Hey everyone, I just got a 1998 Highline with only 33000 miles on it. Except for a sony cd player, its bone stock. I just gave it a complete tune up, did the brakes, and had the dealership clean out the fuel injecion. It runs real smooth, but going up certain hills, it can only get to 55 mph no matter how much gas I give it. I got a bunch of questions on upgrades so thanks in advance.
dodgeneonACR98
06-24-2005, 03:50 AM
What motor is in it? DOHC OR SOHC ? That sounds serious mine will do whatever I want it to up hill ( within reason). It should have more power than that!
TripleXJ
06-24-2005, 10:31 PM
I took my 95 SOHC Neon Highline with 150K up into the Rockie Moutains with next to no problem except overheating, that needs to get looked at ASAP. Is it a transmission problem?
98PlatinumNeon
06-25-2005, 01:05 AM
Thanks for responding guys, I had a power purge done to the transmission at the dealership. Is the power purge a bunch of BS? They also looked at the entire car for any problems. The engine is a SOHC.
Let me restate this. It doesn't top out at 55 mph, but on a really steep hill, I give it enough gas in order to rev up the engine, then the tranny downshifts to pick up speed and after it gets to 55 mph, it only gains 1 mph every two seconds. Let me know what you think? Thks
dodgeneonACR98
06-25-2005, 04:40 AM
I have an MTX DOHC, I live in WV, I love to drive clean to the top of WV,Somewhere about 4861 feet above sea level in the Appalachian Mountains. It may not be 10,000
ft above sea level but I can hit the mountains about 70 mph and keep it in FIFTH GEAR up and down all the mountains here in WV. Provided a semi or something doesnt slow me down. As long as I keep my RPM's up around 3500 it runns strong up hills.
Try to hit the hills at 65 or 70 and see what that gets you, Keep your RPM's up around 3500 rpm's. Shift down to DRIVE insdtead of Overdrive when starting up a hill. This will put you down in a lower gear range,where it should run just fine up hill. I am thinking that 55 mph in MY 4th gear is at about 3000 rpm's and I wont shift my car into fifth until about 4500,5000 rpm's thus keeping my r's above 3500 where 5th gear will have enough power to keep on picking up speed. AND I HAVE NEVER (EVER) HAD A PROBLEM WITH OVERHEATING UP A HILL. I had an automatic Ply Acclaim with a 2.5 liter motor that would run 60 65 up hill and heat up like a baked potatto.I think it had a head problem tho. It would heat up while driving and cool off at the stop lights HMMM! 30 or so miles to work and no reall heat problem but I could flog it for about two miles and put that old 95 Acclaim up on the H in the heat guage.
Try to hit the hill a little faster say 65 mph and see what that gets you.keep her wound out some, Treat her like a 2stroke dirt bike and keep up the rpm's,on a hill.
GOOD LUCK AND I HOPE LIKE HELL YOU GET YOUR CAR STRAIGHT! Have your exhaust checked for blockage sounds like its restricted some to me maybe.LATER
98PlatinumNeon
06-25-2005, 10:21 PM
Hey ACR 98, the main problem is that I have a 3 speed automatic. It doesn't even have an overdrive, or a tachometer, so I don't expect this car to last past 80000 miles. (the car was inherited from my grandfather, I would of at least gotten an OD.)
I'm definitely going with a exhaust mod. Think I should start with headers? Now that you mentioned it, the exhaust does act like there is a lot of restriction and back pressure. (The exhaust has a vibrating hum that feels like it starts right at the back of the engine or in front of the cat.
I live in Bethlehem, WV. I'll try the hill again tommorrow, the only thing is that I try to run the engine smooth so that the rpms don't jump real high when the tranny shifts itself. (Stupid automatic) Thanks again
dodgeneonACR98
06-26-2005, 07:22 AM
Hmmm Bethlehem, WV thats cool. I didnt think there were any others from WV here.
