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speedo failure

T

Tony2005

Addicted CEG'er
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Jun 18, 2005
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Posting for newbie

thexfactor53209 said:
I was going to post this under general troubleshooting, there is a recent post on speedo failure there.

98 mystique zetec mtx 223,000 km. Speedometer would drop to zero off and on for years, seems a quick smack to the dash would remind it to start working again. When the speedo "woke up" the low fuel light would come on for a few seconds and then go off.

Recently the speedo quit altogether, along with the low fuel light. The CEL has not come on. Cruise control stopped working, odometer stopped, gas gage is NOT accurate. Have checked all fuses under the dash. Dash light works. I have an OBDII, no codes in memory and all running characteristics normal.
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Check the connectors on the back of the gauge cluster. the intermitent non-working speedo followed by it working after hitting the dash sounds like they might be loose.

theres 5 screws that hold the bezel on (2 behind the clock, 1 behind the defrost switch, and 2 going up in front of the gauges) there are then 5 screws that hold the cluster in. pull the cluster out enough that you can reach the plugs. press the tab to release them and pull them out. then push them back in making sure they seat all the way. you should hear a "click" when the tab locks indicating they are all the way in.
 
Sounds like a faulty VSS (Vehicle speed sensor)

My 98 CSVT had this problem. The speedometer would periodically drop to zero while I was driving and stay off for random periods of time. IIRC the VSS is a pain to fix and you have to have small hands to replace it.

Edit. I never had any of the other syptoms in your post so it may not be the VSS.
 
thexfactor53209 said:
TONY 2005 - First off, thanks for posting for me. "Mucho gracias amigo."

Will pull dash tonight and check connectors. Do cars with MTX have VSS? Shouldn't a faulty VSS throw me a code on my OBD II ?
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Yes, a MTX has a VSS, although it will not hinder the drivability of the car when broken like it would in a ATX... From the symptoms though, it may not be the VSS...
 
Pulled the dash and checked all connections tonight. Everything seems fine. Some of the wires seems very light gage, but I suppose that is normal. No evidence of heat on the back of the instrument panel.

Then I re-checked every fuse in the inside fuse box, and every fuse in the underhood fuse box. Found a loose ground wire under the engine bay fuse box. I brushed it an re-attached. Then I took the optima out and but the 40 r battery back in, in case the height of the optima was a problem.

Drove the car, no speedo. What should I do next? There is no CEL and no codes. Sigh. :shrug:
 
Check connection and wires of the VSS. They're not terribly expensive(ATX one was $50) and relatively easy to replace.

Problem is, if you can smack your dash and the speedo works again for awhile, there is something wrong in the instrument panel.

A problem I had, not speedo related, was the odometer wasn't recording miles all the time. I checked connections and everything was fine. I even smacked the dash and have it work again for a few miles. I deduced it had to be a gear within the speedometer itself. Sure enough I replaced the worm gear and wah lah, it works again.

Is it possible that the motor the drives the speedometer needle is bad? Maybe run by a junk yard and pick up an entire matching instrument cluster and plug in.
 
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KerryKool said:
CIs it possible that the motor the drives the speedometer needle is bad? Maybe run by a junk yard and pick up an entire matching instrument cluster and plug in.
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x2. It's really easy to take out the motor for the speedo and will probably cost you almost nothing at a pull-it-yourself JY. Then all you have to do is install the new one with your original odometer (which can be easily popped out by pulling up on the axle, you will see), and just set recalibrate the speedo by using GPS/OBDII port scanner (I recommend GPS) and placing the needle as appropriate. And FYI, all the speedometers for the Contour are the same. I have a Zetec and I put a Duratec speedo in it...
 
KerryKool said:
Problem is, if you can smack your dash and the speedo works again for awhile, there is something wrong in the instrument panel.
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Maybe he just has "the touch" :laugh:

fonzie.jpg
 
Another possibility

Another possibility

It might even be soldering connections on the Instrument cluster circuit board, I recall reading about that somewhere.
 
RE - Soldered connections, the whole back of the instrument cluster has a plastic sheet with copper "pathways" on it instead of soldered connections. I have not taken the actual speedo apart, I am a bit intimidated and do not want to make the thing un-driveable in the name of fixing it. I think I will shop around for a junkyard instrument cluster and see if that works.

Still open to other ideas, thanks for the postings, keep 'em coming!!!
 
Epiphany - VSS

Epiphany - VSS

Ok so my brain :idea: pooped out a new idea tonight. When I plug my OBD II into the car, and drive down the road, it gives me real time data on the velocity of the vehicle. If this data comes from the Vehicle Speed Sensor, then the problem is NOT with the VSS. Right?

So there is something wrong with my speedo gage itself, as corroborated by the intermittent problem of several years which would be remedied with Fonzi-like smacks to the dash ("AAAAAAAAAY"). :cool:

Thoughts? :help:
 
go grab a gauge cluster from the junk yard and swap it in. if it works properly then the problem was with the gauge itself. if it still doesnt work right then i suspect there is a wiring problem behind the dash somewhere.
 
OP: The speedometer is easy to take apart, trust me. You probably will be intimidated but once you get it apart it is a piece of cake. You WILL need a set of torx bits, or at least a large variety of small flatheads you can fit inside the torx screws. There are 3 (IIRC) screws holding in the face of the speedo. When you unscrew it, it won't just pull right out. I recommend pushing on the 3 pins from the rear, as this will make it easier. The, on the back of the speedo, there are 3 (IIRC) smaller torx screws that hold in the actual motor. Pop the speedo needle off using TWO SPOONS (makes it super easy) and unscrew the smaller torx bits. Then the faceplate is off and you have a small motor and a couple gears hooked up to the odometer and trip meter. The odometer is easy to pop out, even though it may look hard. What I did was take a pair of pliers to pull up on the axle for the odometer so it just popped out of place. Simply do this for both speedos, and put your odometer in the new speedo but just popping it in place! If you are running stock tires, you can use your data logging device that you were using to read your speed to recalibrate your speedo. Simply put the gauge cluster in without the plastic protection, and get up to around 40-50mph, set cruise control, and pop in the needle for the correct speed. It will likely take a couple of tries as it is more difficult than it seems.

Good luck :)
 
thexfactor53209 said:
TONY 2005 - First off, thanks for posting for me. "Mucho gracias amigo."

Will pull dash tonight and check connectors. Do cars with MTX have VSS? Shouldn't a faulty VSS throw me a code on my OBD II ?
Click to expand...
thexfactor53209, first off, "no ay de que".

Secondly, if someone posts OP, that means you, Original Poster.

I suspect it is the VSS. Apparently, some have posted in the past that a faulty MTX VSS does not throw a OBDII code. The speedometer just dies. VSS is $50. I would try that first. Good luck.
 
Tony2005 said:
thexfactor53209, first off, "no ay de que".

Secondly, if someone posts OP, that means you, Original Poster.

I suspect it is the VSS. Apparently, some have posted in the past that a faulty MTX VSS does not throw a OBDII code. The speedometer just dies. VSS is $50. I would try that first. Good luck.
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He gets a reading on his data scanning device....there IS a velocity being run into the computer.
 
thexfactor53209 said:
Can anyone confirm a faulty VSS will throw a code on an MTX?

Also, I can confirm I have "the Touch.":cool:
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Every car seems to react differently, but my MTX threw a code and caused the car to stall between downshifts. It gets scary when you're taking a turn in an intersection and the car dies in the middle of the turn.
 
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