What does THIS mean??

(There shoulda been a little flashy engine light on the photo, but for some reason, it dit'n show up)...sorry.

flashing---very bad. have your OBD-II trouble codes read...manny, moe or jack will do this for free, NAPA, Kragen, Oreily, Advance all will send a guy out to connect to your "diagnostic" plug (within 3 feet of the ignition) and will tell us...the fact that it is flashing indicated to me that it's gonna be a major component...not necessarily an expensive one but we can find out for ourselves by ordering a 20 dollar scanner~

most likely is an O2 sensor and your computer is not happy with the results that it is seein'~

I'm not smilin' at all these days actually. :(

Once you gather the info from them is going to be cryptic...like P1071 (just makin' it up) and you will tell us and we will tell you what these numbers mean and what we gonna do about it....K?

bring it to the auto parts store...they'll scan FOR FREE and sell you whatever parts will fix yer wagon~

Ok...I'll take it first thing in the mornin'....(Providing it'll make it there) :/

you could tell us what the scanner is sayin' and say "thanks, now I know" and promptly exit the scene too...tell us and we will find you a good source for your parts~....please?

Yes, my car is making me blue, green, and many other colors that are not very appealing...siiiiiiiigh... :(

your gas cap could be loose or missing....that would do it.~

That's me down at the end, thinkin' of jumpin off. (Ok, I'm actually just staring out at sea, wondering when (IF EVER) my ship will come in)

(P.S.) I'll check the cap!

The cap is on tight, but it was low on gas when I got in it from my idiot ex-husband borrowing the car and returning it w/out a drop. (Yes, I can pick 'em!) so it shuddered a little then. I went and got gas, and it wasn't long after that, when the lil flashy light came on. It eventually went off, but I'm still worried. :(

yes...he did not stop at the first click and floated your charcoal canister preventing your evaporative system from functioning correctly~ just drive it...the light will go away....as far as bogging down and losing performance could be the fuel system getting overfilled creating a snowball of failures....that's why we need to see what your computer thinks is the problem...OK???oooook~

oh, you did it....it's a difficult addiction...fill 'er up...mac~ YOU must stop at the first click...the evaporative system gets confused...is a vast array of solenoids and vacuum tubes, breathers and recapturers, throttle valves and vent valves...the whole gig is a shmoozle~ this should just go away by itself but now we know that it could probably be from overfilling the tank...nice of you to....fess up about it~

...don't MAKE ME come down there!

The check engine light flashes for a Misfire. Driving with a misfire can potentially cause damage to your catalytic converter. When your light flashes, you should get the vehicle checked out by a technician ASAP.

Went and got the codes read, and it came up as a "#4 cylinder misfire"... (Which I thought to be a simple spark-plug problem) but my mechanic says my coil pack is bad. $88 for the part, not including labor. (I know, it could be MUCH worse) but I just don't have it this week. (Or next week)...maybe not the week after. :( It's always somethin' with that car.

here are a few prices (to delight and annoy...er um amuse you)~

Yeah, Yeah, don't remind me damnit. ;)

the photo is not of a Neon cluster.... flash and shutter is always a misfire condition!

the light would be on otherwise, it flashes under heavy load and misifre condition. By the way fuel vapors passing the fuel cap would NOT make a vehicle have a shudder condition.

right...she got the codes...No. 4 coil pack...so it's up to her now....noted the readily available choices...she's learned to fill to the first click now...we might hope~

There is no "#4" coil pack on a Neon... There is 1 coil pack that controls all 4 cylinders.

It said a "#4 cylinder misfire"

Unfortunately, I haven't got the part yet. I don't have the money for it, and even if I did, I wouldn't have enough to pay for the labor. I'm really stressing over this. :(

you could inspect the spark on the number four cylinder...could be a simple loose sparkplug wire either at the coil pack or down at the spark plug itself...you could switch the wires if the length will permit of one of the other wires and see if you've still got the misfire...of course there is always PickNpull where you'll have to pick the part yourself, so bring screwdrivers nut drivers or whatever else you may need to take the thing off of there, you know it is always a learning experience to be able to bastardize the donor vehicle in search of the right part~ sure it's gonna be cheap like 10 or 15 bucks and you bet there are gonna be PLENTY of neons to pick from~

I changed all the plugs and it's running "better" but it's still a rough ride. Not quite a "buck & jerk" yet, but definitely not "up to par" either! Not sure I'm mechanically inclined enough to bastardize...

and the CEL still flashes....no doubt....you're still using it...are you down to 3/4 tank yet?

