My daughter has a '97 Neon, auto, 2.0L, DOHC, 156k. I overhauled it at 125k: rebuilt head, rings, inserts, waterpump, haven't had a problem until now.

It will crank and run fine in Park and accelerate while in Park. Shift into Drive and it dies instantly. This started Monday, Oct 11th, and it would drive a while then die, but now dies instantly.

I pushed it in the shop and changed the computer (I have a parts car), cranked it and backed it out, ran fine, shifted into drive and it died. Have to wait about 10 minutes to crank it.

Anyone have an idea?

Im gonna go out on a limb and say that you have absolutly no compression its just really a guess id check that though to see because the motor may have the power to just idle and when pressurse is put onto it it dies off if im correct?

bad timing? or torque converter?

Im gonna go out on a limb and say that you have absolutly no compression its just really a guess id check that though to see because the motor may have the power to just idle and when pressurse is put onto it it dies off if im correct?

That was worth a try. Cylinders 1,2,3,4 - 180,165,150,175. Not even, but would not cause what is happening.

I cranked it last night in the shop. Let it run for 45 minutes, in park. Got in it put it in reverse, backed it out about 10 ft, ran good. Pulled it into drive drove back in the shop, to my surprise. Pulled the emergency brake on, put it in drive, and let it idle for 30 minutes.

Got in it, backed out, put in drive, and it died immediately, like I turned the key off.

I did the "key dance" and got another code: #11.

The 11 is new. The book says: No ignition reference signal during cranking; timing belt skipped one or more teeth; loss either camshaft or crankshaft position sensor.

It cranks and runs fine in neutral & reverse, so it wouldn't be either of the first possibilities. So, that leaves the sensors. Would it run even if one of these are bad?

could be out of time. bad timing means not enough torque to keep the motor running in drive

Well, I borrowed an OBD2. It showed what the "key-dance" 11 showed, but a little more specific. It showed 1390 which is:timing belt skipped one or more teeth.

I pulled the cam gear's cover and watched as my wife bumped it over. No teeth on the belt or gears missing. Belt has only 30K on it. Belt was tight.

So, it has to be the crank gear. I'll tear into it and see.

I thank all of you for your help.

check the key in the crank gear it might be worn out

in my book it says code 11,no distributor reference singal detected during engine cranking.check the circuit between the distributor and the pcm

loose wire when the engine torques the wire comes loose?

The diagnostic code said that a tooth was skipped. Is it possible it's installed one tooth off? Worth the time to re-check the timing as installed....