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inop speedo. VSS or cluster?

T

tvissoc

CEG'er
Joined
Jul 13, 2010
Messages
110
Location
Tipp City, Ohio
My speedo ('98 GL automatic) is mostly inoperative at this point. At first, when the speedo would drop to zero, I could whack the top of the dash and it would start working again. No amount of pounding on the dash helps any more these days. Whenever the speedo does come back to life, the fuel light illuminates briefly, as though it just received power (like when you first start the car).

I've pulled the cluster, cleaned up the connector, etc. Hasn't helped.

I'm not thinking the VSS is bad, especially if a whack to the dash used to correct the issue.

Will the cruise work if the VSS is bad? My cruise works fine.

I plan to pull the cluster again and double-check the connector for loose wires, etc. Anything else that can be checked on the cluster before just replacing it?

Tony
 
The cruise would not work if the VSS was bad or had a bad connection. It's definitely your speedo or the wires going into the speedo.
 
I've never driven another Contour before, so I have nothing to compare this one to. But, it does seem to have strange shift behavior. It seems to downshift way too easily for my taste. If I give a 3/4 throttle or so after reaching 60ish mph and it has already gone to OD, it will downshift (rather sluggishly) and it won't upshift to 3rd until near redline unless I take my foot out of it. I'd rather it not downshift unless there is a significant load (going up hill) or the pedal is mashed to the floor. It seems to downshift right past the "sweet spot" in the power or torque curve. The shifts also seem to be rather sluggish when downshifting. I'm used to a more "positive" shift. It almost feels like some strange clutch slip as the RPMs rise and then the engine and tranny finally couple.

This car was badly neglected before I got it. I'm actually amazed that it runs at all, but I've worked through most of the issues over the course of a couple years. I got the car free from my ex-bro-in-law. It had sat for 1.5 years on flat tires and a dead battery. He let me have the car, so I got a battery and went to start the beast. Popped the hood and discovered that squirrels had made a home under the hood over the winter. They made a nice nest in there and had chewed off the plug wires, the MAF harness and a couple other wires. Luckily they left the main harness alone. So, got a set of wires and plugs. Battery. Repaired the MAF harness, etc. Got it started, but it smoked like a coal fired freight train. CEL was on, which he told me was always on.

So, here's what I've fixed since I got it:

Had 14 steel wheels, so replaced with a set of SVT wheels and decent tires.

Had to repair the driver's seat. PO was 380+ pounds and had actually broken the seat framework just above the lumbar region. Also snapped the spot welds under the seat where the X bracing was. Pulled the cover off and did some spot welding and grafted in some steel to get it close to normal.

Changed tranny fluid.

CEL was on and ended up having to replace front and rear upper O2 sensors. (fun).
CEL still on. Replaced top end gaskets.
CEL came back. Replaced gas cap.

Blew a rear strut. Ebay hooked me up. 2 for 1 on new (OE type) struts.

Engine was severely sludged up from infrequent oil changes. Ran some seafoam through it. When I replaced the intake gaskets and valve covers, I cleaned those up first. The TB was carboned up badly, and I don't think there was any flow for the EGR or air bypass valve.

Late last fall, the alternator died, so the car has been sitting until about a month ago when I began the next round of repairs:

Leaks oil. Thinking it is coming from the front cover, the crank seal or the pan gasket. I had already purchased these gaskets/seals, so I spent a couple weeks tearing off the bottom and front of the engine. The exhaust bolts had to be cut off (spent 6hrs in the ER after I got a metal fragment stuck in my eyeball). I went ahead and pulled the intake and cam covers off while I was working on the bottom. Figured I check the state of the sludge... Good thing was that having the top end tore down made removing the alternator much easier. Easier to get to one of the top bracket bolts. After getting it all back together (and getting the plug wires in the right place on the coil pack (had 1 and 3 reversed)) it runs very smoothly.

Still have an oil leak. It appears to be coming from the block near the AC compressor. I'm suspecting that the seal between the upper and lower block sections is leaking in there. Unless there is a sensor screwed into the block that I can't see. It is not leaking from the cam or crank sensors.