You can always find another Transmission from a salvage yard. I just dont understand why a 3 spd. auto could run that bad. It should be plenty potent. You have one of the better automatics,Some say that the SOHC automatic runns better than the DOHC automatic. I love my MTX. YOU SAID YOUR GRAMP'S CAR!!!! THAT TELLS ME SOMETHING THERE. Do you know his driving habits? It may have carbon build up from not getting opened up. I have seen that in some cars before.The guy at the garage acctually drove it down the road to a big straight, FLOORED it, it spit,sputtered,chattered,a bigg puff of smoke and then the car took off like a scalded dog.Run fine after that.
Are you planning to do install the header or a garage? If you do it get a dremmel tool and portmatch the gasket to the head as well as loosing the lip if any on the exhaust ports on the head itself. I knocked all the stuffing out of my cat at about 85000 miles used stock pipes and all but used a v-8 trans am muffler with one in two out design.( helped me on hills) But I had no prob's before the exhaust work. I need a header becouse my factory manifold is cracked right down the middle. I got a hissing-vibrateing noise from my exhaust in heavy rain, it was loud like I was running off the maniflod. Since the cat was gutted I have had no problem with that.
That car should last 80,000 mi. Even 180,000 if you keep up on it! I currently have a 98 with only 109,000 on her, And she looks like she has maybe 70,000 due to the care of my paint. I noticed some rust under the hood yesterday at the seam in the front I will be disposing of that soon.
I would get yourself a CAI. like an iceman that reaches down under the battery tray IN FRONT OF MOTOR getting cool air from front air dam. That should help you some too. The hose from the valvecover to the intake can be replaced with a small air filter from autozone. I did mine and it really keeps the intake and T/B alot cleaner. I MADE MY OWN CAI! alot of people do.
Keep us posted!!!!!!!!! later.
98PlatinumNeon
06-26-2005, 10:55 AM
Thanks again ACR,
Yeah this was Granddad's old car. I don't think it was ever even taken on a major interstate.(until I got it) And he always drove slow as S***. This was just a car to go to the hardware store and back. He probably never had it over 60 mph.
You think I'll get lucky and find a header that matches up to my stock pipes now. Otherwise, I have to save some cash and buy the entire exhaust all at once.
I like what I hear about the Iceman CAI. I know people do custom and some leave the airbox still in place, but that stuff all gets really hot on mine. The first place the air goes into on top of the engine before it hits the filter (resignator box????) is so hot I can't even touch it. Plus I thought I read where people installed a cheap CAI and it ended up only sucking in hot air from the exhaust manifold. That's why anything that goes from the front directly into the engine has to do better than what I got.
Do you think all that carbon build up is in the exhaust?
dodgeneonACR98
06-26-2005, 09:15 PM
It's always good to save up and do it right!!!!!!GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT !!!! HA HA HA.
Have the fuel preasure checked.If your Fuel regulator is going bad or the filters or if the pump is weak it will cause it to not run tip top.
WISH YA LUCK DUDE!!!!!!!!
98PlatinumNeon
06-26-2005, 10:54 PM
I think I was just being too pussyfooted with it. Today I opened it up to 109 mph with plenty of pedal left on I-70. It could have hit probably 125 or 130 but I hit an incline at 109
dodgeneonACR98
06-27-2005, 10:07 AM
Your car will do no more than 118 mph. That is where the computer will shut you down. AFX makes a PCM for an automatic neon which would eliminate your cut off at 118 mph also it will Ignore the downstream O2 sensor, Not sending off a check engine code when you get rid of the cat.Im pretty sure that it would be the only computer made for ATX Neons. Mopar performance makes em for the MTX only.
dodgeneonACR98
06-27-2005, 10:59 AM
Check out this info site on anything Dodge.I find it most interesting!!!!!!
That is kind of hard to navigate this link will take you right where you want to be.
http://www.allpar.com/neon/performance.html
this is where all the mods and perfomance upgrades are let me know what you think!
LATER oh yeah!! Gary Howell is helping with this site and he know's his shit...>>>>>
HOWELL AUTOMOTIVE.........HOPE IT HELPS !!!!!!!
