In 95-97 Avengers there is a trouble code retrieving technique affectionately called the "key dance". It will save you from having to get the code pulled at Autozone (which is free btw) or any other place like them. Anyway, here's what you do...

- with the key in the ignition turn it to the ACC postition 3 times and on the third time keep it on the ACC position...immediately look at where the check engine light (CEL) is and count how many times it blinks. It will blink and give you two sets of numbers....it will blink for the first, then pause, then blink again for the second. It may repeat, in any case, jot the numbers down. The last set will be a set of fives = 5, space, 5 or 55 which means it's done pulling codes in laymans terms

If you don't get a code, but your car is acting funny, you will most likely have to take it in to get the codes read, if there are any from the ECU....or....turn the key to the ON position, the CEL (check engine light) should come on as a self test (testing the bulb that is), if it doesn't come on and your car is acting up, chances are you CEL bulb is out. BTW, all the critical dummy lights do come on for self tests

 

are u saying from the 'off'' position to acc three times because that does not work on my 1998 dodge avenger 2.5 v6 to retrieve the trouble codes?

 

OK first thing first ... The 98 will NOT do the key dance... Only 95/96 will keydance some early production 97's that have 96 computers... The only way to read the codes is a scanner autozone/advanced can do this for free

 

so i was reading in th Haynes manual the key dance to recieve codes for th 97 n older avenger going: start car/ ebrake/rev engine to 2500rpm-slowly idle down/run a-c briefly then off/[on automatic trans cars]apply brakes go-to reverse neutral,drive,low2,low1 then back to park turn off engine. this will obtain codes for all these sensors then w/ engine off turn key to on then off then on then off then on and leave in on position[all w/in 5 seconds] then the check eng. light will flash ur codes.