Hey all new here hope all is well and everybody is avoiding this pandemic we got going on around the world. This is a long story but I'm going to try to keep it short. Recently did a jdm swap in my 98 ex 2.3 5speed. No issues with the swap I love it. But here recently my speedo started jumping and then quit all together there 2 codes p1298 and p0500. Went to the scrap yard and got a fuse box and ordered a oem speed sensor to cover both issues just to be certain. Fuse box wasn't equipped for abs so I triggered a abs fail safe relay fault. Ended up putting my old box back in and just swapping out the load detector. And nothing hooked my autel scanner up and I can read engine speed while I'm accelerating I figure boom the cluster or stepper motor has got to be bad right ? Picked one up and I'm let down again 😂 went and swapped it with another to be certain and still no Dice! I get 12 volts on black and yellow good ground and about 4.6 constant on the blue and white wire. I even plugged my old speed sensor up and hooked it into my drill Chuck turn the key to position two and pulled the trigger and the speed does increase. Is it possible the gear inside the transmission is bad? My Odometer still works and Im under the assumption there both connected to the vss. Please help me out!! what am I missing here ??

 

Details of what you exactly swapped.
Some of the JDM electronics don't play with the USDM bits.

 

I just used jdm f23a block l,manifold and alternator. Transmission, power steering and ac are usdm

 

Is there a difference in the jdm alternator that would cause any issues as mentioned above ? The car runs beautifully I just don't understand why with key on engine off and manually turning the speed sensor speed goes up. If I drive with my scanner hooked up the ECU shows the engine speed what would cause it to not get power or signals with the engine running but have them with it off ?

 

There is a difference with a JDM alternator. I don't have pictures but I had a US and JDM side by side for my accord. Even the plug location on the alternator was a little different.

 

If you power the system and give a functional input, it will work. There is no reason to have the speedo disabled with the engine not running. Circuit is powered up, input(vss) with a functional circuit creates an output(speedo).
If the speedo isn't working when the speedo is plugged in then it is most likely not being spun. Did you replace the speedo unit as a whole or just the sensor?
Verify the driving gear is inside the trans and the VSS is engaging the gear. There is a link that connects the VSS sensor to the gear drive, if that link falls out the VSS will not spin and the speedo won't work.

 

I replaced the whole cluster with two used working units. If the link fell out of the transmission is that easily repaired or replaced ? I'm able to read speed when I hook my scanner up to the obd port and drive the car so I didn't check the gear in the transmission

 

Are you referring to the gear attached to the speed sensor ? It's one piece and it does have the metal pin in it

 

If it is all assembled and with the gear attached the speedo works then check the transmission driving gear is still installed inside the transmission.
Also verify the driven speedo gear is not worn either.

 

Spinnin the VSS with a drill makes it blink 5 volts. Plugging it in to the trans then it does nothing? Not only will the speedo not work but the 5 volts now does not blink? Correct? If so, the gears are not touching.

The 5 volt blink has to be present and the correct pattern for the speedo to make sense of it.

 

Only other thing that may have happened, is the VSS pigtail was yanked on. Verify that the pins are straight and fully inserted into the connector.
When the connector is in it's home state it may not make the contact, but when you pull it up to test it it does.
If you have a DVM verify 5V reference, ground and signal.

 

Pigtail is shot I have a new one arriving from O'Reilly's it was a dorman brand it's not listed for my vehicle but it's the same pigtail 14$ from O'Reilly's could of got it for half the price on Amazon but really didn't want to Waite a week I disconnected the sensor and checked voltage as follows from the pigtail

Battery voltage
11.76

Black/ ground 11.76
Blue white was jumping but settled at 6.35
black and yellow was jumping around from 11.71 and settle at 11.04 thanks for all the help this far

 

Yeah, there is not supposed to be voltage coming out from the ground.

Long as the part is a match.

 

There isn't sorry for typing it like that 😅 I put my meter on black for negative and red to battery positive to check it also checked it on ohms and show no resistance

 

Ohm Neg bat post to black/ground wire pin.Check resistance. You want to see ohms. Doesnt matter how many. OFL or open is bad. Make sure that ground goes to ground. All the way.

Red to black isnt cross shorting in the connector. Great.

 

Ok will do I have my daughter this weekend so the next time I'll be able to fool with it is Sunday but I will keep you updated and follow through with my resolution I hate seeing threads with no answer to the problem from the op. I have the new connector coming today for the speed sensor and I may go ahead and swap my alternator back to the usdm just to rule that out and take the jdm off of it I have a pack of resistors coming to bypass the eld for testing purposes just in case that's possibly the problem also in my driver fuse box the number 6 15 amp seems to wobble when doing some tests I lost all power to the speed sensor and wiggling that brought it back should I replace the fuse box too? Or is it possible to cut the wires behind the box and solder a in-line fuse holder ? I prefer not to replace the box so if anyone has a pin out so I can remove that circuit out of the fuse box and add another fuse that would be awesome

 

Hey all thanks for all the help just reporting back that the pigtail was the problem after all it's working now still need to replace that fuse panel number 6 doesn't stay in good. Scored one off eBay for 20$ the pigtail I got Is a dorman brand and says it will not fit a 98 Accord but it does if anybody needs one in the future. Still don't have a cruise control light ☹️