Almost`

no nikki, that is THE place to learn about stuff...while I was at the junkyard learned that a five speed from a 280sx would replace the four speed in my Datsun 610 wagon, which I did....then Oakland my drunken neighbor (now deceased) decided he's gonna ram it up the pole and try to drive off~...that was my favorite car...you see, we cannot get attached to cars....they are temporal....get your heart broken because this THING will not be in your life anymore~

the evaporative concerns should dissipate, but the ignition problem will remain~...until you switch the coil pack yes no comma~

54.95 free shipping....

Why couldn't I have picked a town with trolley cars? Those things hardly EVER break down! (Unless you ram 'em up a pole or somethin') siiiiigh...

$55 is better than $88...I'll be back in a while darlin'...Have to go get my son from work. This should be interesting...

or when I win the lotto will have enough money to generate the "human powered recapturing exercise vehicle". darned old inventhelp.com took my roll of drawings, did not give them back and tried to shake me down for $300.00 this was five years ago....have not thought of 'alternative power' since then~ third world countries could afford to get around without any money (cept to pay for the thing)...yes The Recaptor will become a reality soon, gonna recaim DeSoto or Nash assembly plant to have my team put these things together....okay keep it in California, the old Austin Boat-tail speedsters were made down in the southland...could look 'pon one of these now extinct car makes for their equipment~

Yeah, let me know when those things are rollin' off the assembly line...they would HAVE to be less maintenance than ol' Bessie has been!

lol...for some reason, your post made me picture myself in one of those Fred Flintstone cars! (And come to think of it, THOSE would be less maintenance than ol' Bessie too!)

You know you are not far...do you know those "porta-power" hydraulic dent removing things that body shops use to push out dents, it's basically four of those (one for each limb) with lighter hydraulic oil and smaller bore, but 8" stroke pushin' a 10 Liter Bosch hydraulic accumulator~ (small canonball on your ABS) this one is ten liters big, enough force to go any speed that your equipment can handle safely...all generated by pulling two levers and kicking with both feet~...like a pedal car~

this is what the design calls for 1.) running boards (so neighborhood kids can hitch a ride) 2.)suicide doors (they are just easier access) and 3.) rolling bearing/motor (unproven, have no ones approval citing a dynamic seal at 3000 psi is impossible, but they are wrong) 4. the thing uses readily available commercial components like Enerpak cylinders, a Northern Tool tractor seat (most affordable) and can store quite a bit of pressure (that can be reclaimed later on braking)~

the boat-tail...the hydraulic accumulator occupies the boat-tail very nicely~

engine compartment is leg space~

did not know you had kid(s)....how old are they?

Sorry for the two-week old answer...(like I explained before, TWO jobs!) And Yes, I have kids...18 and 12. (I'm kind of an OLD broad) and speaking of OLD BROADS... Ol' Bessie is bein' a real pain in the oil pan again! I finally got the coil pack on and she ran just fine for a couple weeks (like, since I was last here) but now she's up to her old tricks again... She was runnin' along just fine, then all the sudden, on goes the "Check Engine" light again, and she starts doin' that shudder thing again, where she's not operatin' on full power. WHAT THE HELL?? New coil pack, new spark plugs...the only thing I dit'n replace is the wires. Please, dear sirs, do tell...what do you think the problem could be THIS time??

BTW...just discovered I need a new motor mount, but not sure if that would cause the problem I'm having now.....?

It could Nikki...I'd have to check the geometry there but sometimes will but the shift lever out-of-whack...may cause the ignition wires too get too close to ground...thusly causing a misfire---change that bugger out (get a guy with the floor jack to help you)

get a set of ignition wires (if you can take your tip money to buy them)...before you do douse the high voltage wires with WD-40 will temporarily stop the high-voltage leakage and may cause it to act normal...then sell it and buy a Toyota~

I say it has a burnt exhaust valve on cylinder #4, and fuel injector caused this.... do a compressioin or cylinder leakdown test...... 20-1 i'm right!

So what steps would I need to take to correct the problem Chris? I got another reading at Advanced this mornin' and (once again) it read "#4 cylinder misfire" and somethin' about the "Fuel "somethin" too rich"...(I can't remember the exact word it used) but anyway...how do I do a compression/leakdown test?

