95 Plymouth Neon

[lgraham]

I have a check engine light on. THe codes are 12 and 43. Can someone tell me in more detail what the problem may be?
Code 12: Direct battery input to PCM was disconnected within the last 50 key-on cycles
Code 43: Multiple/single cylinder misfire

My son has the car about three hours away from home. Is it safe to drive back home?

[lgraham]

Regarding the previous message. The car seems to be running fine.

[Scatch!]

Nine times out of ten a code 43 is caused by either old plugs or wires. The car is "safe" to drive, but tell your son to keep his foot out of the gas. A backfire /is/ harmful.

[KMP]

Code 12 is almost always their and is of no importance.

Code 43 is very common. Like mentioned above it's probably plugs and wires. Since you say it's fine now then I doubt thats the problem. Check the TSB's, there is one for the rough start/idle code 43 problem.

[hakelf]

err... please forgive my ignorance, but... what are the tsb's?


ta
Harry

[Scatch!]

TSB = Technical Service Bulletin. They are instructions given by the manufacturer to dealers to find and fix a known, common issue on a specific car.

They are NOT the same thing as a recall. Many people seem to think that they are...

From: http://tsb.com/recalls/index.html#
[quote]Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) are issued by vehicle manufacturers to help automotive technicians diagnose and repair problems reported by consumers and repair shops. It's amazing how many fixes are found in these bulletins that can't be found anywhere else. Thousands of bulletins are issued by car manufacturers every year.

TSBs contain up-to-date factory fixes for difficult to diagnose problems such as rough idles, intermittent stalls, hard starts, and all kinds of "shakes", "rattles" and "clunks" that can sometimes drive you nuts. TSBs describe service procedures that may improve performance, reduce future breakdowns, or show a factory authorized modification for your vehicle.

The TSB and recall titles for your make, model and year of car gives you an instant overview of the types of TSBs and Recalls on your vehicle. These descriptive titles can be used to narrow down your search within the database, or you can take this list directly to your automotive technician.

Recall Notices:
Automobile manufacturers issue Official Safety Recall Notices to inform vehicle owners of car defects that have come to the manufacturer's attention. Recalls also suggest improvements that can be made to improve the safety of a particular vehicle. Oftentimes this recall work can be performed by your car dealer for free. Knowing what recall notices have been issued on your vehicle helps you keep your vehicle in the best and safest working order.[quote]