Seoul Survivor

OK, so the speedometer quits. I buy a VSS on Ebay for $30.00 including shipping. This doesn't fix it. I take it to my favorite mechanic, who tries 4 different "clusters". (The dashboard assembly with all the guages) and none fix this. Did I get a bad VSS? Anything else this might be?

Thanks for reading!

//Vic

bobinator5000

VSS/VSS trans gear, Wiring, ECM, and instrument cluster. Those are the 5 basic components to look at.

The only way you will know for sure is if you take a multimeter and begin tinkering.

slomofo

iTrader: (1)

^^^ What he said and also check ground wires.

Seoul Survivor

Thank you guys very much. What order should I attack these?

Thank you!!
//Vic

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

Does your cruise control work?

If so it's not the VSS - those eBay ones are junk though.

fleetw00d

Is is just the speedometer, or the odometer and trip odometer as well that don't work?

Did you reinstall the pin between the power steering VSS and electronic VSS? Along with the cruise control, if you have an automatic and you don't get a check engine light or the "D" light for the transmission isn't flashing, then it is not the VSS. I just went through this on my 93 wagon. I should have done more troubleshooting, I replaced the VSS (so I have a working used one if you're interested) before I figured out the real problem.

The signal from the VSS is a pulsing 5 to 0 to 5 volts through an orange wire from the VSS to the engine harness, to the main harness on the left side of the engine compartment, then through the firewall to the guage assembly, ECM and TCM. Easiest way to check for the signal to the gauge assembly is to remove the cruise control switch(and sunroof switch if an EX); there is a connector on the lower left corner of the gauge assembly behind these switches. Backprobe the orange wire (fourth from the left). Jack one front wheel off the ground. With the ignition on, you should alternately get 5 volts (relative to ground), then maybe a few millivolts, then 5 volts, and so on as you rotate the wheel. If you don't get this, there is a problem between the gauge assembly and the VSS. You'll have to trace the orange wire back to the VSS. If the alternating signal is there, then it is in the gauge assembly or its ground. Time to pull out the multimeter.

My problem turned out to be corrosion on the gauge assembly printed circuit board. New board fixed the problem. If you tried 4 of them, I would think at one would be good.