1st Generation Neons FAQ
neons.org 

0.0   Neons.org

0.1   General
0.1.1    What is Neons.org?
Neons.org is a website visited & operated by a group of enthusiasts interested in sharing information about the Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth Neon automobiles. It covers topics such as construction, maintenance, modification, & racing of Neons.

0.1.2    Who's running this?
The website itself is hosted by Snapdragon.
It is sponsored by Modern Performance.
The website is maintained by a group of administrators and moderators.

0.1.3    How do I contact the administrators?
"If you have a question, concern, complaint or any need to communicate to the org staff, the most effective method is to send an email to [email protected] where it will be seen by all staff and answered by the appropriate person. Sending PM's to individual staff will result in delayed or complete lack of responses."

0.1.4    What resources are available at neons.org?
From the front page at www.neons.org can be retrieved the neons.org FAQ, which is a large colection of information. Also available from the front page are Technical Service Bulletins about the cars from the factory, a podcast feed of engine trouble codes, how-to information & archived posts submitted by users, a discussion forum in which users ask & respond to questions, & links to vendor websites.

0.1.5    What are all these acronyms that people use?
Below are some of the abbreviations commonly used:
ACR:    A factory race-oriented Neon model.
ATX:    Automatic Transmission
BHG:    Blown Head Gasket
CAI:    Cold Air Intake
CC:     Chrysler Corporation
CEL:    Check Engine Light
DCC:    Daimler-Chrysler Corporation
DCP:    Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth
ECU:    Engine Control Unit
EGOD:   Evil Groove Of Doom
FMM:    Front Motor Mount
FSM:    Factory Service Manual
MAP:    Manifold Absolute Pressure  The MAP sensor supplies info to the ECU
MTX:    Manual Transmission
M/Y:    Model Year, as opposed to calendar year.
NYG:    Nitro Yellow-Green, a bright yellow/green body color available on '95 models only
OBD:    On Board Diagnostics (I or II)
OEM:    Original Equipment Manufacturer
PCM:    Powertrain Control Module, also known as the ECU
PCV:    Positive Crankcase Ventilation
PL:     The Neon's platform code
PL2K:   Unofficial platform code for the Next Neon
P/N:    Part Number
TB:     Throttle Body
TPS:    Throttle Position Sensor
TSB:    Technical Service Bulletin
UDP:    Under-Drive Pulley
WOT:    Wide Open Throttle
These are some of the common abbreviations used for non-technical expressions.
AFAIK:  As Far As I Know.
BTW:    By The Way.
FWIW:   For What It's Worth.
IIRC:   If I Recall Correctly.
IMHO:   In My Humble Opinion.
J/K:    Just Kidding.
LOL:    Laugh Out Loud, or Lots Of Luck.
N/M:    No Message or Never Mind.



0.2    How do I find information on neons.org?
Look for your topic in the neons.org FAQ

From the front page at www.neons.org:
   Check the archived posts
   Check the How-To's
   Read the TSB's

From the forums available from the front page at www.neons.org:
   Check the "stickies" in the appropriate forum
   Search the forums using the forum search function
   Post a question in the forum if you cannot find what you're looking for.



0.3    Using the neons.org forums
0.3.1    How is information organized in the forums?
Information in the forums is organized into the sections seen on the forum index page.
Be sure to read the posts in the "Rules & Announcements" forum to see what is allowed when using the forum.

0.3.2   Searching the forums
0.3.2.1    How do I search the forums?
At the top of each page in the forums is a link labeled Search.

0.3.2.2    I'm having trouble with the search results.

Updated: The below blurb was pertinent back in 2003 when the server hardware was much slower and limited. The forum now indexes every single word of every single post and creates relationships. Everything you search for is relevant and will be used, so just be specific.

At the time of this edit - March 28, 2018, there are 1,043,088 posts containing 399,275 unique words and 38,263,590 word relationships in the search index. The combined text is roughly enough to fill a DVD.
"The search function relies on a very large table with the forum database. This table is updated every time a post is made on the forum. The software looks for new words that are not in the post, and what words are there so that it can say there is a "hit" on that word, in this post.

