Jeseph

Hey I’m having this same problem on my 1996 Honda Accord ex, i just replaced the vss yesterday and checked all the wiring and now my cluster isn’t working aside from the high beam indication light and the gas gauge, nothing else is working and Im really confused, any help?
thanks

Hondojoe11

I would have said that there could be a shorted yellow wire in the firewall somewhere that would give the symptoms you describe. The fact that your vehicle speed is not working might point to that yellow wire, but since your fuel gauge works, it's probably NOT the yellow wire. Do your windows work? Also, check grounds G403 and G401. I'm also assuming that the 10A fuse leading to the wire is fine. So we need to look elsewhere for
the troubles.

You might want to pull the VSS 3-P connector off and turn ignition on. Unscrew the air cleaner's 4 screws to do this.
See if you have battery voltage across YEL and BLK. If not, then there is something (probably simple) to fix right near there, or perhaps
a 10A fuse. In very rare cases, it could be something more involved but I wouldn't worry yet.

G401 is up on the left side of the driver's area - towards the quaterpanel kind of above and left of where your left foot would sit when
driving. It's a big harness - you might be able to feel with your hand to make sure it's not broken and it's bolted on. If so, then it's fine.
Or just shine a light down to a mirror on the floor - you should see it up there in the mirror.
Any of the grounds G401, G402, G402, and G404 could make power windows not work but I gues syour windows are ok. Are they ok?

Temperature not showing could be either G402 or G404.
G401 and G403 are in the right kick-panel - you can almost just reach up or mirror up as with G401.
Some people put their bodies upside down to do this. I have to take my seats out to do it although I might be able to squeeze in there.
I assume your clock is not working.

I hope it's not your ICU interacting.

I'm gonna get my manuals out and look at this.

Maybe you DID blow a fuse and perhaps the fuel gauge has a 2nd yellow wire? I'm guessing that you did something
when you replaced the speed sensor. Could we just have a bad 10A fuse and could I be confused as to there being
more than one yellow wire? I'll check on this.

If your power windows work, then it means that the WHT/RED wire from the ICU is ok, and it also means that 10A fuses (like #24, 25, 26, 28, something like that) are ok. And it also means that grounds G401 and G403 are ok. You might want to check fuse #4, the 7.5A one, although I would guess there's no problems there nor with the black wire that comes from your battery and has an 80 or 100A fuse.

I'm still trying to find stuff by looking at the circuit diagrams.

Hi Joseph, a safety issue just came to mind. I need to ask you if you have an airbag. My Honda does NOT have one anymore so I don't have
to worry. I ask this because the wires that might be hooked up to it - I think they are yellow ones near your fusebox. Be mighty careful.

Also, keep in mind that there are three plugs to your instrument cluster. One or more of these loose can cause some of the gauges to stop reading, but
I doubt it's that.

The yellow wire branches. Sometimes only after the Y branch or T branch does it have a break so some of the cluster would work.

It's funny, I should have asked - did you replace the speed sensor only because of no speedo and no odo? I ask this because I wonder if your INSTRUMENT CLUSTER has a problem - a short or whatever. Perhaps it needs to be diagnosed.

One other things: make sure that you didn't bump the ECT when you replaced the speed sensor - you might have bumped the electronic temperature sensor wiring and possibly break or short something. Or possibly the speed sender wiring could have a short.

Hondojoe11

You may want to check other fuses (even unrelated ones). I don't know if you can hook up your car to a computer diagnosis - like those home ones you just plug in. Other fuses blowing will sometimes pull things up to a power rail or down to ground just due to weird wiring problems.

Jeseph

My windows, moon roof, defroster, clock, and idk about the cruise control don’t work!!

Jeseph

Alright I can check all that tomorrow, I just bought this car a week ago and I also can’t figure out why my turning signals don’t work. If I turn my hazards on they work fine but something is wrong. I replaced the little light **** by the steering wheel and that didn’t help, it was just a waste of $40

tech8

First check under-hood Fuse No. 18 (50A).

Jeseph

Okay I will but I checked them all yesterday

Hondojoe11

I'm thinking at some point during this, for you to disconnect the plug that goes to the speed sensor, and possibly also the ECT (temperature sender). It might be hard to do this but you were able to get in there before. I'm thinking that perhaps one of those systems has wires that have worn through and might be shorting to metal, just not enough to blow the fuse, but enough to steal power away from stuff. If after those things are tested and the windows and other things don't work, then it's something related to the instrument cluster itself. I'm looking at my manual now and trying to think of stuff. Perhaps do the speed sensor test that I described in an earlier post in this thread, just to make sure that the speed sensor or temperature sensor are not pulling away power due to some internal fault. I know you replaced the speed sensor so maybe temperature sensor has melted through or something.
If your ignition key light goes on, then grounds G402 and G404 are ok. But it's highly unlikely it's a ground problem.
Pages 23-126 and 23-127 show stuff for your instrument cluster (called the Gauge Assembly in the manual).

