Robbins
super gas
Reged: May 03 2004
Loc: Carthage, MO USA
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I test drove a 98 5 speed today and noticed that it seems low geared. 5th gear is like 2800 or pm at 70. Does this seem right. It doesn't feel like the clutch is slipping.
Also it has a sun roof. It won't retract, it tries. It makes noise trying to go both ways.
I'm looking for a good car to get back in forth to work that gets decent mileage.
The only thing about those motors that I don't like is the water pump is driven off the timing belt. The one Neon that I had in the past the water pump went out (locked up) and took the timing belt out and bent every valve in it. Other than that the motor has decent power for a daily driver....I think anyways.
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Lee
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moper
moparts techie
Reged: Feb 03 2003
Loc: Columbia, CT
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I love my 97. That gearing sounds about right for my DOHC 5sp. Cant help on the sunroof but if you keep the maintenance up in terms of the belt and waterpump together... I cant see any issues. Mine has about 170K. I change the oil sometimes once a year. Sometimes none. Cheap car... gets about 32mpg mixed driving.
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Well, art is art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water! And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now, uh... Now you tell me what you know.
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ahy
top fuel
Reged: Jan 22 2007
Loc: IL
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Agree the speed sounds about right for DOHC. They were geared shorter than the SOHC. I've got a '98 DOHC 5 speed with 120k. Runs great and has survived two daughters learning to drive with its original clutch. When daughter #2 put it over a sign post and in the ditch in an ice storm, she helped me find a replacement JY rear door, install a new rocker panel and re-paint. It was either that or ride the bus. After all that a front alignment check showed all OK - no adjustment required.
Struts and strut mounts are good for 60k or a little better on Midwest roads. If you replace the struts its best to replace mounts also as they can fail.
If the shifter gets sloppy, re-pop urethane bushing kits are available for about $20. That makes a big improvement.
The only real weak point was the head gasket. The original commonly starts leaking oil at around 50k. The fix is a MLS type gasket which is trouble free. When I had mine done there was a Chrysler program that paid 1/2.
Good luck.
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Blues_Cuda
super gas
Reged: Aug 21 2003
Loc: St. Louis, MO
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RPMs sound right as mentioned above.
I had a '97 ACR Coupe...most fun I've ever had with a daily driver. (Especially with the Konis set on full-firm and running the auto-x tires.) 
35+ mpg was another definite plus. 
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therocks
Yankee Lover
Reged: Jan 20 2003
Loc: Niles , Ohio
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There was a TSB ob them also for popping the front cam seal.Dealer had a plate that bolted to it to keep it from popping out.I did a few at work a few years ago.That and the early ones had an odd PCV system that was under the intake and plugged up.Rocky
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Chrysler Firepower
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Mass_Mopar
Posting Champ Wannabe
Reged: Nov 09 2003
Loc: MA
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GF has a 98 neon (auto) that's just tipping 60k miles, what's the typical maintenance routine for 60k? Timing belt, pullies?
I just finished putting it back together after she made friends with a Sentra.
It's been a good car
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-Nick
71 New Yorker 440 4 Door (For Sale - PM me!)
70 Charger 383 4 Speed 3.91's
04 Ram 1500 QC 4x4 5.7L 5spd 3.92's (new Auburn posi!)
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Mass_Mopar
Posting Champ Wannabe
Reged: Nov 09 2003
Loc: MA
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Quote:
GF has a 98 neon (auto) that's just tipping 60k miles, what's the typical maintenance routine for 60k? Timing belt, pullies?
Anybody?
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-Nick
71 New Yorker 440 4 Door (For Sale - PM me!)
70 Charger 383 4 Speed 3.91's
04 Ram 1500 QC 4x4 5.7L 5spd 3.92's (new Auburn posi!)
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DaveRS23
super gas
Reged: Jan 20 2003
Loc: Benton, IL.
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Three things MUST be done by 100k; replace head gasket (with MLS), water pump and timing belt. With that and good routine maintenance, they are good for a heck of a lot of miles.
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KOS
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474218
super stock
Reged: Feb 02 2007
Loc: Hiram, Georgia
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I have a 98 ACR. It is a fun car, fast for what it is and because of the Koni shocks really fun on the twisty turny roads. I replaced the 14" rims with 15's and a good set of Toyo's. Because of the ACR's lower over all gearing at 70mph it is turning about 3000rpm.
I have had a couple of problems but both were with in the first five years. At about 35,000 miles it developed rough idle and a check engine light, as it was under warrantee took it to the dealer and they change one of the coil packs. That didn't fix it. Back in about a week later showing the same code, #3 cylinder mis-fire. They changed the coil again still didn't fix it. They did a compression check and #3 cylinder was low. Pulled the head and found an out of round cylinder. So I got a new short block.
