Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone can help shine some light on the problem I'm having with my 98 Dodge Neon DOHC.

Recently the 'Service Engine Soon' light came on and the engine has overall become significantly noisier. Don't know whether it's rattling or knocking per se, but it's pretty loud. I've had people tell me that it sounds like a tractor.
I've had a problem with it for a while where I'll be sitting at a light and suddenly the car will lose a little bit of power and make a loud screetching noise that seemed to go away after I turn off a lot of things in the car (radio, heater, headlights, rear-defrost), but even now it doesn't stop right away. Once I begin accelerating, the screetching gets worse for a second or so and then disappears, I gain full power again and things are back to normal. This *usually* happens when it's cold outside, but has been known to happen in the middle of summer, just less frequently.
The noise that's been coming from the engine recently (the 'knocking', not the 'screetching') I thought might be a result of the extreme cold we've had here over the last week. Temperatures have gone as low as -34C overnight, but now that it's warming up (if -21C is considered 'warming up') and it's still doing it, obviously it wasn't the cold. :^/
The engine temperature and RPMs seem to be fine. Doesn't run hot, warms up relatively quickly from cold, and idle RPMs hover around 1000 RPMs.
One thing is also does, not related to the engine, but worth mentioning, is when I open my driver-side door, the inside light doesn't usually come on and there's (yet another) high-pitched sequeal that seems to come from the fuse box (?), kinda sounds like a buzzer. Sometimes the light eventually comes on and the noise stops, sometimes it just keeps buzzing. And it ONLY happens on the drivers-side, all other doors are fine.

Recently I found out about the on-board diagnostic codes, and tried it the other night. The codes it returned were '12' and '43', which mean 'Direct battery input to PCM was disconnected within the last 50 key-on cycles' and 'Multiple/Single Cylinder Misfire', respectively.

So, having said all this, has anyone had a similar situation, or maybe know exactly what these errors mean and what causes them? Furthermore, what kind of cost might I be looking at to get this thing straightened out? I'm going 'estimating' tomorrow, so if anyone can throw out a ballpark figure, it'd be a huge help. :^)

BTW, I'm no mechanic but I know JUST enough to understand what's generally going on. So sorry if I sound like a car newbie... because really, I am! :^)

- skubik.

a loud screetching noise that seemed to go away after I turn off a lot of things in the car (radio, heater, headlights, rear-defrost), but even now it doesn't stop right away. Once I begin accelerating, the screetching gets worse for a second or so and then disappears, I gain full power again and things are back to normal. This is a worn belt (keep this in mind)the altinator is tring to charge the battery. when you sit at a stop light with allthat stuff on at idle you will discharge the battery. the intermittant screaching is from the a/c compressor cycling on and off (the a/c runs when the defrost is on ) Your noise may be from an a/c compressor going bad. Drive up to a gas staion and ask the mechanic if he could tell what the noise is,most techs are friendly and like a challenge ...post your results

I ended up taking the car to the shop and they determined that the problem was with the Timing Belt. Can't remember off-hand whether he said the belt was worn, or whether it was loose or jumped a tooth. But he explained that that was likely the reason it 'sounded like a tractor'. Unfortunately because the engine was running so loudly, they couldn't determine whether there had been any engine damage as a result. He said they listened with a stethescope and didn't hear anything, but again, because it ran so loud, they weren't able to say for sure.
He also mentioned that I had two gaskets that were leaking oil. We chose not to fix those, strictly for financial reasons, but is something we'll get looked at in the coming months.
For those wondering, for the Timing Belt work alone, I was charged $640.00 CDN.

LOL You were riped righ off.

640 for a timing belt reeplacement. Ok the belt, 50$ puttin it on takes 1 hr max. 1 hr at 90$ and hour(what i charge) that is 140 +tax.

Ouch. Y was it so much?

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure why it cost so much. They still have it and we haven't paid for it yet. Going to get it tomorrow. They usually provide VERY detailed explanations, so I'll be sure to post them when I recieve them.
Also, just for the record, that was only one thing we had done. We also had the headlights replaced (they were burned out), and they fixed the 'buzzing' noise problem described in my first post. All in all, all that cost us $860 CDN. To make matters worse, there are two gaskets that are leaking, so if what you say is true 89Turbo944, I think I'll try and do that myself with a buddy. :^/

- skubik.

I agree with 89Turbo944. that is steep. I don't know about taking it an hour though. It cost me three and change. I originally bought the belt myself in the intention of changing it... the problem was the puller. You need a specific puller to get the damper pulley off the crankshaft. In quick desperation I drove over to the mechanic to get it done. (no fan belts on!) Interesting drive. Even the mechanic didn't have the puller needed, he had to buy it. So well, his cost not mine. They might just have tacked on the price of the puller.

About gaskets thought, depending on which gaskets you talked about, you may want a mechanic to do it... just find another one. Get them to quote you a price first.