ok
i know absolutely NOTHING about cars - i just got my first car the other day. its a 2001 elantra and today i was driving, doing about 55mph and all the sudden it jerked forward, sped up and then went back to the speed i was going, and then my engine light went on. after i got to where i was going, when i went back home the light went out.. but i was afraid to drive too fast because i didnt want it to happen again...

could it be because it was sitting a while in a lot? low fluids? transmission?
should i not drive it??

thanks!

 

Take it to Autozone for a free trouble code scan. Tell them you have a "check engine" light, and don't let them sell you any parts just yet. Write down the codes and report back here.

 

ok i took it back to the dealer (because its under i think 30 day warranty)
sent me to their mechanic at a mobile station, he hooked it up and said it was a speed sensor in the transmission...
he said he reset it, so it should be ok but if it happens again he'd fix it

but would that fix it if its kicking into a gear?
even when i hit 10mph it slows down and then goes

 

Did you write down the code? You don't know which speed sensor it was. How much does the mechanic want to fix it? Is the repair guaranteed?

It's not fixed. You just got the code erased. It will come back. That's probably why the last owner got rid of the car.