05 and the dreaded Check Engine Light
ahuff1981
11-02-2005, 08:18 AM
I bought my Neon in June with 15000 miles on it. Just two days after getting it the check engine light came on. Now the dealership that I got it from was not a Dodge dealership and they were pretty far away from my house so when I called them they said to just take it to a dealership becuase it was still under warranty.
Ode to the Gas Cap....
So I go to the dealership and they tell me that it will be 90 dollars to check it out. I said 90 dollars it is supposed to be under warranty. They said it is but if it turns out to be the Gas cap then that isn't covered. Needless to say that wasn't my entire conversation with this lady but she seemed to me that she wasn't being truthful with me. Not about it not being covered but it just appeared that she was trying to take me for my money. The look in her eyes just didn't seem truthful.
Well that was yesterday. WHY had I waited so long to take it to the dealership? Well I took it to auto zone shortly after the light came on just to make sure it wasn't the gas cap becuase my friends said it could very well be. I wasn't sure if it was covered under warranty so I wanted to know what it was before I wanted a long time at the dealership. WELL. I wish I could remember the codes that I was told but Auto zone said I had like 3 or 4 different codes 3 of which had 3 things it could be including the Gas cap and the EVAP. But one code was only for the EVAP. WELL... So with that knowledge I looked online a few and found that sometimes after about 50 starts the computer would restart itself and if it had been the gas cap the check engine light will go off. Well I checked the owner's manual to make sure i was putting the gas cap on right and I was. I may be a girl but I am not stupid.
So either the seal around the gas cap is broken or I have some type of problem with the EVAP. Being that my car now has 23000 I want to get anything fixed that is breaking before the warranty goes out, but I don't want to pay 90 bucks to find out it was a gas cap. Any suggestions?
Ode to the Gas Cap....
So I go to the dealership and they tell me that it will be 90 dollars to check it out. I said 90 dollars it is supposed to be under warranty. They said it is but if it turns out to be the Gas cap then that isn't covered. Needless to say that wasn't my entire conversation with this lady but she seemed to me that she wasn't being truthful with me. Not about it not being covered but it just appeared that she was trying to take me for my money. The look in her eyes just didn't seem truthful.
Well that was yesterday. WHY had I waited so long to take it to the dealership? Well I took it to auto zone shortly after the light came on just to make sure it wasn't the gas cap becuase my friends said it could very well be. I wasn't sure if it was covered under warranty so I wanted to know what it was before I wanted a long time at the dealership. WELL. I wish I could remember the codes that I was told but Auto zone said I had like 3 or 4 different codes 3 of which had 3 things it could be including the Gas cap and the EVAP. But one code was only for the EVAP. WELL... So with that knowledge I looked online a few and found that sometimes after about 50 starts the computer would restart itself and if it had been the gas cap the check engine light will go off. Well I checked the owner's manual to make sure i was putting the gas cap on right and I was. I may be a girl but I am not stupid.
So either the seal around the gas cap is broken or I have some type of problem with the EVAP. Being that my car now has 23000 I want to get anything fixed that is breaking before the warranty goes out, but I don't want to pay 90 bucks to find out it was a gas cap. Any suggestions?
Andydg
11-02-2005, 09:58 AM
Take it back to AutoZone and write down the codes they give you and come back online and search for the specific diagnostic codes they gave you. I'm not possitive where to look for the specific codes but when I had my Eclipse many Eclipse specific sites had the list of codes and what they meant. BTW with the gas cap it's usually from not tightening it all the way, with my friend's car you're suppose to tighten it like 3 clicks.
ahuff1981
11-02-2005, 10:10 AM
OK So yeah I read the book a while back and it said one click so every since I made sure to do it about 3. But still if it was the cap and I accidently didn't click it all the way one time how in the world would I reset the MIL?
Take it back to AutoZone and write down the codes they give you and come back online and search for the specific diagnostic codes they gave you. I'm not possitive where to look for the specific codes but when I had my Eclipse many Eclipse specific sites had the list of codes and what they meant. BTW with the gas cap it's usually from not tightening it all the way, with my friend's car you're suppose to tighten it like 3 clicks.
Take it back to AutoZone and write down the codes they give you and come back online and search for the specific diagnostic codes they gave you. I'm not possitive where to look for the specific codes but when I had my Eclipse many Eclipse specific sites had the list of codes and what they meant. BTW with the gas cap it's usually from not tightening it all the way, with my friend's car you're suppose to tighten it like 3 clicks.
das2123
11-02-2005, 12:58 PM
OK So yeah I read the book a while back and it said one click so every since I made sure to do it about 3. But still if it was the cap and I accidently didn't click it all the way one time how in the world would I reset the MIL?You can check the codes yourself...try this:
If the check engine light is on, check for the codes. Do the key dance and see what codes you get and post back.
To read any OBD codes, perform the following sequence.
1) Cycle the ignition key ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON within 5 seconds.
2) Count the number of times the 'Check Engine' lamp on the instrument panel flashes on and off. The number of flashes represents the code. There is a slight pause between the flashes representing the first and second digits of the code. Longer pauses separate individual codes. For example, flash-flash-flash [pause] flash-flash represents the code 32. On some models it may give you the "P" code.
To reset the MIL, you can disconnect the negative terminal on your battery for a few minutes.
If the check engine light is on, check for the codes. Do the key dance and see what codes you get and post back.
To read any OBD codes, perform the following sequence.
1) Cycle the ignition key ON-OFF-ON-OFF-ON within 5 seconds.
2) Count the number of times the 'Check Engine' lamp on the instrument panel flashes on and off. The number of flashes represents the code. There is a slight pause between the flashes representing the first and second digits of the code. Longer pauses separate individual codes. For example, flash-flash-flash [pause] flash-flash represents the code 32. On some models it may give you the "P" code.
To reset the MIL, you can disconnect the negative terminal on your battery for a few minutes.
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