Funky Speedo issue.

[socialdeviat]

Okay. For a while after I got my tranny rebuilt my car ran like a dream. A little smoke but a dream to drive.

a little while later I started having issues with my speedo. It would work fine then it would die... then work again. Drivability obviously is an issue since its affecting my transmissions' shift points.

I cant rev above 3K, and it feels like theres a limiter on the throttle body.

The Steering is FULL on instead of variable like its supposed to be.

I have replaced my VSS, and still no go. I have checked the operation of the speedo manually while having my wife look at the speedo while I turned the cables. Both are working fine.

A question also... if the rear gear in the transmission is worn... would it still work intermittently. Is it simply a matter of cleaning the cables. Are they just so dirty or maybe heated... that they dont want to turn?

Any input would be great fellas

Thanks... And yes I have done a search for this. read about 2 pages of posts and still havent found anything similar.

 

[DemonNeno]

make sure the cable still has a retainer clip where it connects going to the trans. Its within the vicinity of the throttle body, just below there.

 

[socialdeviat]

Yes i checked both the vss output and the intermediate junction and both have the clips and both are tight. If I connect the 3 pieces (VSS, Upper and Lower cables) and spin the speedo gear, the cable moves normally through the each other to the speedo. Which is whats wierd... If its a mechanical speedo, why is it acting the way it is. SHouldn't it work even if the electrical side isnt working? Like my mustang, or is that speedo cable for something else inside the cluster.

 

[Phoenix]

Is the "working" and "not working" constant like a beat , or it shuts off randomly in random times?

 

[socialdeviat]

Its basically off... until the random moment when it works... THEN

when it does work... Its not stable. Its jumpy. What do you think?

 

[socialdeviat]

Anyone?

 

[LJRuddy]

Im having a similar problem with my car. It usually stays at zero or below 10mph until i speed up and then the speedo will kick on. When im cruising on the highway, the speedo will sometimes jump to 10 or so above what my actual speed is and it will show a fast acceleration (and higher ending speed) than what is actually true. If i go from 70 to 80, it will go from 75-90. If i go from 60-100, it will go from 70 to 95 and stick at 95. The speedo refuses to go above 100 mph. If i am going 140 mph, the speedo will read just over 105.

I have replaced the VSS as well as the speedo gear. Im thinking its a gauge cluster issue.

If your speedo wire was bad, it would make a thumping noise that would increase with speed.

EDIT: for the record, my speedometer is 100% electronic. VSS>computer>dash cluster.

 

[socialdeviat]

Is that on your mustang?

 

[LJRuddy]

Is that on your mustang?

yes....

 

[socialdeviat]

Yes that would be fully electronic. This is a hybrid that confuses the heck outta me.

 

[socialdeviat]

Anyone maybe have the same issue? I cant keep driving it this way. Its killin my tranny and certainly costing me in gas.

 

[DemonNeno]

hmm... this is certainly odd. One thing you can do is take the cluster apart and check if the cable is working back there while your car is in motion... I'd have to say it can't be anything but a possible speedo guage failure of some sort..?

 

[socialdeviat]

Thats a plausible point. But wouldn't the transmission and everything else still operate normally even if the speedo itself wasn't working? Or is it fully tied in to the system.

 

[socialdeviat]

Alright well tommorow Imma gonna take the cluster out of the dash and drive around to see if the cable works. Then if not than that solves the easy part. If it does work than I guess Ill have to check around for a used one.

Then Ill go from there. I assume its possible to have a dummy cable that might have been torn up and shortened. Possible thats a case. I just really hope its not a gear in the transmission. Than I will be ****** at AAMCO

 

[ohfosho]

it is your VSS. you have already stated that your ring gear is damaged... therefore the VSS is not being driven... the VSS supplies the computer with the Vehicle speed (hence Vehicle Speed Sensor), and tells the tranny when to shift. your cruise isnt working and your steering is weird (VAPS adjusts with vehicle speed... uses readings from VSS)

my VSS took a dump a year or so ago, so i have been through all those symptoms.

replace the ring gear, and put the VSS back in and you will be golden... unless you have been driving around and letting the tranny drop into gear really hard. then you will be due for diff pin repair, or a new tranny.

 

[socialdeviat]

Well I already changed the vss. Checked the cables, and thats all good. I think that the gear IN the tranny that drives the little hat is whats to blame. Anyone know how to change it or the running price to get it done?

 

[ohfosho]

that would probably be quite a trick to do with the tranny in the car...noting how much of a pain it is to do the VSS itself.

 

[socialdeviat]

has anyone ever replaced the drive gear in the transmission? I am going to pull the VSS and that "gear housing" on my atx and hope to see inside to check the gear in the trans. I wonder if maybe it just didn't line up on a pin or something. I would really hate for this to turn into a huge and expensive job.

Thanks fellas for all the help thus far.

 

[socialdeviat]

Well. I took her down to AAMCO since shes still under warranty. They did the diagnostic. and whatnot... Then the whole 2.5hrs of labor to get the y-pipe and such off to check the governor gears and etc. Basically showed me the bad parts. The bottom governer gear in the trans was pretty much rounded off where it made contact with the gear on the inside. (status of the internal gear is still unknown) So I bought the part and whatnot $48 or so. They are installing it as of right now and Ill find out the results within the hour. If it works... Hey it was only about $250 not bad. If its not that at all. then they fix the other gear for free since my tranny rebuild is still under warranty. So it seems all is good now. At least Ill find out in the hour.

 

[sho'd]

has anyone ever replaced the drive gear in the transmission? I am going to pull the VSS and that "gear housing" on my atx and hope to see inside to check the gear in the trans. I wonder if maybe it just didn't line up on a pin or something. I would really hate for this to turn into a huge and expensive job.

Thanks fellas for all the help thus far.

to get to the ring gear in the transmission you have to fully disassemble the transmission, it's the last thing to come out, on the end of the diff. can't see how that would wear out though.

P.S. lemme know how it went at aamco