Dash panel problems...please help.

[Big D.]

My wife and I own a 1999 Plymouth Neon 4-door Expresso. Lately we've had a problem where the dash panel (temp, speed, gas guage, Etc) will turn off at random times and will not work at all. The light doesn't turn off at night when this happens, just all the guages drop to zero as if the car is turned off. It seems to have something to do with the air bag light that has been coming on a lot and staying on for a while. The air bag light will turn off and then come back on for a period of time and then boom the dash panel goes out...then when it comes back on, if it does...usually we have to turn the car off and back on...the air bag light is on for a period of time again. Other than that there doesn't seem to be anything else in conjunction with the issue. Any help and maybe price estimates to get this fixed would be awesome...my guess is maybe a shorting out fuse?

[seeking]

i dont think its a fuse because fuses dont short out, they just go out and once they do thats it, it wont come back.

it does sound like an electrical problem though, i cant give any estimates but i dont expect it to get any better (or cheaper to fix for that matter) in time either...my suggestion is to get it checked out now before some more possible damage that will end up costing a lot more down the road.

-=/

[Big D.]

i dont think its a fuse because fuses dont short out, they just go out and once they do thats it, it wont come back.

it does sound like an electrical problem though, i cant give any estimates but i dont expect it to get any better (or cheaper to fix for that matter) in time either...my suggestion is to get it checked out now before some more possible damage that will end up costing a lot more down the road.

-=/

thanks, will do.

Anyone else got any suggestions/ideas?

[~The Guyver~]

Sounds like you got a bare wire touching or something.Has anybody messed with the wiring for it? Maybe a wire was left bare, and it keeps touching something and shorting out?

[Deee]

You might have to get a new alternator, dont wait to long on fixing it because if u do your car will pretty soon start turning off, happened in my epedition, after I got a new alternator everything was fine again. Ask someone who can check it out in person because Im not sure.

[~The Guyver~]

Nah if it was the alternator, then it wouldnt even spark right.Alternator controls all the juice in the car.It wouldnt just fuck with the dash. The battery wouldnt re-charge right, and all the electrical components would be acting screwy not just the dash.

[Deee]

Nah if it was the alternator, then it wouldnt even spark right.Alternator controls all the juice in the car.It wouldnt just fuck with the dash. The battery wouldnt re-charge right, and all the electrical components would be acting screwy not just the dash.
true, thats wut happened to me, but whats happening to him right now can lead to what happend to my car, its start out with small problems like that. On my car it never even told me the battery was being drained so at first I had no idea it was the alternator. Im just advising him to get it checked, if its a 99 its about time to get a new alternator anyways. I dunno, just to be safe I would check everything on the car. Check if your piston rings arent leaking any oil, check how much engine oil u got, also get the batery check out.

[~The Guyver~]

True couldnt hurt anything.Is it throwin up any lights? Might want 2 get it hooked up 2 a computer and see if your getting any codes. Pretty sure a neon's got sensors for the electrical components.

It could be something as simple as a short but its not gettin' any better just sittin' so might as well go get it checked out.

[Big D.]

No wires have been messed with at all that I know of so I don't know what could be causing it. What does an alternator cost? As far as oil and whatnot that's all fine...I had oil changed about a month ago and all liquids topped off...don't know much about the battery in it. We've had the car for nearly a year now and haven't had any major problems with it besides tire issues. Hopefully it's nothing big but we'll def get it checked out...thanks for all the help + rep

EDIT: what about the air bag light...do you guys think that has anything to do with it at all? It does seem strange that it lights up everytime this happens...

[Deee]

No wires have been messed with at all that I know of so I don't know what could be causing it. What does an alternator cost? As far as oil and whatnot that's all fine...I had oil changed about a month ago and all liquids topped off...don't know much about the battery in it. We've had the car for nearly a year now and haven't had any major problems with it besides tire issues. Hopefully it's nothing big but we'll def get it checked out...thanks for all the help + rep

EDIT: what about the air bag light...do you guys think that has anything to do with it at all? It does seem strange that it lights up everytime this happens...
the air bag light could just come on because of a fucked up fuse, Prolly something with the wireing, on my car at times the windshield wipers will go off, its so annoying.
An Alernator costs about 80-200$ depending on which kind. I think I payed about 140$ for mine.
check www.advanceautoparts.com (http://www.advanceautoparts.com)

[Big D.]

the air bag light could just come on because of a fucked up fuse, Prolly something with the wireing, on my car at times the windshield wipers will go off, its so annoying.
An Alernator costs about 80-200$ depending on which kind. I think I payed about 140$ for mine.
check www.advanceautoparts.com (http://www.advanceautoparts.com)

okay that's not too bad then and I have enough people in my life that could install it pretty cheap/free so no big deal. Thanks for the help.

[Deee]

okay that's not too bad then and I have enough people in my life that could install it pretty cheap/free so no big deal. Thanks for the help.
I didnt pay for installation, me and my dad did it

[c-towNsawedOFF]

assuming you checked A) fuses
B) wires
you need either
A) new guage cluster OR
B) new sensors (pray its not the sensors

i have had this problem where the guages are straight dead, no readings. i went to the junk-yard, spent 10 bucks got a new cluster. so plug and play basically....again assuming you know how to remove the guages, unclip the wires and replug everything.
if this doesnt work, pm me and i will walk you through

[c-towNsawedOFF]

ummmm, dont listen to the guy saying new alt. and shit, try buying a new cluster first, home install
trust me, this happends alot, guages burn out all the time. if you need a new alt. you would know, your car would die, lol
signs of ALT> burning out
A) lights flicker (head-lights)
B) car dies
alt. charges the battery so your car can not run if the battery doesnt work, no spark in the cylinders...ect

[~The Guyver~]

Yup thats what i was thinkin. If it was the alternator, or the battery it would mess with more then just your lights, as that is the source for all the electricity in your car. Id go with the cluster first, then check see if a wires grounding out on something, or a loose fuse maybe.

[Big D.]

ummmm, dont listen to the guy saying new alt. and shit, try buying a new cluster first, home install
trust me, this happends alot, guages burn out all the time. if you need a new alt. you would know, your car would die, lol
signs of ALT> burning out
A) lights flicker (head-lights)
B) car dies
alt. charges the battery so your car can not run if the battery doesnt work, no spark in the cylinders...ect

Ok can you PM me how to check the wires, fuses and whatnot...thanks. The thing is it's hard to check and see if what I did fixed the issue because it only does this every so often...

[c-towNsawedOFF]

just go by a junk yard, pick and pull so to say, its not a major problem you should be ok with just replace-ing your cluster.
if you need more help, pm me (if this doesnt work)
if you have not checked the wires yet, dont worry bout it, just do that first (cluster)