A couple of issues

mickeytopher · Post by **mickeytopher** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:44 am

We just bought an 02 Neon 2.0 SOHC base for my wife yesterday and I've notice a couple of things.

1. The idle is rough it seems to shake the car a little, no CEL, once you give it some gas it smooths out. I did notice one of the 90* elbow pieces that connect the vacuum line to the back of the valve cover has the same consistency as gummy worm candy.

2. We've been getting some steady rain lately and my wife said that the floor in the back is pretty wet. She checked the seats, the trunk, and the roof liner and said that is all dry.

Any help with this car would be appreciated

P.S.
When we were first looking at the car the guy was putting on new wires, coil pack, and new IAC

packfan88 · Post by **packfan88** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:17 pm

how many miles? original motor mounts? how are the rpms at a stop?

mine idles rough too. looks like my antena is being shaken by hand it wobbles so much at a light. i can see mu upper passenger mount has dry rot and cracked (not broken yet).

from what ive read, they idle like crap and idle rough. and thats just the way it is. you can do the things you can do to minimize it but it wont be like a 2013 Lexus.

Post by **occasional demons** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:51 pm

In most cases, the tail light gaskets are the leak that gets the rear floor wet. The water runs along the sides and into the rear floor pan.

Mine never got a drop in the spare wheel well, but filled the back floor.

The elbows you describe are the air make up. They do not have vacuum on them. It is to pull filtered air into the VC.

Timing belt/components/water pump need changed at 105,000 miles. If the mileage is close to that, or past, it may be why the car was for sale.

If the belt breaks, or the water pump seizes, you will be bending valves.

mickeytopher · Post by **mickeytopher** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:18 pm

how many miles? original motor mounts? how are the rpms at a stop?

142,000 miles, not sure the condition of the motor mounts, no tach but it doesn't sound like it's idling high

mine idles rough too. looks like my antena is being shaken by hand it wobbles so much at a light. i can see mu upper passenger mount has dry rot and cracked (not broken yet).

Is this the best indicator, dry rot?

from what ive read, they idle like crap and idle rough. and thats just the way it is. you can do the things you can do to minimize it but it wont be like a 2013 Lexus.

I'm not expecting that from this car, but I'm starting to think that a motor mount might be amplifying any small issues.

In most cases, the tail light gaskets are the leak that gets the rear floor wet. The water runs along the sides and into the rear floor pan.

I read that too, and checked the trunk last night, and didn't see any water buildup

Mine never got a drop in the spare wheel well, but filled the back floor.

The elbows you describe are the air make up. They do not have vacuum on them. It is to pull filtered air into the VC.

Timing belt/components/water pump need changed at 105,000 miles. If the mileage is close to that, or past, it may be why the car was for sale.

If the belt breaks, or the water pump seizes, you will be bending valves.

Would checking the timing on the engine give any indication to a worn timing belt?

Post by **occasional demons** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 5:44 pm

There is a "Quote" tab you can use, when you reply, and edit out what you don't want to quote. Might be simpler.

You cannot check the timing on these with a timing light, there is no mark. The belt can fail at anytime, and still look fine. The timing belt doesn't really "wear" but the teeth may break off, or the cords inside may just let go. The water pump has been known to seize, and shred the belt also. That is why they are replaced in pairs. Plus the idler pully, etc.

If you do not know if it has been done, at those miles, it is a time bomb.

Here are the basics of doing a timing belt/water pump. You can use the search button and get more info ideas on how to do it, or just ask if you need more clarification.

It is far cheaper to do this yourself if you have some mechanical skills.

There are two torque struts, and one load bearing mount on each end of the engine transaxle assy. If they are tired, which after 145,000 they should be, it will make any vibrations seem much worse. There is a sticky on the proper alignment for the torque struts.

viewtopic.php?t=43837

If you do the timing belt, that is the time to replace the load beaing mount on that end, since the engine mount plate has to be taken off anyways to make the job easier/possible. Be sure to trace around it to get the replacement properly aligned.

mickeytopher · Post by **mickeytopher** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 5:55 pm

So i ran a bunch seafoam through the vacuum and it helped it out. I drove it on the highway and got back into town and the CEL came on. I took to Advanced Auto and got it read and it was throwing a code for the cat. I told the guy that i seafoamed it and he suggested that some carbon got trapped in the cat.

packfan88 · Post by **packfan88** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:27 pm

I would continue to drive it for a little while before tracking down that code. Sometimes things like that "clear out" wehen it comes to the cats and exhaust when you put additives in. if it doesnt clear up in like a tank of gas or so then id start tracking.

so yo uknow, if you turn the key on/off/on/off/on (not starting the car just on) it will display a code in the odometer area. report back to us on what that says.

But then again, like stated....youre prolly in need of a timing belt.

Its one of those things where youre like damn my sub frame is rotting and needs replacement. might as well do the control arm bushings at that time. might as well do the sway bar bushing, might as wel do ball joints, might as well do end links, ect ect ect. You gotta basically take it all off to do the subframe so why not? but that why not turns a $150 job into a $350 job.

Same with your timing belt. if it goes, migth aswell do water pump cause if y ou dont and that goes, youre doing a timeing belt anyway. might as well do the mount ect ect ect

mickeytopher · Post by **mickeytopher** » Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:34 pm

packfan88 wrote:I would continue to drive it for a little while before tracking down that code. Sometimes things like that "clear out" wehen it comes to the cats and exhaust when you put additives in. if it doesnt clear up in like a tank of gas or so then id start tracking.

so yo uknow, if you turn the key on/off/on/off/on (not starting the car just on) it will display a code in the odometer area. report back to us on what that says.

But then again, like stated....youre prolly in need of a timing belt.

Its one of those things where youre like damn my sub frame is rotting and needs replacement. might as well do the control arm bushings at that time. might as well do the sway bar bushing, might as wel do ball joints, might as well do end links, ect ect ect. You gotta basically take it all off to do the subframe so why not? but that why not turns a $150 job into a $350 job.

Same with your timing belt. if it goes, migth aswell do water pump cause if y ou dont and that goes, youre doing a timeing belt anyway. might as well do the mount ect ect ect

I had a mechanic check it today with his scanner/ diagnostic tool, no miss, and he didn't say anything about the cat code. He said he thinks, and I was kind of thinking this too, that a motor mount might be going so I will do that, and then get a timing belt this week end.