I bought a 97 Neon Sport 4dr new- DOHC engine,5-speed trans, & put over 200,000 miles on it. I often commuted over 160 miles a day, 4-5 days a week in it. Here are some fuel/octane facts.
*Fuel- you do *Not* *need* to run Super Unl in the DOHC, it will do just fine on on regular. Mine did for over 100,000 miles, got a monotonous 34-37 mpg. HOWEVER- the stock DOHC computer *can* advance timing enough to make good use of Super's extra octane. If left to adjust itself(ie, just fill up with Super & drive it) it takes Many warm-up cycles to reach full spark advance- you may well go through several tanks before it really takes effect. This is why some say there is *NO* advantage to using Super in the stock DOHC. Well, they are Wrong, & here's how to speed up that process.
REMEDY: fill up near-empty tank with super, drive far enough so that you think the injectors are now getting the "good stuff", then park somewhere you can leave the car for at least a few minutes. Kill engine, raise hood, open fuse box(pwr dist center, whatever) attached to rear of battery case. Pull the fuel pump fuse- that's the small yellow one, *Not* the big yellow fuse.
Wait 5 minutes or a little more(Up throgh Summer 04, I used to smoke a 100mm cigarette. Heck, even overnight doesn't hurt a thing- don't ask!). Replace fuse, close fuse box & hood, get in & start car. WARNING: It may very well run for less than 1/2 second & then die- don't worry, that tells you it did a good reset. Just start again if needed. It may feel a little strange or tender at the very first- that's because it's relearning all its fuel/spark stuff from the ground up. It will quickly learn that it can kick the spark curve way on up with no clatter, & in substantially less than 1/2 tank of gas it should take full advantage of the extra $ you spent on Super unl gas.
You can disconnect a battery cable if you prefer- but the little yellow fuse is the way to go.
My experience says that regular does just as well up to about 5000 rpm. After that, if you really want to play with it, run Super.
And yes, I think you should buy the Neon. Plus, That ad for the NYG has me in lust! They really are fun little cars, & run happily on any decent 5-10w30 oil you car to use. Best online info source I knew was Neons.org, see if they're still around.
*Fuel- you do *Not* *need* to run Super Unl in the DOHC, it will do just fine on on regular. Mine did for over 100,000 miles, got a monotonous 34-37 mpg. HOWEVER- the stock DOHC computer *can* advance timing enough to make good use of Super's extra octane. If left to adjust itself(ie, just fill up with Super & drive it) it takes Many warm-up cycles to reach full spark advance- you may well go through several tanks before it really takes effect. This is why some say there is *NO* advantage to using Super in the stock DOHC. Well, they are Wrong, & here's how to speed up that process.
REMEDY: fill up near-empty tank with super, drive far enough so that you think the injectors are now getting the "good stuff", then park somewhere you can leave the car for at least a few minutes. Kill engine, raise hood, open fuse box(pwr dist center, whatever) attached to rear of battery case. Pull the fuel pump fuse- that's the small yellow one, *Not* the big yellow fuse.
You can disconnect a battery cable if you prefer- but the little yellow fuse is the way to go.
My experience says that regular does just as well up to about 5000 rpm. After that, if you really want to play with it, run Super.
And yes, I think you should buy the Neon. Plus, That ad for the NYG has me in lust! They really are fun little cars, & run happily on any decent 5-10w30 oil you car to use. Best online info source I knew was Neons.org, see if they're still around.
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