Intermittent Speedometer and fuel gauge

[AGrayson84]

So on Saturday I was driving to Virginia, stopped and filled up the tank, and then turned the car back on and pulled away from the gas station. I noticed that my speedometer was not working, and the fuel gauge did not raise after having just filled the tank. A few miles down the road the speedometer and fuel gauge start working again. Another few miles down the road the speedometer drops down to "0" (I assume the gas gauge was frozen at "full" too). Several more miles down the road the low fuel light comes on and the speedometer started working again. Everything has been fine since.

I have a '98 "E0" CSVT. Any ideas on what would cause the fuel gauge and speedo to stop working at the same time, and work intermittently?

 

[royalblue]

check the vehicle speed sensor VSS it kinda on the top back of the trans

 

[bigboyricky93]

If it is more than just the speedo that is acting fluky, it maybe that your instrument panel isn't seated correctly. I one time hit a hard pothole in the dark and the smack knocked out part of my cluster... I got angry and yelled a few words and pounded on the top of my dash and it reset itself. Upon pulling and checking, I found out it wasn't seated all the way. I am in no means advocating using your anger to hit the dash in an attempt to reset it, but you may want to pop it and check the connectors.

(On a side note, my neon that was sold to me actually had to have the terminals resoldered on the back of the cluster cause they became bad and loose but that was a VERY common problem on the neons.)

 

[bigboyricky93]

Also your belt may be slipping or your alt may be failing but usually you get some lights with that. It makes the cluster act screwy at times too but you usually get a warning light with that.

 

[AGrayson84]

check the vehicle speed sensor VSS it kinda on the top back of the trans

Thanks. But would the VSS cause the fuel gauge and low fuel light to have problems too????? At the same time??

If it is more than just the speedo that is acting fluky, it maybe that your instrument panel isn't seated correctly. I one time hit a hard pothole in the dark and the smack knocked out part of my cluster... I got angry and yelled a few words and pounded on the top of my dash and it reset itself. Upon pulling and checking, I found out it wasn't seated all the way. I am in no means advocating using your anger to hit the dash in an attempt to reset it, but you may want to pop it and check the connectors.

(On a side note, my neon that was sold to me actually had to have the terminals resoldered on the back of the cluster cause they became bad and loose but that was a VERY common problem on the neons.)

Also your belt may be slipping or your alt may be failing but usually you get some lights with that. It makes the cluster act screwy at times too but you usually get a warning light with that.

Well, I do hear some vibration possibly behind the gauge cluster at times. Didn't know the gauges "seated" into anything though... I just assumed they had harnesses for the electronics of the gauges, and that the cluster was just secured to the dash. I'll take it apart this weekend and try this. I'll also check that no wiring/soldering is falling apart behind there. I had the alternator tested about 2 weeks ago and it was tested to be good, as well as the battery. Doubt the belt was slipping my particular scenario... I was just taking it easy, gently driving down the highway in 5th gear and didn't hear any squealing nor did I get an alternator/battery light. Good thought, though! Thanks!

 

[BrApple]

I would agree that the speedo and fuel guage, together, not working would indicate a problem with the cluster.

Also in this case I would not think of the alternator or battery. If the battery is going bad more lights on the dash would come on and often the wipers will act up.

 

[dfrank]

I don't have solution, just offering support. Had this exact problem for years, also E0. I doubt cluster, else why multiple gauges fail *at once.* Suspect wiring. If I come across solution will post.

 

[AGrayson84]

Thanks for the response!

I actually did get this resolved. If you pull your gauge cluster out (after removing the 2 large connectors from the back), you will see a small white, rectangular connector for a ribbon cable connection you your speedometer. Push that connector in nice and hard to seat it in all the way.

I actually had to plug that dash back in (but didn't fasten it in place, and pull upward and downward on that white connector with the engine running and while driving to find the "sweet spot" that would allow the speedometer to stay working. No problems since.

 

[contour_r_us]

Thanks for the feedback. Not as uncommon of a problem as you may think. Oxidation on the ribbon cable, where it plugs into the to speedo. I used electrical contact cleaner, and inserted, removed a couple of times in order to clean/burnish the contacts. All good and not hunting for the "sweet spot". Good job and perseverance!!

 

[BrApple]

IIRC the ribbon cable is unique to 98 clusters. Perhaps pre-98s also.

 

[AGrayson84]

Thanks for the feedback. Not as uncommon of a problem as you may think. Oxidation on the ribbon cable, where it plugs into the to speedo. I used electrical contact cleaner, and inserted, removed a couple of times in order to clean/burnish the contacts. All good and not hunting for the "sweet spot". Good job and perseverance!!

No problem, and thanks for the tip on the contact cleaner. I'll add some next time I pull the cluster out. Still have to finish my custom gauge faces when I feel like cutting a bunch of stuff with the x-acto knife. If I don't clean those pins I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I'm hunting for that sweet spot again!

IIRC the ribbon cable is unique to 98 clusters. Perhaps pre-98s also.

Ahhhh. Old technology, huh?

 

[BrApple]

actually I might be wrong on what you where talking about. All clusters have two ribbon cables that connect them to the car. The EO has a ribbon on the speedometer itself. That is what I was previously referring to.

 

[AGrayson84]

Yep that's the same thing I was referring to is the small ribbon for the speedometer itself. The other two larger harnesses for the rest of the wiring that plugs into the back of the cluster (the circuit board, specifically) don't have any impact on the fluctuation of the speedometer activity. Unless of course the connectors were completely disconnected or a wire was messed up there.