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I finally got tired of hearing my car sound like a diesel every morning so on Friday I dropped the car off so they could start it up Saturday morning. On Saturday morning around 10:30 I get a call saying they heard the noise but they need to have the service manager look at the car because I have a CAI and they need his approval to go further.

I figure ok and go and pick up the car. When I get the paper work the Tech wrote that due to the CAI I could have sucked water into the engine and that is what has caused the noise. While I f'n lost it. The dumb ass behind the counter had no idea what hydrolock would do to a motor, I sad if I ran it thru a puddle I would have had to have the car towed to the shop. I also told him the dealer would be the last place I would have taken it. If I had done that it would have been my issue and I would be paying for a new motor.

He said to me it could be mist. At this point I knew I was going to get no where with this moron. MIST...... I guess Factory intakes just say no to MIST.

Anyway I took the car back in today and I am waiting to hear back from the dealer. The guy at the service counter did tell me that they had replaced 3 long blocks this month on the 2.0L for the same noise.

I am betting I am going to have to go a few rounds with this dealer to get the work done.

The Car is a 2003 R/T with 30000KM (18630 miles) on it. It is still under the 7 year 115KM warranty.

I am right in thinking that I would know if water got into the engine?

The Car goes in Monday to have the Short block Replaced. I will let you all know how it goes. (Kinda excited to get a new engine)

I thought that piston slap was normal on Neons.......I have never herd of them being replaced.......anyways........Actually you would have to suck alot of water in to cause hydrolock. Ask any mechanic how to clear carbon deposits from the engine.....THE FREE WAY........pour a half cup of water into the throttlebody at full throttle......Dont let them jerk you around......Also.....I used to have bad piston slap on my 02 R/T......i had replaced the oil with Royal Purple 5w30..after about 10 thousand miles and 3 oil changes that came out strait black......I have almost no noise comming from the engine bay anymore and it idols excellent......also now my oil is a clear purple always not a brownish black color immediately after I change the oil and run it for a bit........

^ can you get this Royal Purlpe anywhere?

I got it at Pep Boy's.........It is about the same price as Mobil 1 5.99 a quart......Go to their website and check for their dealers....

You can also use redline it is a good oil or Amsoil


I have alot of friends that have LS1 camaros.....chevy uses Mobil 1 and they all have piston slap as well...most of them have moved away from mobil and started using race type oil's like Royal Purple and redline and such.....Thier piston slap has gone away as well.. That is where I first herd of it.....It is advertised in alot of mags now and hotrodders use RP alot

Schaefer Oil Products makes some kick-ass oil too. Their stuff is designed for the LONG haul. This meaning farm equipment and heavy duty diesel engines. I've been running it in my car since around 40K and I haven't had the "turbo-diesel" in the morning since. (Its only noisy now cuz its got 100K on it and the pulleys are tired. haha)

*I would have never taken my car into a dealer with anything but stock items under the hood. They will play dumb EVERY time.

Even if you have genuine Mopar parts they will still play dumb.......uuuuhhhhhh thats not a stock item so we cant touch it

people use water to allow them to turn the boost up. its called a water injection system. i know some turbo buick guys do it, they run 25 or so psi of boost on 93 octane and water injection.

AMSOIL is some good stuff

RedBC R/T wrote:He said to me it could be mist.

L.O.L.

Thats gold.

So they are going to throw in a new long block in a few months. I was not in a hurry to get it done and they have done 3 this month already and I think it hurts there realationship with Dodge if they do to much major warranty work in a time period. Or some shop bonus. I really did not care the reason to hold off. I am just happy they are going to fix the issue.

I also had the car flashed with new software while it was in today for the TSB

Engine Controls - Hard Start/Idle Fluctuation/RPM Sag

NUMBER: 18-024-05

GROUP: Vehicle Performance

I did this cause sometimes I would step on the gas and It would bog down.

After I picked up the car I was blown away at the way the car feels. The throttle responds so much better now. Or it could just be feeling the effects of a true computer reset.

My car used to bog real bad when i would cruise in low gear and depress the clutch, then release it again (like when i was slowing for a red light, then it turned and i stayed in gear and releases clutch). it would hesitate for like 2-3 seconds and dive HARD as if i stomped the brake. once i was waiting at a light, and i went to go, normally as ever, and it bogged so hard i just about kissed the steering wheel.

tell me more about this computer flash.. is it warranty covered? will they do it upon request? thats very interesting..

oh yeah, and the piston slap deal seems to be an issue for EVERY neon when cold starting. I might try royal purple out, ive heard it also makes the car run a lot better.

Im thinking im going to try royal purple out next oil change...its not goign to be till like april or so, so I have plenty of time to get over to GA and get some of it

The computer Flash was for 03 Models only I think. I found out about it at www.alldata.com. They list all the TSB information but you have to pay 14.95 to see it for a year.

