Hi All,
I am new to the forum and to Neon's. I have a 99 Plymouth Neon and have been driving it for a few months now. I recently let it sit for around a month without starting. Yesterday when I started it up it was hard to start and when it did it was at a very low and rough idle. I also noticed the check engine light went on. It gradually increased in idle speed to normal. I then drove it to the gas station to fill up. When I went to start back up it wouldn't start. Low battery so I boosted it. Now when I got it going the idle was really low and rough and alot of black smoke was being emitted. On the drive home the idle was high and getting higher. Shut it off and again tried to start it. Low/rough idle, black smoke and eventually increasing to a normal or somewhat high idle points to what? Any ideas where to start looking without getting the codes pulled? Kinda nervous about trying to get it somewhere to pull the codes. Might not make it back and no extra money right now for towing. Any ideas are appreciated?

TIA

Mike

 

pull the codes your self by turning the key on-off-on-off-on(not till it starts but to the last position befor the starter engages) then count the times the chk engine light flashes, will flash a # of times then pause then flash again a # of times, count these flashes and let us know what you come up with, that will give us a better idea what you're looking at. the codes are in 2 didget # (12,13,14, ect. ect.)

 

Will do. Just found the trouble code info at

http://www.troublecodes.net/neon/

I'll do that when I get home.

Mike

 

Followed those directions and no codes. On a bright note the car started just fine. Anyone else find that weird?

Mike

 

kind of sounds like moisture in the tank, if it keeps doing it try some dry gas and see what it dose. my 96 acted kind of like that and a new filter and dry gas cleaned it up.