Today while I was driving my car made a popping noise and then the check engine light came on and the car shut off. The oil light came on shortly after it. Is it possible the engine shut off due to low oil pressure to keep the engine from being damaged? Or is it something else?
Thanks in advance.
alaskaneon
08-25-2007, 03:34 AM
Could you describe it a little more? Was it a backfire you heard? Did the car start back up? Will it run? Is the engine light currently on when you start it and is it flashing?
Also, take it to the auto parts store like auto zone, kragen, schucks, checkers, etc... and ask them to pull the engine code for you if you are unable to do it yourself. If you want to try turn the key to start but don't turn over the engine then back to off then back to start. Take a look at the digital milage window, and write down the code it shows you. You will find the engine codes and what they mean at the very top of the neon general talk forum here. I hope this helps.
christy77
08-25-2007, 12:00 PM
I have almost 80K. It didn't sounds like a backfire to me. It sounds just like a pop and then the engine shut off. It will crank but will not start back up. I had to have it towed to a place that can fix it cause it broke down in a desolate area so taking it to Autozone would be kinda hard. The check engine light is on still when I try to start it back up.
rice_eater
08-25-2007, 02:12 PM
Uhhh oh... this isnt sounding good. So lets get this sequence of events down right... You were driving along, first you heard a "pop", then the Check Engine light came on, then the oil light, and then the engine died? Or did the engine die before the oil light came on? (the oil light will always be lit if the key is on but the engine is not started, this is normal) Either way, this doesnt sound good, especially when you mention it will crank but not start, and you have 80k miles on it. Ready for the death sentence? Timing belt broke, bent your valves, poof, no more engine. That would be my guess. Pull the timing cover and check the belt, if its broke do a compression test to see if the motor is any good anymore.
alaskaneon
08-25-2007, 02:40 PM
If the car has 80k on it there is a very good possibility that's what happened. Does the car crank over harder or easier than normal? If your car has a manual tranny you can diagnose whether the timing belt broke by putting it in first gear and turn the engine over without holding the clutch to the floor, if the timing belt is broke your car will not jerk forward (because there is no compression to do so).
Well, it's a stinky way to start out on Dodge Talk, but that aside, welcome, I'll hope for the best for ya and your situation. Let us know what you find out.
rice_eater
08-25-2007, 04:03 PM
If your car has a manual tranny you can diagnose whether the timing belt broke by putting it in first gear and turn the engine over without holding the clutch to the floor, if the timing belt is broke your car will not jerk forward (because there is no compression to do so).
Sorry Alaska, but I've gotta call you wrong on this one. The starter cranks the flywheel (or in a neons case, the flexplate) which is directly attached to the clutch. If she has a manual trans and tries starting it in gear it will jerk forward regardless of anything to do with the engine.
Christy, just pull the timing belt inspection cover and check out the belt. It should be relatively tight, not slack. The inspection cover is located on the passenger side of the engine bay. You'll see a black plastic cover just to the left of the valvecover (if you're looking at the engine from the front) about 2" wide that extends down the passenger side of the engine. This is the timing belt cover. There should be a small removable panel in it on the left side near the top (still looking from the front of the car). I believe the bolt that secures it is 5/16". Good luck.
christy77
08-25-2007, 05:12 PM
This is what everyone has told me. It sounds like a "pop" like a belt breaking and not like an engine backfire. I thought at first that my serpintine belt broke but it was still intact so I know it wasn't that. At this point I am not even going to even bother with having it looked at and will send the car back to the bank since it isn't worth being fixed.
My car is an automatic. I went this morning to try and pull the code but nothing showed up on the dash when I stuck the key on and turned it off and then back on. As far as starting, I am not sure if it sounds harder or not. It just won't start.
I don't know a ton about cars just enough to get me in trouble. I did change the oil in it if that counts for anything. I am not sure I want to mess with trying to take off the casing for the timing belt. I should have left the car in the desolate area and let some steal it....then at least I would have gotten ins. money for it.
alaskaneon
08-25-2007, 09:47 PM
On a 2000-2005 neon there is a little plastic insert that you pop out of place with your finger nail (see pics below). Take a look in the hole and if you see a broken belt then you know for sure. The hole is really small and not in a great place to be able to see very well so you might try this if you see no broken belt. If you put your finger in the that hole and feel the very top area you will feel the teeth of your cam gear, take a wood match or a tooth pick (snap the point off) and insert at the highest point of the hole. Your cam gear has teeth and you want to find one of those notches. Once the stick is in a notch and you are holding the stick level you shouldn't be able to push it in but maybe a half inch if your timing belt is intact. This will help you know what the damage is. Timing belt break like rice said is an expensive fix, but if your belt is intact, then we are talking a whole different story. It's worth your time. If you are not handy with mechanics take a friend along who is. Good luck.
christy77
08-27-2007, 01:36 PM
It was in fact my timing belt so my 03 Neon SXT (solar yellow) will be going to the Neon grave yard. And I learned a very viable lesson to change a timing belt on cars at 60K. But she was a great ride for four years with no trouble so I can't complain.
rice_eater
08-28-2007, 01:13 AM
Before junking it I recommend posting it for sale either here or on neons.org or something. Someone will probably give you $500 for the car, swap a different motor in for $500 and sell the car for $3k, making $2k for a weekends worth of work. Heck I'd do it if I were lived near you. You won't get a whole lot for a car in need of an engine, but you'll get a heck of a lot more than the junkyard will give you for it. Just my 2 cents.
christy77
08-28-2007, 12:28 PM
I would do that to sell my neon but I am not a mechanic and don't feel up to messing with it. Its probably going back to the bank but waiting on my trustee to tell me what to do since my car falls under my Chapter 13. If they tell me to sell the car then I will or I even thought about donating it to a school for them to rebuild. Who knows what will happen to it at this point. Of course, I wasn't lucky enough for someone to steal it yesterday since the keys were locked in it. :P Thanks for all the help and the new car I get I will change the timing belt and water pump to avoid this in the future. No more dumb car moves. I got lucky this time.
