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oil leak on 99 dodge neon 2.0 dohc


bobtheknob
06-02-2007, 01:08 PM
there is a leak around the bottom on the block on the passenger side and im not quite sure what it is. I cannot see because i do not have a jack to get the car up high enough to look back in there. i don't believe it is a head gasket because there is no anti freeze mixed in with the oil, its not a camshaft seal because there is no oil leaking around that area. its not the oil filter becasue the leak is more on the right side and away from the oil filter. im not very familiar with neons but only things i can guess is the oil sending unit ( which i have no idea if its around that area ) and maybe a crankshaft seal. can anyone give me any ideas of what it could be? it only does it when it is running. it takes about a minute to leak but its a steady nice size drip.

denisond3
06-02-2007, 08:43 PM
If you look in the FAQ postings at the top of the "1st gen. 95-99" Neon Subforum, you should find some info about the headgaskets. It could still be a headgasket - they can leak oil without leaking coolant. You can look at the info sticker down low on the sides of the drivers door to learn what date your Neon was made. Being a '99 it could have been made late in 1998 before dodge switched to the better headgaskets. If the leak is either the oil pressure sending unit, the rear main seal or the headgasket, it can be hard to tell which; since even if you are able to rub your fingers on the engine block under the oil pressure sender unit, it would get oily there from any of the leaks - as the leaking oil gets blown back all over the place when you drive along.
If you buy a pair of the portable ramps from an auto parts store you can drive your Neon onto them, and be able to slither under the front of the car. It can be tricky getting a Neon onto the ramps, since the cars are so low in front that I have to park mine with the tires on a pair of 2 by 10 wooden planks about 2 ft long - just to be able to get it started going up the ramps. Be careful about arriving at the tops of the ramps of course.
With the car raised this much, you should be able to get far enough under it to tell whether the oil is dripping from the joint between the engine and transmission (which would mean it is a main seal leak) or is dripping from the back side of the oil pan (which could mean it is an oil pressure sender leak, or a headgasket leak).
At http://www.myneonspeed.com/howto/howto_1stgen_mls.htm is an explanation of how to tell if your Neon has the newer improved MLS (multilevel steel) head-gasket. My indicator tab was behind the inlet tube closest to the throttle body, so I knew mine had already had its head gasket replaced. My leak was from the rear main seal. Therefore I had to remove the motor, and replace that seal. Ours was leaking a quart of oil in about 75 miles. I did other work while I had the engine out.

wafrederick
06-03-2007, 06:08 PM
Could be the cam seal or behind the camshaft position sensor also.The cam sensor has an o ring the seal the end of the cam and it is a common spot to leak at.Is it the dohc or the sohc?The cam seal will come out by it's own and I have seen this.

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