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Sounds like worn rings. Try running a bit thicker oil. It could be a stuck ring also. You can try some marvel mystery oil added to the regular oil. I used to do this old trick. Before a oil change pour a quart of transmission fluid in the crank case with the oil. Now start the car and let it idle for 15 minutes. DONT drive the car.
Drain it refill and change filter with whatever oil you use. The goal is to try and get the ring unstuck.
Trans fluid has good detergents in it.
I did add a qt of Motor Flush, probably the some thing? I use a thinker oil now. I haven't used anything in the oil.
I have to agree that the symptoms point to ring sealing problems. Since it's just one cylinder, I have to guess cracked ring. Maybe as Electrician says, it's a stuck ring, you could try his trick to see if you can get it loose.
Or you could do an "in frame overhaul" or partial one - I'm thinking on a Neon the oil pan can be taken right off with the engine in the car. If so, you could pull the head (send it off for new valve guide seals at least, the machine shop can do this while you do the next steps) - then pop the pan off, and you are looking right at the big ends of the rods. Carefully take the cap off #2, put some rubber hose or tubing over the rod bolts or take them out, then using a really big screwdriver or dowel rod, push the piston out the top.
I'm thinking that his best bet, of doing anything serious, is to just pull the engine and find a good low-mileage used one to put in. With a lot of miles on a car, it makes little sense to do a partial rebuild or overhaul, and if you're going to go the whole way you might as well buy a rebuilt engine with the warranty.
I'm thinking that his best bet, of doing anything serious, is to just pull the engine and find a good low-mileage used one to put in. With a lot of miles on a car, it makes little sense to do a partial rebuild or overhaul, and if you're going to go the whole way you might as well buy a rebuilt engine with the warranty.
The chance of finding a worthwhile junkyard engine isn't too far fetched if cash is an object and they are plentiful.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Rebuilt with labor will cost as much as the car is worth, for the same $ you could get a decent runner of the same age. A wrecking yard engine is a gamble but for the money a better way to go than spending $3,000 for a rebuilt engine on a $3,000 car.
It's got 100,000 miles. I'm going to research honing the cylinder with the engine in place. It's doesn't look like you have to lift the engine to pull the oil pan., in the Haynes manual. It's an extra car so I can take as long as a want. Man I miss rear wheel drives, and plenty of room to work around the engine.
Day one I did a dry test and got 185, 80, 185, 175. Day two did a wet test and got 220,190,190,155, used a different gauge same model this time. Is it ok for the readings to be off between tests, like on cylinders 1? I think the engine was cold when I tested it. I was reading online it should be a HOT engine when testing. Also it should not be more then 14 psi difference for a 2.0 liter engine.
Be sure to do the compression test with the engine reasonably warm, take all the plugs out, pull the fuel pump relay or whatever it takes to avoid flooding the motor with gas, hold the throttle wide open. If your battery gets weak towards the end of the test, that can throw it off low.
I would suggest you try the routine for a stuck ring, this could be as simple as putting some ATF or a good penetrating oil in that #2 cylinder and let it soak a bit.
It's really up to you how thorough a job you want to do here. Putting a boneyard engine in probably is the best bang for your buck, assuming you get some sort of assurance the engine is good. Around here there is a yard that specializes in engines, they do a compression test on the engine in the wrecked car, then pull it and store it indoors with a tag stating the compression results.
The "in frame overhaul" idea is a lot of extra work, but if you are set up with a garage to work in but no way to pull the engine - not sure why you would be in this position but I'll take your word for it - if you work carefully should give good results, and you get the head off for a little TLC at the machine shop, you put it all back together right with Fel-Pro or similar good gaskets, I think this engine has an iron block and aluminum head, if so after 100K you probably have only about 50K of life left in the head gasket anyway - due to differential expansion of the head and block the gasketed joint actually has some sliding motion in it, the gasket can't take this indefinitely.
If you really have low compression in that one cylinder the plug from that cylinder will probably look different from the others - probably darker.
Day one I did a dry test and got 185, 80, 185, 175. Day two did a wet test and got 220,190,190,155, used a different gauge same model this time. Is it ok for the readings to be off between tests, like on cylinders 1? I think the engine was cold when I tested it. I was reading online it should be a HOT engine when testing. Also it should not be more then 14 psi difference for a 2.0 liter engine.
2005 neon 2.0
bad # 2 cyclinder rings
Yeah, you know, you've got some funky things going on with your ride. Probably beyond any "magic in a bottle" stuff.
I hate to say stuff like, "This is what you should do!" But I think that if this was my car, I'd add some Lucas Oil Stabilizer, and just run it as long as you can. As you're driving it, salt away a little money because whether you fix this car, or dump it and buy another one, you're going to be spending some significant money in the relatively near future.
I would suggest you try the routine for a stuck ring, this could be as simple as putting some ATF or a good penetrating oil in that #2 cylinder and let it soak a bit.
There ya go. Good points. It's a long shot, but it's cheap and he's got absolutely nothing to lose.
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compression results