Ok, so most of that was way off topic, but you can see what I've had to go through to get this "free" car reliable. I still have to do suspension bushings front and rear and probably bearings all around. Fix cluster. Fix clock (has separate clock, not on radio) bulb. Change trans filter. and fluid again.

I'll take a look at the VSS wiring today. I'll pull the cluster and give it another look. Is there any way to "probe" the harness with the car running to check for VSS signal to the cluster?

Thanks,

Tony
 
Don't probe the wires for speed signal. Any scanner with "live data" will be able to show speed as one of the measured parameters.

There is a small blue driver module under the dash I think it was a light blue color. It is blelow the cluster and drives the speedo and I think the tach.
 
Just pulled the VSS. The wires have broken insulation at both the connector and the VSS body. They're not broken, so I think I can repair, or at least re-insulate them to prevent any shorts across wires.

I think it took me longer to find the VSS than it did to pull it. That connector was a pain to get to. Oh, and the Haynes manual is useless.

Tony
 
tvissoc said:
Just pulled the VSS. The wires have broken insulation at both the connector and the VSS body. They're not broken, so I think I can repair, or at least re-insulate them to prevent any shorts across wires.

I think it took me longer to find the VSS than it did to pull it. That connector was a pain to get to. Oh, and the Haynes manual is useless.

Tony
Click to expand...

How did you end up getting it out? I still haven't looked at mine yet.
 
TheKidWithTheSE said:
How did you end up getting it out? I still haven't looked at mine yet.
Click to expand...

Well, if you have the Haynes manual, don't even bother looking there. Other than the vague statement "...is located on the right rear part of the transmission case", there is no clear indication on how to find it. The only pic they have of the VSS shows one with a gear driven cable coming out of it.

So, you'll need to pull the inlet accordion out of the way. It is also easier if you go ahead and pull the air box too, just so you have more room to look around down in there. Pull the hoses hooking to the breather tubing and the PCV tubing. Basically, clear a path so you can get your hand down in there to the transmission toward the firewall, but not all the way to the firewall. From the top side, you'll gain access to the connector, which in my case was zip tied to a larger harness that snakes its way along down there.

To get at the VSS, you'll attack it from down below. Jack up front of vehicle, or drivers side (and support with a jack stand (std. disclaimer)). The VSS is on top of the case very near the firewall. There is hold-down clamp with an 8mm bolt head. There is just enough room to swing a wrench, but not a ratchet. I was able to pull the whole VSS and gear out without much issue. You might have to pry it up with a screwdriver. In my case, I did have enough clearance to pull the whole thing out as a unit.

If you can't find yours, or can't see the connector, let me know. I'll see if I can get a camera down in there to take a pic.
 
Well, after I reinforced the VSS harness with some heat-shrink tubing and put the unit back in, there was not change. What didn't work before (the speedo) still didn't. What did work before (cruise) still worked.

But... The next morning, I drove the vehicle and found the speedo to be working again. And, it is STILL working three days later. I'm not saying that I think I fixed anything, based on my symptoms. But, it is working. Don't know why. Don't care, as long as it keeps working.

We'll see if I can make it through a whole tank of gas with the ODO operational. I'd like to get a good fuel mileage calculation since I've gotten the codes taken care of and the car doesn't suck and blow oil.

FWIW, the trans seems to shift a tad different now. Or, I'm just overreacting to the working speedo and thinking other things are getting better. :-)

Next stop.... wheel bearings and engine mounts...

Tony
 
My update

My update

After reading the thread and seeing that the VSS may cause the car to shift a bit bad, so i thought the VSS was the problem here with my speedo(and temp) not working and the hesitation and bucking(?) when driving.

I have been hearing some loud noise from under the car and got it fixed today( Flex pipe?)

The noise is gone and also the feeling as if a bus is ramming the rear of the car is gone no jumping when speeding up slowing down.

(day 1)
 
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