My car is throwing a VSS code, the CEL was removed when I bought the car (maybe they couldn't figure out how to pull the code).
I am arming myself with knowledge before I chase the VSS. I have noticed some inconsistencies with a VSS fault.
Most common symptoms:
Speedometer doesn't work (mine does)
Cruise control doesn't work (mine does too)
Transmission doesn't shift right (I have a manual so that doesn't matter)
Odometer doesn't work (mine is frozen at 144699)

The odometer froze before at 144599, using the trip reset trick worked for 100 miles. Hasn't worked since)

My speedo reads faster than actual speed by 10, verified by a sign by my house, and 50 in a 40 keeps up with traffic. The car has 16 inch wheels, I know that can mess up speedometer reading too.

I found a testing procedure for the VSS, but my symptoms don't seem to match.

Should I go after the VSS, or look at the ECU?

Also could this be the cause of my rich condition?

Thanks in advance.

 

Rim diameter has no affect on VSS, overall wheel diameter(correct tire height to maintain stock circumference) does. Even if the wheel size is incorrect the vehicle would not know, it's only frame of reference for speed is the VSS and with ABS the wheel sensors(when braking).

We do know the speedo functions and the Odo has stopped working. Start from there, if both were dead then we could surmise its a VSS or VSS circuit issue. With the speedo functioning but the odo not, we know the VSS is giving the speedo a signal. I would suggest checking all the electrical connections to the cluster. If everything seems fine, locate another known good cluster and see if it works fine, if so, you know you have a bad speedo.

If you do go the cluster route DO NOT TOUCH THE FUEL GAUGE SCREWS, breaking the wire on that will cause the tank to read full.

 

Thanks, I was thinking about it last night. I can probably get a cluster on CL for cheap (should be a known good).
If everything works then the cluster is bad.

The one thing throwing me for a loop is the CEL. in my research usually the CEL doesn't turn on, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything, worth a try.

Do I have to get a specific cluster, or can I pull one from any manual 94-97?

The trans fluid was really low too when I bought the car (about 1 quart came out), I changed if a few times over the course of the next couple weeks to "flush" per hondas recommendation. There appears to be no damage to the tranny. Shifts smooth and no metal was found in the fluid changes.
Could low transmission fluid have damaged the sensor in a weird way?

 

What would it take to repair the odometer?
I would rather try to fix it before I replace it, the mileage is off, but it would be anyways. I don't know if the cluster is original to the car, or if anything is for that matter. The car has been crashed but nobody can tell how bad.
I'm just broke and free is better than dropping 50 bucks at the junkyard.
Or am I better off pulling the two gauges that I need at the yard?
The gauges seperately are cheap.
Is it possible to remove the gas gauge without touching those delicate screws?

 

Just me but if I'm getting a code, I'd want to solve that before doing anything else....again, just me

 

I would check your grounds, and battery cable connections.
Make sure everything is clean and tight.
If there was an accident, check the wire harness in the immediate area of the damage and verify that the wiring was not damaged(smooshed/stripped/spliced) and repaired properly.
Agreed.
Although if his CC is working properly, I would presume that the ECU is getting the VSS signal but the speedo/odo may be snafu'd causing the code issue through intermittant short/grounding/open.

 

I'll definitely do that mike and poorman, thanks for the advice. I pulled two sensors at the junkyard because I'm poor and they were cheap.
They only had 1 manual though, it was a 94 and I pulled that one. I also grabbed one from a 95 auto. It's worth a try on these old ones.
Before I put them on the car I am going to test them, I may have to take two and make one. I found a link to repair them if needed, but I don't know if they are different.
Both sensors look exactly the same.
Are the auto and manuals the same?

 

Actually wheel size will affect the VSS. The way it works is that a car thinks X amount of distance around a wheel is a certain distance so when you put a bigger wheel it thinks when you have passed X amount of distance and it counts that as a revolution but it has actually not fully turned.

I believe the formula is (new wheel size^2)/(old wheel size^2). Then you take that number and multiply it times your new speed and that's the real speed you are going.

I actually got a ticket before while traveling beside a cop in a 45 going 50ish and he pulled me over and wrote me a ticket for 55 and I couldn't figure out why til I realized my accord had 17in wheels on it.