And as for YOU Mr. "judge_roy"...(Please forgive me!) but...how should I address you sir? As in, WHAT IS YOUR REAL NAME? (Sorry, but I've been confused about that for a WHILE now!) Thanks for your input too, btw...I actually am talkin' to a guy about a Honda Civic.

One more thing....(And I don't know that this even matters, but thought I'd mention it anyway-just IN CASE).....Once the Advanced dude did the code reading, the CE light went from flashing to solid.

Nickles, My given name is Javed N Qureshi...jay or jayster (before I got involved with the gurus) then Paintster as my email address paintster@yahoo.com...but you can call me judge_roy, now~....I have NO memories of Pakistan...moved when I was a wee-toddles of three months old...there was a curfew going on and momma (who was from MIlwaukee) risked gettin' gunned down to solve one of the children's medical problem....so Milwaukee...until I had enough sense to move where EVERY day is a BEAUTIFUL day!~ you've got to grab a floorjack and put new engine mounts in...then replace at least the number 4 wire...for fun you could switch them and see if the wire is at fault here~

twenty to one---good lord~

NAWAZ is me poppa's name automotive battery Engineer of 35 years...he knows all about them and will lecture you about them until your wheels go square~

....forget this buggy, nikki...get that Honda...or more reliably a TOYOTA...Camry or Corolla...was looking for one for my other Milwaukee friend Carl Barron because is Taurus caught fire....he put it out with his bottle of drinking water but needed to get towed...I found A corolla for 5000 and a Camry for $4500....in your area there's gotta be tremendous Toyota values...Hondas, though keen have been unlucky for me~

use CARGURUS to find your next ride....they will finance you as long as you've got a job or two....think about your ultimate ride....then buy it, mine, the MINI green with leather were my only two criteria...my wife made me get the GPS (now I don't have temp,volts, or pressure) and the CVT automatic~....sheesh, the price you pay for a harmonious marriage~

Hello again "judge_roy"...(;I'm glad we got that cleared up!) I must apologize (AGAIN!) as I dit'n realize it had already been an entire month since I was last here. The truth is, I have to fight off two teenagers to get anywhere NEAR the (only) computer. We used to have two, but (much like that infernal DODGE o' mine!):< it decided to belly up. And sometimes...(after working a double shift, for example) I just don't have the fight in me to try and pry their little butts out of the computer chair. So please do forgive me, and please don't take it personal if I don't respond right away. I shall return eventually!;) As for "the buggy" (lol) you were right on the money (to the tune of $400): this past weekend. (And what a Co-inky-dink!) My mechanic confirmed that I do indeed have a dead wire in the #4 cylinder area, and advised me to trade the car in on a (gasp!) TOYOTA! (Though I saw a black & silver Honda Accord to DROOL for yesterday!) Anyhoo...I had to replace the belt tensioner on the Dodge Saturday. (That is, my MECHANIC had to) in the pouring rain...for 6 hours straight. (I just had to stand there with an umbrella, handing him tools) It's all 1 big piece, that belt tensioner, and costed $182! It's also a real BI-OTCH to try & get to! He had to pull the motor up and contort himself in ways that no man with a beer belly the size of his should ever have to! But still, he persisted...(And luckily, he's family) so he only charged me not even HALF of what it woulda cost had I put it in the shop. (You see, the power steering belt had come loose & was hangin' up underneath the car) Not broken mind you, just hangin' there. (Luckily, the alternator belt was still intact, or it coulda been much worse!) But here's the thing now...the whole piece has been replaced, but still, the very next day, it started squealin' like a little piggy AGAIN!! WHAT is goin' on man?!?! I tried belt lubricant, and that hasn't helped at all. And Frankie said the belts were on good & tight, so I just dunno? Guess I'ma have to call him back to look at it again, coz I'm worried the alt. belt will go out on me now & this stupid car just HAS to make it at least 5 more months, coz I won't be able to get another ride until tax time, which is usually early February. Wow...sorry for writin' you a book! This car has just really been the source of so much financial stress and I am just SO READY for a new car! What do you suppose could be causing it to keep squealin' like that? And it's not just when I use the A.C. either (if that matters.) But it doesn't do it all the time either-mainly, when I'm first crankin' up. Thanks for all your help "J.R." You're a gem! : )