This is why you will notice if you post a long thread with lots of new words, sometimes the post takes forever or even times out. The post is actually made, but then the searching part kicks in.

In an effort to keep the speed of the board manageable, certain words have been excluded from the search. Not only because it takes so long to categorize them, it also can double the time it takes to actually DO an effective search.

Therefore, words like NEON, CAR, MOTOR, CAI, UDP, SOHC, DOHC... all the obvious ones as well as THE, AND, WHERE, words like that... they will not work in the search.

Try using words that are not common. For example, if you wanted to find a post about the DOHC Oil Breather Restriction, you would be better to search for "oil breather" intead of "DOHC oil breather". The search is not always accurate, & does not recognize some characters (like the '/' in 'R/T')"

0.3.3    Posting a question to the forums
0.3.3.1    What are the rules for posting on the forums?
At the top of each page in the forums is the link "Board Rules", which will bring up this information:
1. Post only on the appropriate board.
Refer to the following descriptions of each board's particular focus. Please keep your posts relevant, and refrain from posting the same information on multiple boards. Repeat offenders are subject to administrative action. "Spamming" the boards will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

2. Be courteous to other users.
Controversy is welcome as long as it presented with civility and maturity. As per the terms of the user agreement, you agree not to post any abusive, obscene, vulgar, slanderous, hateful, threatening, sexually-oriented or any other material that may violate any applicable laws. Repeat offenders are subject to administrative action. Name calling, serious threats, and "flame wars" will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Also note that anything you need to post a *work warning* about isn't appropriate for these boards.

3. Expect differing opinions.
If you post asking people for their feedback, be prepared to hear both positive and negative views. That is what message boards are for. If you can't stand to hear somebody say they don't like your car, don't ask what people think about it.

4. Do your research.
Newbies are always welcome. This entire site is dedicated to moving knowledge from those who have it to those who don't. However, before posting a question, check the Neon FAQ, How-To Pages, TSB Pages, Archived Posts, Vendor Websites etc. Also remember to Search before you post. A wealth of information is available with minimal effort, and many links are provided on this site.

5. Do not share software or other copyrighted materials.
Neons.org is not the appropriate forum for breaching User Agreements and Software Licenses. As per most software licenses, other than a read-only backup copy, you may not make or distribute copies of the software, or electronically transfer the software from one computer to another or over a network. This also applies to CARFAX services, as per their User Agreement. Commercial use, resale and redistribution of CARFAX Reports is strictly prohibited.
Offenders are subject to administrative action.

0.3.3.2    What's the best way to post a question on the forum?
  • Post your question in the correct forum (1st Gen or 2nd Gen, Engine, Drivetrain, etc.)
  • Make a descriptive title. Be as specific as possible, like "Oil leak under engine", or "Car won't start". Avoid vague titles like "Help!" or "Look at this", as folks reading the forum tend to scan the titles for issues they can address, & skip the others.

0.3.3.3    How do I add a picture in my post, or add a sig picture at the bottom?
Check the Forums FAQ at the top of each page in the forum.

Notice that there is a size limitation on sig files, & that exceeding it will result in administrative action.

0.3.3.4    Nobody has responded to my question! Why?
First, wait. Many users check the forum only once a day, so it may be 24 hours before someone who's familiar with the issue sees it.

Make sure your title describes the issue, & doesn't just say something vague like "Stumped!"  Users tend to scan the titles of the posts for issues with which they're familiar.

State your question as clearly as possible. If a post if is difficult to read or understand, folks may just skip it.

Finally, it's possible that no one who's read your question has an answer!

0.3.4    Someone is being rude to me in the forums! What do I do?
Personal attacks are prohibited, but only the admins can draw the line when discussion moves from grumpiness, criticism, or banter to abuse. The admins try to remain low-key, but if neccessary will take action to stop a discussion by locking it, or to restrict posting privileges for a user. If you're having a problem with a belligerent poster, the best thing to do is just ignore that person. Response actually satisfies someone who relies on baiting for social interaction, & motivates them to continue. The admins watch the forums & will take action if they think it's neccessary. In extreme cases, & if you think they may have missed something, notify the admins.

 

1st Generation Neons FAQ
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