Torque Converter issues? Cost?

[Pete112288]

So I normally take care of regular repairs and everything with our vehicles but I am pretty sure the torque converter is going out in my wife's 2003 Dodge Neon. And I think its a little beyond my mechanical know-how & abilities. I can hear like a rattling/knocking noise and it goes faster as RPMs go up. From above and below I can hear it and can tell its coming from right around where the bell housing of the tranny connects to the motor. Does anyone have experience with this? What kind of work goes into replacing it? Or what I should expect as a general cost to have it done?
Bad timing here. Out of the 3 vehicles we have the only one running right now is my beat up old Ranger.

[HntnFsh]

Doesnt sound like a torque converter to me. Possibly a loose flywheel but hard to say without checking it out. I would get somebody with experience to look at it.

[HntnFsh]

Don't know if that has any type of plug or cover you can take off to look and see if you have any loose bolts or anything, but may be worth a look.

[Dhoey07]

So I normally take care of regular repairs and everything with our vehicles but I am pretty sure the torque converter is going out in my wife's 2003 Dodge Neon. And I think its a little beyond my mechanical know-how & abilities. I can hear like a rattling/knocking noise and it goes faster as RPMs go up. From above and below I can hear it and can tell its coming from right around where the bell housing of the tranny connects to the motor. Does anyone have experience with this? What kind of work goes into replacing it? Or what I should expect as a general cost to have it done?
Bad timing here. Out of the 3 vehicles we have the only one running right now is my beat up old Ranger.

Any other symptoms?  I would think that if your torque converter was having issues that you would feel some slipping or funny shifts.  Have you checked the tranny fluid?   

[pcal]

Everyone who drives should have an OBDll and use it when problems arise.You might not have the mechanical skills or tools to repair a problem but you will have some knowledge to start a search to solve it.Do you have a check engine light or any flashing code light on shutdown?You could count the flashes to research online what is the code telling you if its got them.Craigslist has lots of mobile mechanics listed that will come to your residence for reasonable prices.If it were the torque converter it could run you more than the car is worth because the transmission would have to come out.The cost for the part is less than $200 for a new one or half that for a remanufactured one but the labor is the killer.Go on youtube as I just did and watch a few videos on the dodge neon torque convert change out.Its a 7 part video which means I didn't watch them all,lol. Good luck and Happy New Year.

[jackelope]

Everyone who drives should have an OBDll and use it when problems arise.You might not have the mechanical skills or tools to repair a problem but you will have some knowledge to start a search to solve it.Do you have a check engine light or any flashing code light on shutdown?You could count the flashes to research online what is the code telling you if its got them.Craigslist has lots of mobile mechanics listed that will come to your residence for reasonable prices.If it were the torque converter it could run you more than the car is worth because the transmission would have to come out.The cost for the part is less than $200 for a new one or half that for a remanufactured one but the labor is the killer.Go on youtube as I just did and watch a few videos on the dodge neon torque convert change out.Its a 7 part video which means I didn't watch them all,lol. Good luck and Happy New Year.

A scan tool won't do squat for a rattling noise.

I agree with the above. A rattle could be a couple things from that area. I'd wonder if you have a cat converter rattling or worst case a broken flex plate(fly wheel). I don't think I'd worry about the torque converter.

[Sandberm]

The rattling noise I had in my Chevy s-10 was from the Catalytic converter going bad.

[HntnFsh]

For engine codes order a bluetooth dongle for $10-$12. And download the Torque app for free or torque pro is way better for $5. Then just  use your phone .

[Magnum_Willys]

Don't know if that has any type of plug or cover you can take off to look and see if you have any loose bolts or anything, but may be worth a look.

loose torque converter bolts would be my first guess

[timberghost72]

Sounds like a rod knock 

[jackelope]

Sounds like a rod knock 

Could be that too.

Does it happen in neutral? Only in gear?

[Magnum_Willys]

Sons small block chevy rattled like that - loose torque converter bolts.  Replaced with loctite happened again, got locking bolts and then flexplate cracked making similar noise.  Motor quieted down and ran great but after header bolts vibrated loose decided to pull motor and check for bent crank - the middle 3 main caps were cracked in half - had been run hard for months like that. 

[HntnFsh]

WOW!

[Pete112288]

Sorry for the delay in responding. Thanks for the tips so far.
There have been no codes or check engine lights or anything like that.
It does happen in neutral, park, & in gear.
I have noticed once or twice on occasion with no apparent pattern, that it will shift a little hard and shift later at higher RPMs than normal.

[Dhoey07]

Sorry for the delay in responding. Thanks for the tips so far.
There have been no codes or check engine lights or anything like that.
It does happen in neutral, park, & in gear.
I have noticed once or twice on occasion with no apparent pattern, that it will shift a little hard and shift later at higher RPMs than normal.

Before you do anything crazy, I'd drain and fill the tranny.  Change the spin on filter if it has one.  Inspect the fluid, see if it looks or smells burnt, and looks around for metal shavings. 

[coachcw]

Stop the bus , very possibly a broken or cracked flex plate , I cant say i ever saw a neon with loose bolts on the converter . you should be able to pull the inspection cover between the oil pan and bell housing , often you can see cracks and rust right near the crank hub . if it was a rod the dishes would allready be done , i have seen pistons on those make noise , by pulling injector wires you could isolate it to a specific cylinder .

[Pete112288]

Ended up taking it in to have it checked out. Turns out the noise wasnt coming from where I thought. They figured out it was a lose bolt in a rocker... or something. Forgot exactly what he called it, just remember it was rocker something. He was slightly confused and said that normally does not happen unless someone has had that part of it opened up and worked on recently, which is not the case. But any way, it ended up being a heck of a lot cheaper than what I feared it was anyway.