My 3 year warranty ran out in Nov 2005 so I had to pay to have it flashed. But so far no more Bog down when I punch it. The car is very peppy (yes "peppy" sounds lame to me too but it best describes the car now)

Once I get the new motor I will post if it takes care of the problem...

RedBC R/T wrote:The computer Flash was for 03 Models only I think. I found out about it at www.alldata.com. They list all the TSB information but you have to pay 14.95 to see it for a year.

My 3 year warranty ran out in Nov 2005 so I had to pay to have it flashed. But so far no more Bog down when I punch it. The car is very peppy (yes "peppy" sounds lame to me too but it best describes the car now)

Once I get the new motor I will post if it takes care of the problem...

I am wondering what they think the problem is with the piston slap. Did they tell you what the diagnosis was on the noise or are they just gonna replace the block because they have no idea...

As for Royal Purple......For all those that are gonna use it.....Dont expect an immediate difference.....it has to work into you engine to clean the metal shavings and sludge that has built up over the period of time being used. It took me 3 changes and 10k on the speedo to clear my engine out...all 3 oil changes the oil came out jet black.....Now my oil is pretty clear.....purpleish.....oh and yes the oil is purple.Kinda trippy when you first see it.

OB- you can go to the stealership and have them run a diagnostics on your PMC. The check will tell them if you need any performance upgrade flashes. I think the Dio is free under warranty or 75.00 if you are not. Then any PCM flashes under warranty are concidered preventive and are free.

I get that piston slap occationally. I have had it for over 100,000 miles. I figure nothing is going to happen if it hasen't yet. And, if it does, its new car time anyway.

The long and the short of it is the Piston Slap is because of a piss poor desgined and manufactored block. They knew what it was as soon as they heard the noise.

This is directly copied from my November 2002 Service Guild Meeting Notes.

2001-03 PL 2.0L Engine cold knock update. Production updates to address the complaint of engine knock when cold; Cylinder Block (version 2, running change to closed deck design CN20530-s03 at Trenton 11/1/02, Red X project to improve cylinder bore geometry) out of round cylinders 1 and 4. 6/30/02 Pistons (version 2, release Mahle best practices profile CN20118-s01 at Trenton 10/17/02) improves NVH(noise, vibration, harshness) but piston change alone WITHOUT block change to closed deck design is only marginal improvment.

From what i understand they do not make the closed Deck block so I will have to hope that the new block has better Cylinder 1 and 4 bore.

I knew going in that they have little hope of fixing it but it is under warranty that I paid for so they are going to have to at least try.

The first guy I talked to said to me "if you know we have little hope of fixing it what do you expect from us?" which I replied "I expect you to fucking try" "I paid for that at least"

If they make it go away COOL if not at least I feel I got some action for a issue that should never of been let happen.

I also think I will try the RP oil once I get the new block broken in.

RedBC R/T wrote:The long and the short of it is the Piston Slap is because of a piss poor desgined and manufactored block. They knew what it was as soon as they heard the noise.

This is directly copied from my November 2002 Service Guild Meeting Notes.

2001-03 PL 2.0L Engine cold knock update. Production updates to address the complaint of engine knock when cold; Cylinder Block (version 2, running change to closed deck design CN20530-s03 at Trenton 11/1/02, Red X project to improve cylinder bore geometry) out of round cylinders 1 and 4. 6/30/02 Pistons (version 2, release Mahle best practices profile CN20118-s01 at Trenton 10/17/02) improves NVH(noise, vibration, harshness) but piston change alone WITHOUT block change to closed deck design is only marginal improvment.

From what i understand they do not make the closed Deck block so I will have to hope that the new block has better Cylinder 1 and 4 bore.

I knew going in that they have little hope of fixing it but it is under warranty that I paid for so they are going to have to at least try.

The first guy I talked to said to me "if you know we have little hope of fixing it what do you expect from us?" which I replied "I expect you to fucking try" "I paid for that at least"

If they make it go away COOL if not at least I feel I got some action for a issue that should never of been let happen.

I also think I will try the RP oil once I get the new block broken in.

Ive noticed this same thing. I took it in, but because they parked in the garage over night, it wasnt as cold as my driveway, and they werent sure what the cause was. It only seems to do it on sub 35 degree temps. Which leads me to believe not an out of round cylinder so much as a high silicone piston ala forged. Silicone shrinks more than alum or steel when subjected to sub freezing temps. It also expands alot more than alum or steel when hot which is one debate in the turbo world. You have to factor the extra clearance in the cylinders to allow for that expansion, which is why you get the slap at low temps or before its warmed up.