I’m having a really bad day and I’m not sure why. Maybe someone with better knowledge then me can help. I have two 2000 Neons. 1 is an ES with all the toys and the other is a bare bones SE. Both have automatic. I took the ES to the dealer to reprogram the keyless entry fob I bought. They did the job OK but the car died a half mile from the dealership. I had it towed home and I’ve been troubleshooting it for two days. It cranks fine. The timing belt seems to be OK because the valves move when it cranks. It has gas. I checked the pressure and it’s OK. I checked the ignition module and it’s OK. So I thought maybe the PCM was bad and that’s where I screwed up. I took the PCM out of the other Neon and tried it in the ES. Nothing. But when I putthe PCMback into the originalSE the engine would start but it would die almost immediately. I fiddled around with it starting and stalling and then suddenly it wouldn’t crank at all. The battery was OK because the lights were bright but when I turn the key the headlights don’t dim and I hear nothing. So I got the bright idea of putting the PCM from the ES into theSE. It did exactly the same thing. It cranked fine and started but died immediately. It did this seven or eight times and then it refused to crank just like the other one.
I know now you have to match up the PCMs or have them programmed with the serial number but can you kill one if you don’t? I hate to think I’ve killed 2 of the darn things through my own stupidity. Thus the cause of my really bad day. The only codes I’m getting are 1684 and once I got a 1193. Please, I’m tearing my hair and contemplating buying any other car besides a Neon.

i would bring it back to the dealer and ask them wtf they did.... i would have has it towed directly back to them and flipped out on them for screwing something up.... it sounds like you are having a problem with the anti-theft system.... they might have put the wrong VIN into the FOB or into the PCM.... might just be a mismatch in the VIN's and the PCM thinks someone is trying to steal the car so it shuts down, did your ES have the anti-theft system to begin with, if it didn't i would say that could be a problem too, i would take it back to the dealer with the same PCM they "re-programmed" and give them some serious **** about screwing your car up......just my thought, and dont worry we all have our bad days...... good thing is they usually end

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i agree. if the problem started after the programming at the dealer, then its obviously their fault. tow it back to them with the pcm it came with and flip out on them. btw, make them pay for the tow also.

I doubt they would do anything, dealerships are lazy POS workers that has no knowledge about cars whatsoever and they overcharge on everything that shouldn't cost much to install. I went to them one time to ask to install ONLY my headers (4-1) and they told me $300...i just said bye im out of here.\

But yeh, it doesnt hurt to try to talk to the dealership about it.

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