Hondojoe11

Your ECT (engine temp) is on connector B (B9). Your fuel gauge is on connector C (C1). That's why one works and one doesn't. They are separate connectors of the A, B, and C that plug into your instrument cluster (Gauge Assembly).
Connector A is in the middle (Everest), connector B and C on either side (Lhotse and Nuptse).

This all means the Fuse No. 1 (10A) under dash is fine, and the yellow wire is fine.

I would unhook the ECT plug in your engine bay. If that has a problem, the fuel gauge might work, but all the other stuff not work. If you can completely unhook connectors B and C, but leave A hooked up since it's more of the ignition brake check type stuff. Then see if the power windows work.

I think you just have to remove a couple screws to get the instrument cluster out (even with the steering wheel in but I'm not 100% sure). I think it's a real easy job for you. I think it's good to pull the cluster and take Lhotse and Nuptse off first. Then Everest or whatever. Then see what works if anything.

How to remove the instrument panel is roughly 20-122 in the service manual (for a 1997). It's under the title:
Dashboard: Component removal and installation. It involves some SRS and heater connections. We need this for a 1996 Honda Accord EX.

Jeseph

I hope it’s a easy fix because this was all working the day before I replaced the vss

Jeseph

Could you give me a step by step reply that way it’s easier for me to follow along and do it correctly

Hondojoe11

Yes. I'm watching both NFL games - I just saw the New England one - close game won in the 4th quarter. Now I have to watch my
home town of Philly play Minnesota. For that I might go away from my computer for a bit.

I should eventually get back to my manual and tell you what to do by this evening.

Hondojoe11

The fact that it failed during or after you replaced the vss might help us diagnose what's wrong.

Jeseph

Hondojoe11

There is a 3-P connector that you just put back onto the speed sensor. It sounds like one or more of the 3 wires has a problem.

For step 1, I would pull that 3-P connector off. Then check the other systems, do they work? If they still aren't back to normal, jiggle the 3-P wire some, then check again.

It sounds a lot like something got damaged or something that was already damaged wound up shorting to something as you were working on installing the new speed sensor. I'm assuming you got the sensor in correctly too.

The vehicle speed sensor is NOT as important as having windows and temperature and other stuff. You can always estimate your speed just from experience.

I'm praying that the ICU is NOT damaged.

Hondojoe11

Step 2.
Remember that with the 3-P connector off of the speed sensor, you should measure about 5 volts from the orange wire to ground. And you should measure about battery voltage from the yellow wire to ground. If either of the above is not true when you have the key in the ignition and the ignition is turned to detente position II (II = on but not cranking).

If you don't get the above two voltages, then it's likely that something is shorted to ground somewhere. There is also a printed circuit board that could be bad but I doubt it since it's a brand new VSS.

Step 3.
Now one thing. There are two ways to check continuity of the black wire on the 3-P connector you just took off. One is to use a multimeter on the resistance (ohms) scale and simply touch the car's metal and the wire at the same time and see if it goes to 0. The other is to buy a continuity checker from Autozone - your call on that one, but continuity checkers are great to have around.

Now if you do get a good ground, and you DO get a good battery voltage between the yellow and the black wire in the above test, then the next step is too immediately assume that the yellow wire is broken between the sensor and the under-dash fuse somewhere. You might want to at that point (if it gets to that) just temporarily substitute a wire in for the (assumed broken) wire. But man, be careful that you're absolutely sure that it's a broken yellow wire using the tests I describe above, that's all, so you don't mess something up.

We're doing the above tests to figure what is shorted and what is open? So we have to probe the voltages to get started on that. So just turn the key on and pull the 3-P connector off or vice-versa if you want to pull the connector off first. Then check the voltages and just sort of proceed step by step using my directions and your basic intuitive understanding of how to isolate bad wiring.

I'll leave it at that for now, then we can go to other systems. I think you will find it in this system perhaps. Maybe 50% chance anyway.

I DO realize that the fact that a couple things is working makes it seem like the yellow wire is ok based on what I said earlier. But we have to start somewhere. Maybe the yellow wire is broken but making a slight contact that powers some things but not others. I think we need to test at the speed sensor (ie. that is where to start this diagnosis). We need to start with the yellow, orange, and black wires that make up the VSS 3-P connector. Also, make sure you check your battery voltage right at the battery, preferably with a digital meter - it should be between 12.4 and 12.68 volts, or thereabouts.

Jeseph

Alright I’ll check all that right now and get back to you, thanks

Hondojoe11

I finally found out that on my 1997 Honda Accord LX Wagon that it was fuse No. 1 under-dash that cause a whole bunch
of stuff very similar to your case (I had posted in this same forum). My windows, fuel gauge, ECT (temp gauge), clock, and
a bunch of lights and stuff are all working now. I just replaced that fuse which is a 10A fuse. I mentioned it but I said
that your fuel gauge was working. I could have sworn my fuel gauge was working too. Strange, huh? Both of us? Or did
you say it wasn't - I can't remember.


Anyway, check that fuse if you already haven't checked it. I know you had checked many other things.