My car downshifts in low gear and the neutral light blinks while driving
While driving my 2002 Ecplise it would down shift in low gear and the Neutral will start blinking What cause this?
My car has 102000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hello. A flashing neutral light is an indicator that the computer has detected a fault with the transmission’s electronic control system. The first thing I would do is check the vehicle’s transmission fluid to make sure that it is at the correct level and not excessively dirty, as bad fluid can cause all sorts of transmission issues.
If the fluid checks out, then it may be possible that the light has come on due to one of the transmission’s sensors or solenoids failing, or it is possible that a mechanical fault has occurred. If the transmission is downshifting, then it may be possible that the issue is serious enough that it is putting the vehicle into limp mode, which is a power reduced mode that is activated in order to protect the transmission from suffering possible damage.
As the vehicle does appear to be in limp mode, I would recommend you stop driving the vehicle and have the transmission trouble codes retrieved, as they will likely shed some light on what the issue may be. Have a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, determine why the warning light is on and suggest any needed repairs.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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A flashing neutral light is an indicator that the computer has detected a fault with the transmission`s electronic control system.
A lot of the time, a flashing 4WD light is no reason to be alarmed, because it simply means that the system is working as designed. On vehicles where four-wheel drive is only activated on demand — that is to say, when traction conditions require it — this light shows up to tell you that it`s been activated.
Note: During this mode the neutral (N) button will flash continuously and the instrument cluster will display neutral as the selected gear. To disable Stay in Neutral mode put your vehicle in another gear.
Signs of A Faulty Neutral Wire
This can cause unpredictable effects, such as feeling a mild electrical shock or the sensation of current flowing when you touch a connected device. You might also catch a whiff of burning after a spark or arc. It`s important to take these warning signs seriously.
When you select 4Lo, you`re lowering the gear ratio to multiply the amount of torque sent to the driven wheels. On the other hand, 4Hi is for when you want the security of all four wheels being powered, but you`re driving at higher speeds.
If 4 low is engaged, the vehicle should beep to indicate that it is in 4-wheel drive mode.
Low transmission fluid will cause the overdrive light to flash. Since the transmission overdrive is controlled by a solenoid, it`s activated by fluid pressure. When fluid pressure is low, the solenoid will be unable to activate the overdrive gear and flash the overdrive light as a warning.
Quite often, issues such as a Seagate external hard disk light blinking but not being detected can be fixed by simply rebooting the computer. To do this, disconnect your external hard drive from the computer. Now turn off the PC for at least 1 minute. Then reconnect the external hard drive and turn on the computer.
If the lights in your house are fluctuating between bright and dim, there may be a loose or corroded neutral wire in your circuit breaker.
If the lights in your house are fluctuating between bright and dim, there may be a loose or corroded neutral wire in your circuit breaker.
If the wiring in the socket loses insulation, electricity can arc directly from the hot wire to the neutral wire inside the outlet, creating a short. This is a major electrical fire hazard, since the arcing can ignite the building material around the outlet.
A neutral fault in the electricity network is usually caused by a tree falling on a power line, disconnecting the rope that supports the bundle assembled aerial cables of the low voltage network, known as the PEN conductor, which is a metal cable that supports the phase conductors between poles.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
My car downshifts in low gear and the neutral light blinks while driving – 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
ANSWER : Hello. A flashing neutral light is an indicator that the computer has detected a fault with the transmission’s electronic control system. The first thing I would do is check the vehicle’s transmission fluid to make sure that it is at the correct level and not excessively dirty, as bad fluid can cause all sorts of transmission issues.
If the fluid checks out, then it may be possible that the light has come on due to one of the transmission’s sensors or solenoids failing, or it is possible that a mechanical fault has occurred. If the transmission is downshifting, then it may be possible that the issue is serious enough that it is putting the vehicle into limp mode, which is a power reduced mode that is activated in order to protect the transmission from suffering possible damage.
As the vehicle does appear to be in limp mode, I would recommend you stop driving the vehicle and have the transmission trouble codes retrieved, as they will likely shed some light on what the issue may be. Have a certified mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, determine why the warning light is on and suggest any needed repairs.
Low coolant light comes on when AC, defrost or heater is on, but only if the car is in gear and stopped, what’s wrong with my car?
ANSWER : First, you want to make sure your cooling system is full. Check the radiator not the coolant jug. And check it when it is cold. If it needs coolant, add some. Of course, I don’t feel this problem is an actual low coolant condition. I would expect to find an electrical failure in the instrument cluster or from a component or wiring harness that is connected to the instrument cluster.
