Speedometer Malfunction

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Well, what else can I say but our family car is suffering from an ugly little bug.

What bug you ask? Well, although I don't have a photo, the speedometer needle in our '04 Imp is resting on the gear selection display, all the way over at the park position.

What I'd like to know is simple: is there a way to avoid the dealer? How can this be fixed? If the dealer has to be a part of this, what's the cost?

Thanks.

[NOS2006]

Does the needle work at all? Or is it just sitting right there 24/7?

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Well, it moves a little but not enough to matter.

[NOS2006]

Hm, if it didn't move at all.. or if it functioned correctly part of the time, it could've been a loose solder job. FWIW, it's something that happens frequently with first-gen Neons...

[76ChevyTrucker]

another idea is that the Vehicle Speed Sensor could have gone bad. And if its gone bad then you could easily have lost the signal to the speedo. Down on the side of the transmission the speed sensor should held in with a single bolt, should be two, maybe three wires. One will be a ground, (if there's three) one will be a reference signal, and one will be a variable (signal to the speedo). If you can get the car up in the air and get the wiring harness probed, put the car in gear and see if the variable signal changes.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I'll get into the mantenance manual for my Impy and see exactly how many wires the speed sensor has.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Thanks '76. I think I'll brush up on the manual, too. See what it says. I'm stuck with this car all week, mom's afraid of getting speeding tickets so she took the Dakota.

[NOS2006]

Thanks '76. I think I'll brush up on the manual, too. See what it says. I'm stuck with this car all week, mom's afraid of getting speeding tickets so she took the Dakota.

167868[/snapback]

Blah.. just match the flow of traffic. My buddy's Neon has had its speedometer on and off for over a year without a single ticket. Women...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Blah.. just match the flow of traffic. My buddy's Neon has had its speedometer on and off for over a year without a single ticket. Women...

167910[/snapback]

Well, I think I fixed it so I can get by this week. I just flipped the key off and on for a while and it went back to zero.

[76ChevyTrucker]

I know this may sound funky, but it could be the radio. My Impala has the variable volume control, and I've heard that the VSS signal runs through the radio BEFORE it even hits the dash and speedo.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Come to think of it, this started when the jackass who changed the oil over at Wal-Mart forgot to turn the change oil light off. It pretty much stayed on for a week until I turned it off before I started driving it.

I wouldn't doubt that suggestion, 76. That radio is pretty much the car's damn brain.

[76ChevyTrucker]

you should be able to jump back into the settings on the radio and reset it to factory settings.