what can be wrong with my neon

Asked by dmartin1233 Aug 01, 2013 at 06:16 PM about the 2002 Dodge Neon SXT Sedan FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

check engine light is steady on. when motor is warm the car intermittently idles high and
temp gauge bottoms out to cold side (non working), when i turn it off it is very hard to start
back until motor cools. what can be causing this. i thought water in gas or clogged
injectors but that would not cause problem with temp gauge.

2 Answers

3,185

Could be a problem with the coolant temperature sensor or wiring. The temperature sensor is one of the sensors in the car that determines how much fuel is delivered to the engine, depending on the temperature of the engine. There is a difference in how much fuel is delivered depending on how cold or hot the engine is. If the temp sensor reads cold when the engine is hot, the computer will send the wrong amount of fuel to the engine, causing rough idle concerns and sometimes a hard start scenario. This may or may not be the cause of your problem, but it's a good starting point. I agree with Tom, get the code checked out. If you find yourself in a situation where you're over your head, visit a mechanic and get a diagnostic performed on the car.

1 people found this helpful.

driving home from work my transmission acted yup I pull over and all my fluid had sprayed out I have a 2003 dodge neon

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