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new srt 4 owner from alabama

2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  240zedhead 
#1 ·
Hello my name is Ed as of Dec. 18 2014 I purchased my first 2004 Neon Srt 4 from an auction. Interior is in excellent condition minus the cheaply painted red center console (yuck). It has 80, 826 miles on the clock. I have to admit when these cars first come out i didn't take them seriously didnt even know there was an srt model just thought it was just some neon with a factory body kit for young teens like scion didnt even know they were turbo charged til one dusted me in my l28et swap 73 datsun 240z. Anyway its a nice car but has a few issues that i have just started to read up on plus who ever had it was shade tree as hell. ( Electrical tapped wiring with wires twisted together aome not even hooked up) im looking foward to any help or advice since i know 0 about these cars. Will post pics soon.
 
#2 ·
Current issue with the car are: Alot of clutter near the transmission goes away when the clutch is pressed in sounds worst when going into reverse. Wants to pop out of 3rd gear but grinds upshifting and downshifting into 4th pops out of 4th quite often. Shifter is worn out like someone has been banging the hell of some gears when shifting like real sloppy feel to it. Makes a loud sorta howling metallic noise when pushing clutch in sometimes. Temp gauge stays at or below 140 when driving but rises to 200-220 at idle then drops back to 140 again when driving again. huge cloud of white coolant smelling smoke from underneath the hood sometimes like a blown head gasket but no white coolant smelling smoke from exhaust no milky oil but coolant can b seen dripping from the hood behind the motor like it was splashing from a coolant line behind the motor. Car boost til around 15psi then misfires like its igntion related (has a msd coil) or like it is cutting fuel. It does this in 3rd but a lot stronger in 4th. Its is also burning oil like a cloud of blue smoke out of exhaust. Does it at badly idle and a lil at medium to hard accel. Learned the 3 key trick got trouble code P 0243 waste gate solenoid A. Got wires not hooked up some twisted and tapped together( like who has to splice and tap wiring some not connected for a driver side head light which high beam only works aftermarket ones by the way) zip ties everywhere it a mess i know
 
#3 ·
People use zip ties on the vacuum lines alot so they don't come off.

Temp garage thing sounds pretty normal

Clutter from the trans could be due to an aftermarket clutch since they seem to make some chatter.

Misfire could be from spark blowout. Meaning the plugs are gapped to high or might need changed. Recommended use is 4306 ngk

That's all I really know. Welcome and good luck on getting everything fixed. More people with more knowledge will reply.
 
#4 ·
It sounds like your trans needs a rebuild, throw out bearing, and probably a clutch.
You're going to need some shifter bushings too.
MSD coil is always a suspect in misfiring.
Copper Champs for 5.7 hemi gapped at 35 work nice.
Pull the plugs and look for very clean or green for possible head gasket.
You need a thermostat.
You got some work ahead of you, good luck and welcome!
 
#5 ·
Thanks i came across the guide on preventive maintaince and what to do when first buying one so i plan to go down that list. I was afraid that i would have to rebuild the transmission but if it has to be done then so be it. Tuesday i Will be picking up a new pcv and the mpx check valve as i read is a common problem involved with smoke out of the exhaust. Going to price a new coil to replace the msd unit along with plugs and wires. What would be the best plugs the ngks or the 5.7 hemi copper champs. Also i saw a thread about using an air compressor glass filter tube thing as a catch can. Is that ideal or should i just go ahead and buy a real catch can? Thanks for the insight on my srt looking forward to a great experience in turbo dodge :) will try to post pics tomorrow
 
#7 · (Edited)
Current issue with the car are: Alot of clutter near the transmission goes away when the clutch is pressed in sounds worst when going into reverse. Wants to pop out of 3rd gear but grinds upshifting and downshifting into 4th pops out of 4th quite often. Shifter is worn out like someone has been banging the hell of some gears when shifting like real sloppy feel to it. Makes a loud sorta howling metallic noise when pushing clutch in sometimes.

Your trans could indeed need a rebuild, but in the interim I'd look up "booger bushings" and drop a set in. It should take care of your shifter slop.

As for the metallic sound when clutching in you more than likely have a worn TOB fork and it is hitting the pressure plate. There are a few aftermarket alternatives like Wykidperformance, DCR, and AGP. DO NOT PUT A STOCK FORK BACK IN! Get one that has the pads repaired/replaced at a minimum.

Trans prep. Blasted and painted the fork. Installed the stainless steel screw fix as mentioned on the .org www.neons.org ? View topic - SRT clutch fork (TOB fork) repair









That's all I have for now. You have some reading and general troubleshooting to do to isolate your other oil and coolant issues.

Oh and for plugs NGK4306 gapped at stock and then close the gap if you experience spark blowout while under boost. Kinds sounds like a gattling gun when it happens. Loss of power followed by that noise is usually an indicator of blowout.

Here is an example of blowout:

http://youtu.be/LpHUJoV96So

It is at the very end of the 1-2-3 run (daylight). It is hard to detect, but there. The nighttime video is a little harder to hear.
 
#8 ·
Sorry havent been on lately i work 12hr shifts :(. Anyway just a lil update for yal. I went ahead and ordered a Granatelli igntion coil with wires with came in day before yesterday along with a 180 thermostat in which i am going to do the fan mod after i give it a good coolant flush. Found out through another thread that there is a coolant line behind the block that leaks over time. I found a rubber coolant line that had a rip in it so when i can figure out how to get to it i will change that out as well. Done the standard oil change use mobil 1 synthetic 0-40w and fram filter. Installed the well 30 dollar home depot catch can with the new pcv and modernperformance check valve. The car doesnt smoke as bad just a few seconds after start up then after a min of driving it clears up.The idle will change when it starts to do it. so im reseaching a little more to see of it is a bad turbo or valve stem seals. Planning on getting new shift cables and booger shift bushings. Still researching the p0243 code along with the p0622, p2503, and p0522. P0522 was low oil with it was top of but it was very cold out so i put 2 and 2 together. P0243 well the solenoid is missing the the three connections are taped off not sure why. Was om my way to work early this morning and the batt light was on headlights were dim. I could here slight misfire amd when i get to a light it start idle rough, got worst the more i sat like it wanted to die so i starting revving it. Take off to a railroad crossing waiting on the train, brake light, abs, oil, batt light start popping on and off then it really starts to idle rough. I go to revving patting the gas pedal and its like it would go numb or something. Go up the street all my dash lights are flicking, same three lights on and off pedal to the floor damn near cnt go no faster than 40mph misfiring, bucking, popping, sputtering, backfiring then i have no dash or radio lights. I turn off to a side road on auburn university campus and it dies rolling to a stop sign. Turn the key and it just clicks. Sat for a min i push start it and it started. Now im driving to the nearest parking lot no headlights on and it misfires a little i turn my headlights and it damn near dies turn them back of and it calms down alittle. Make it to a parking lot and let it idle rough dim everything then all of a sudden batt light turns off and it wakes up again bright everything. WEIRD. Go to work get off same thing this time it didnt start after push start and the word fuse kept flashing so im lost on this one. Some say a yellow fuse in the engine compartment. Some say a dead batt but i think it is the alt itself. So thats whats going on so far.
 
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