then buy a Mopar SOHC ECU
NO, it did the same thing with the other ecu. It didn’t throw any codes though.
If you have any other questions or info my aol screen name is the same as the one i have on here.
ask about it on then first gen board on neons.org
or replace the easy stuff first, plugs, wires. might be one of your problems…