Everything was great for about a year and half, I now had about 52,000 miles and the again it started to idle rough with the check engine light. Back to the dealer this the they said the problem was an ejector and carbon on the pistons. They said this was not covered by the warrantee so I would have to pay someting like $250 to have the ejectors and pistons cleaned. They took the Neon outside and injected something in to the engine that made a lot of smoke. It was suppose to clean the carbon off the pistons. After about 15 minutes the service manager came into the waiting room as asks: Did you have a knock in the engine when you brought your car in. I said no, and he say you do now. Seems they injected this stuff to fast, liquid locking a cylinder and bending a rod, spunning a bearing, something? Bottom line I got a reman engine, for free. I have 93,000 miles now and have not had another problem.
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HotRodDave
The Mileage Master
Reged: Jan 29 2005
Loc: here or there
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If you think the 5spd turns a lot of RPM try driving an auto 
That is the real reason they never got 40 mpg, heck a feather duster got more mpg, looked way better and was just as fast 
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"I may not have a brain, but I have a plan!" B.O.B.
68 cuda 360 notchback FOR SALE
91 Dodge Dakota V8 4x2 FOR SALE
2000 Dakota
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Robbins
super gas
Reged: May 03 2004
Loc: Carthage, MO USA
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Quote:
Three things MUST be done by 100k; replace head gasket (with MLS), water pump and timing belt. With that and good routine maintenance, they are good for a heck of a lot of miles.
 that's what I was told when incident with the head on the one had back in the day.
Well, the car that I was going to get got a away from me. That's the berries.
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Lee
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Magnumguy
super gas
Reged: Jan 19 2003
Loc: S.E.Ohio (Racine)
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Quote:
Quote:
GF has a 98 neon (auto) that's just tipping 60k miles, what's the typical maintenance routine for 60k? Timing belt, pullies?
Anybody?
Water pump and t-belt. Headgasket, depending on year, may have been replaced. Factory recall maybe? My daugher's '96 has 170,000+ on it now. Aforementioned parts + a starter this fall has been it.
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Looking for that special P-code Magnum GT, or a factory slant 6 Magnum!! All leads appreciated!!
are you making good time, but down the wrong highway?...
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pishta
mopar
Reged: Jun 21 2004
Loc: Tustin, CA
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They did my 96 Breeze the same way, Chryco paid 1/2, should have paid the entire thing! My SOHC is knocking at about 1800 on light throttle and is starting to puff smoke on acceleration. Maybe valve seals as I put a quart in every other month. I got 120K CA freeway miles, did the T belt at around 80k, still looked good but the water pump was leaking so I did 'em both at once. only way to go as it was a 3 hour job with the correct tools. It idles kinda rough but I think I got a bad injector from day one at 17K miles. I asked the sales guy about it and a mechanic and they both said "they are like that",.. I hope not!
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Quikshft
Used To Be Invisible
Reged: Jan 19 2003
Loc: Kingsburg Calif.
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Sounds like you lost the one you were looking at, but there are many more out there for little $$$. Here's a dash shot of my '98 ACR Coupe on I-40 somewhere near Kingman Az. You can see the speedo is at 80mph and the tach is about 3750rpm. They are geared pretty low, but I've gotten as high as 39mpg on the highway.
When you do the timing belt, always do the water pump AND all the pulleys. I had an idler pulley bearing freeze up, causing a timing belt failure...ya not good end result and it was just ahead of the 120,000 mile service.
My car now has over 140,000 and still going strong. I bought it with 40,000 miles on it for $6,000 so it has been some cheep, fun, inexpensive commuter miles. I also did a track day at Willow Springs a couple years ago, most fun I ever had driving. 
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Robbins
super gas
Reged: May 03 2004
Loc: Carthage, MO USA
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I hope I find another one, after Christmas is over though.
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Lee
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DaveRS23
super gas
Reged: Jan 20 2003
Loc: Benton, IL.
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Don't forget to check Craig's List, especially if you have a metro area within driving distance. I have gotten some good deals on nice Neons that have simple mechanical issues.
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KOS
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69Dartman
super gas
Reged: Jan 19 2003
Loc: Portland Oregon
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Got my 95 highline auto from my lil sister who bought it new when my step dad worked for a Dodge dealer.
I told her to get the widest tires they'd sell her, a auto, and a 2 door and thats what she did. She never learned to drive a stick and anyways a auto is easier to just drive around town anyways. She drove it for about 12 years with regular dealer maintenance then sold it to me about maybe 5 years ago. It has 157k on it now, doesn't smoke or use excessive oil and still drives and runs great.
I had to do the water pump last summer, a O2 sensor, and spark plugs this summer after they had 77k on them and started to missfire when cold. I also did the timing belt while it was apart even though the old one only had 30k on it. Nobody had ever replaced the pump in the 3 times it had a belt done 
It gets 19 to 22 in town and gets between 28 to 33 on the high way and is fun to drive, handles well, and is pretty quick for what it is.
Other nice thing is there are quite a few of them in the yards when I need something big or expensive.
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Life's a little bit better when you hit a Camaro.
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