As a technician, I have access to reports from technicians across the country. I could not find any reports of this problem, so diagnosing this will require an experienced tech as this is not a common problem. In addition, this happens at intermittent times making it difficult to recreate. The most challenging part of this diagnosis will be recreating the symptom. I suspect it has something to do with the brake switch circuitry because it only seems to happen when you have your foot on the brake. I would begin my diagnosis there with a wiring diagram and test light in hand. The brake switch, instrument cluster, and environmental controls all interact with each other. Something is crossed either because of a failed module or damaged wiring in a harness.
Aside from making sure the coolant is full, this will not likely leave you on the side of the road. If you take it in to be diagnosed, be prepared for them to spend more time than usual to figure it out. Since it isn’t a key problem, you may need to live with it until it completely fails making it much easier to diagnose. Either way, I do recommend having a certified mechanic diagnose the warning light to make sure there isn’t anything serious going on.
Good luck.
My car stalls at times, yesterday the car shut off at a red light. I turned car off then back on now engine light is on.
ANSWER : This may be a result of a dirty or failing idle air control valve. The idle air control valve reads the air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the engine at low speeds and at idle. Since this valve is controlled by the vehicle’s computer, it will adjust idle speed based upon other measurements such as engine temperature, intake air temperature and electrical system load or voltage. When you accelerate, the engine RPM increases, and as you let off the gas, the RPM slowly returns to the normal idling speed with the help of the idle air control valve making the transition from a higher RPM back down to idle speed. When the engine RPM drops below the normal range of about ~800 RPM, this often times will cause the engine to stall indicating a dirty or faulty idle air control valve. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and replace your idle air control valve.
When I drive normally for 10km the car get stuck to third gear, no up gear or lower, The N blinks. Switching off makes it normal
ANSWER : Hello. If the transmission is sticking in gear then that is the first sign of transmission failure. I would like to know how the fluid looked. If it was very dirty then the transmission is failing. If not then it may have a stuck valve body or there may be a sensor issue.
A voltage meter and a scan tool would be needed to properly diagnose this. If you want to have this done, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your shifting issue firsthand and repair it as necessary.
My car will only shift into reverse and neutral, can’t get it into the drive gear
ANSWER : This may be a result of low transmission fluid or potentially a faulty transmission control module. A faulty transmission control module may cause a delay in acceleration or erratic shifting of gears. The transmission control module has various sensors such as vehicle speed sensors, wheel speed sensors, throttle position sensors, turbine speed sensor, and transmission fluid temperature sensors that all direct information to it in order for it to perform it’s function. Other functions controlled by the TCM are components such as a kick down switch, traction control system, and cruise control module. Any of these may also affect the way the transmission control module performs and controls the transmission and the shifting of your vehicle. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your location to properly diagnose your transmission problem.
My hazard lights come on when open my car door and my clock in my car blinks also and my hazard light stay blinking what is the pr
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. There are several reasons why the hazards might turn on when you open the door. Typically when you open the door the jamb switch which controls the connection to your radio and interior lights is triggered to turn on and off. This switch is the first place you should look. However it may not be the switch itself that has failed, but the connections that lead from it to the components it will turn off or on. You may also want to look into the lighting control module, as it is one of the only things your interior lights and hazards have in common. For more help tracking down the issue, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
clunk when change gears and car goes in reverse when in neutral and wil not roll in drive
ANSWER : What you are describing may be due to a shift linkage adjustment issue and so the linkage should be inspected. The noise could be within or without the transmission and such will depend on an inspection. If outside the transmission, the clunk noise could be due to worn CV joints. If within, it could be due to too much endplay and/or bearing damage that has allowed end play. Certain hydraulic faults might also account for abrupt engagement. I recommend you request a shift diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will identify the fault.
Was driving on the expressway and my car started shaking, check engine light turned on, oil light turned on and off
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Shaking and vibrating typically comes from a misfire, or poor engine performance. A lack of oil will absolutely contribute to these symptoms and amplify them, if not cause them to begin with. You want to turn your attention to the cause of the oil leak. If external (you can see the leaking oil), then you will want to trace the leak to the component which has failed. If the leak is internal (or the engine is consuming oil), the leak will be harder to find. It will also explain the poor engine performance due to excess oil in the combustion chamber. A head gasket is one of the main components that will fail and cause these issues. It is however not common for a vehicle this age to have these kinds of problems. You will also want to scan the computer, and see what codes are triggering your check engine light. These diagnostic tools will help you determine what system(s) is to blame for the malfunction. For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
