My 1995Dodge Neon I bought for my oldes. Remember the "plain"(not) plane trip to LaGuardia, then the buying of the car in about 20 minutes... Leaving from Queens... in fact Main street.

Well, that is the subject of my problem.

Recently My daughter had some service done on the car. Oil Change, Cooling System Flush. We the place that did it, did not put the main return hose for the cooloing system on properly. It held but leaked ppretty steady. Overheated the car and then I found a blown head gasket.

Blown head gasket would have happened eventually, when i got it apart there was a kink in the heag gasket sealing ring... Right where the 2.0L motors do, back by the EGR valve, So no back charge to the oil change place.

Well, I eventually got everything back to gether, filled it up with oild, Water... started right up after cranking a bit to prime the fuel rail.

It was in the process of running and warming up so I could make sure the head gasket was sealed properly. I started to power wash the engine compartment and the motor... when all of a sudden it just DIED.

Damn.

Well, I figured I had shorted something with water. So I left it for a bout 4 hours. Hit the Key... nothing but rotation by the starter. But it at least sounded like it was trying to start. So, I get out the Electric Motor Cleaner/drying solvent. Get everything nice and dry... plugin it all back in... Same results.

So, I clean the battery posts, the Alternator looked a t bit dirty, cleaned that, check the Throttle Position Sensor, the Hall-effect Cam position sensor (for timing the spark) using a rotating magnet I have (for *JUST* such an emergency), the MAP sensor, the water temp sensor, the knock sensor, the oxygen sensor, the Intake temperature sensor, the pressure difference sensor (tween the outside and the intake)... I measured voltage 12V where it was suppoesed to be, Measured resiswtance on coils, the TPS, the MAP, the ICV actions, the EGR sensor... etc. Even did the thumb and index finger spark test. I checked Fuel Volume... it was really LOUD, enough to share with all the fuel injectors... Next I test the Fuel Pressure it was found to be smack dab in the middle of the spec, I increased it another 1/4 of the way up.

So, given the previous testing being all good, WTF isn't it running?

The only thing I can think of is an "intermittent" Hall-Effect Cam Position sensor. Or maybe under load (with DC Current) it fails, as I was not able to test it in loaded mode.

So, if anyone can think of anything I missed, or prove I did something wrong. PLEASE give me some ideas...

Best of all I only had 15 screws and couple of parts left over this time.

No, really I was missing 2 screw to get it back together, One was broken and had to drilled out. The other screw was a JC Screw, (You know a Jesus Christ, where'd that Screw go). Spent a whole 85 Cents to get those.



One major complaint I have about these newer motors, "Torque to Yield" Head Bolts. Or Torque to a certain Ft-Lbs, then turn certain number of degrees further. They are ONE USE HEAD BOLTS. 10 Bolts for this car Cost $45... sheesh.

One great thing is though, these new Multiple Layer Steel Shim Head Gaskets. They are coolio. Upto three times the clamping hold with the same torque specs as other style head gaskets. The Neon's was 3 layers, some other are as many as 8. They use a graduated thickness shim stock (I think they forge it themselves from thicker stock (Victor-Rheinz that is)), it is interesting.

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Remember it just Died.

Also, the thumb index finger test it...

Pull the plug wire. Insert index fing into plug wire receptacle, move thumb to a good ground, put other hand into pocket, have someone crank the car

It is a pretty good indicator as to spark or not.

Just Flooded, nah, I have gone as far as removing the fuel pump fuse and cranking for 15-20 seconds...

Using Ether? I've blown up to many engines with that stuff. But, I do have some and probably should at least try it.

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Injector cleaner. No go.

You know the stuff they use to really clean the fuel rail and injectors.

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2 Coil packs, one for 1-4 and another for 2-3.

The computer takes input from the Camshaft hall-effect sensor for camshaft (timing) input.

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Saturated Kevlar Belt.

Not broken and checked for timing already. Crank and Camshaft on the marks.


Remember I just put a new head gasket on. The second to last major thing I did was put on the Timing Belt.

The Last one was put the motor mount back on. Anyway, with 250Ft-lbs of initial spring pressure on the belt, it ain't gonna pop or slip... it be a big bang if it did.

It is fun! NOT!

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Before I even started it after replacing the head.

I ran and got 2 - 5 gallon plastic gas jugs filled and put in the car, and some dry-gas I had sitting on my shelf in the garage.

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I just swapped in a new Camshaft sensor... new wiring for it to the computer plug, got continuity from the sensor plug to the computer plug.

It still doesn't start. I replaced it because it was the original, and it had the OLD style "prone to failure" plug. So, I spent $30 on a Dealer Wiring kit, ending any doubt I had there.

I used a known good used camshaft sensor from a running car that was rear-ended, $10. $58 new. I found a great one off a 2004 2.0L Dodge motor.

Injectors are functioning properly... I know this from the fact that I have a fuel injector spray inpection rig. Basically a clear plastic container with rubber seals for the injector(s).

Next up for replacement, the coil pack. $124 new. $35 for a known good used one. (none found yet)

After that... off it goes to a real mechanic.

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But I am almost to the "throw the keys at him, telling him to call me when it runs" stage.

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It has a new water pump, that is driven by the timing belt. The Timing Belt is a BIATCH to change and you have to disassemble the entire front of the engine. While I had it apart, new premium $43 water pump was installed.

Starter... err, it turns over just fine without *ANY* difficulty, as long as the Battery is charged. It'd take 5 minutes to swap in a different one any way, but it ain't that.

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New Plugs, Titanium, 1 range hotter than stock.

Wires, tested and proven good. Put them on my Daughters Boy friends car, It ran perfectly, where as before the swap it was missing badly. He is putting new wires on his car. :)

Just got a call back from the Dealership, this morning I dropped off the computer, for them to check it. 100% success... even in the fringe functions for special problems. Chrysler evidently has a test/programming rig for them now.

Engine Ground? Primary is direct from the battery to the starter mounting blots (boss made for it), secondary from right right front fender apron to the Engine block. Tertiary, I put on from the Firewall to the Spark Coil Mount retaining studs. Quadranary, I ran from the fuse block ground to the air-filter retaining bolts which are 8M coarse bolts. Used anti-sieze on all connections/bolts/studs after I started having problems.

GAG!

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A Full Failure Mode.

A Hall-Effect Sensor Finally failed completely.

Mainly because I was getting spark, good enough to activate a timing light... (which thank you Katzer for reminding me to use it rather than the thumb and index finger method)

All four Spark Plugs were in fact sparking properly... afaics.

Well I had the wife cranking the motor while I was checking things, with the timing light. All of a sudden, it stopped flashing.

Only one thing can do that, when all other things are good. Crankshaft Sensor on the SIDE of the motor.

On-Board Diagnostics... First and ONLY Error Code is "11" no timing input from distributor. Well that means bupkiss on a Distributorless Engine... unless you translate it to "Spark Timing Device Input", which is the Crankshaft Sensor.

I got a known good Coil pack for a Case of Regular Mountain Dew and a box of Gatorade variety pack drinks.

Now, the Crankshaft sensor is $65 from the Dealership, $104 for the auto parts stores which suprisingly carry only a "premium" quality part, not an "economy" part. Though it is listed for $62, but flagged as Unavailable.

Haven't been to the Dealership yet, But I have a sneaking suspicion I'll have to buy a "connector" update again, for $27. (the third one if I do)

edit:
I also have to correct my statements. The Camshaft Sensor ONLY times the Fuel injectors. The crankshaft sensor times the spark. Up until Last night ~ 9PM, I was under the impression the car did not have a crank sensor. That impression was wrong.

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The first guy found a single broken wire in the harness. It ran... for a bit agin and then died (few seconds this time).

This guy gave up on the car after 12 hours of working on it.

Second mechanic, the "hotshot" of the shop, gave up after about 12 hours invested.

Third guy, looked at it for ~2 hours said: "Nope I am not gonna get it fixed, I give up."

The fourth and by far the most "experienced" mechanic at the place, 45 years doing mechanics... he went back to basics, first thing he did was test compression. 50# of pressure, very low for this car. The tells him the Cam is out of time with the crank.

He opens the view ports on the crank cog and cam cog (being belts you know), they line up just fine...

Then he remove the covers and check... sure enough I put everything in proper placement. With a piece of welding rod, he checked through the spark plug hole to make sure the piston was at top dead center. The cogs were lined up perfect. But the Camshaft was not at TDC for #1.

Pulls the bolt off the camshaft cog and sees part of the camshaft timing key laying there loose. he only thing that was holding the camshaft in "sorta time" was the Bolt on the camshaft.

Drilled out the old one, replaced it with a $.75 key, buttoned it all back up and started and kept running, infact it runs fantastic.

They only charged me for the last guys time and materials. $225 to find the busted key. Its a good thing I know these guys.

The thing is, no amount of diagnostic equipment helped. It was good-ole "back to basics" that saved the day.

edit:
Only charged me $200, but he explained the hotshot had done some cutting and digging in the wires I had replaced and used wire nuts to connect them back. No big deal. I just have to get some more lined heat shrink tubing (seals the connection with a hotglue like stuff inside the tubing).

At least it runs and actually runs very well. Not for me to degrease and pressure wash the engine compartment. Then fix one last item (I hope) the right side tie-rod end, it is a bit sloppy, with about 1/16" of slop. Not bad, but this is my Grandkid's (to be) Mother's car and I am not taking a chance.

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