# Speedometer sitting at 0mph most of time, sometimes 'blips' to 20mph



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

I believe this is a vss problem, but wanted to check just in case it's in the cluster. The car is an auto, and while the car is running like crap, the transmission does appear to work correctly (Shifting at the right spots). The cruise, odometer, and speedometer don't work. Sometimes while driving the speedo will briefly blip to 20mph or so, but almost immediately falls back to zero.

Thinking it was the VSS, I pulled mine out, it looked ok, it tested to 267ohms and the spec is 250, so I do not want to call that bad. It generates AC voltage when you spin it, so that's also working. Question though: The gear on the end. Should the gear teeth be concave? If I place the sensor flat against a surface (As is I was going to 'roll' the gear), the middle section of the teeth is curved inwards (Think of the wear pattern of a underinflated tire)

My question is this, I scanned the computer and didn't come up with any VSS codes. Is the ECM the definitive answer if it is bad? Would the tranny shift correctly if it was not receiving a proper VSS signal? I am thinking either the cluster is bad, or the teeth are so worn in the middle that it is not contacting the drive gear in the tranny.


----------



## black_ser95 (Mar 19, 2004)

take it out and clean it with a can of air, there might be dust in there. i had somthing like that happen


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

The sensor im my cars (manual)is not supposed to be concaved. It is a flat cylinder. So it seems to me that its been chewed up. Does it look like it has been eaten up? 
Im not sure if the ecu gets any data from the sensor, per shift points. I would think that a haynes or fsm should be able to let you know if it does. 
Have you downloaded the factory service manual yet? If you havent search for it, its here somewhere.
The ecu should trip an error code if its bad, but sometimes, its been cleared or hasnt reached the proper trip number to set off the code again.


----------



## BlackNismo95 (Nov 20, 2004)

my cluster has the same problem in my 5 speed sentra.. likes to stay at 0mph and no odometer.. all i gotta do is hit the dash just right and it'll work.. lol. That's why I bought a new cluster.. well.. that and i wanted a tach.


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Naah, it's actually pretty smooth, which is kinda wierd. Hmmmm. Maybe I will try to stop by the dealer this weekend and see if they have one in stock for me to compare it to. The cruise dosn't work, so I am thinking that the vss may be bad. I just took the cluster apart, and didn't see anything that looked bad. I reassembled it, cleaning connectors, and took it for a drive, but it still isn't working.


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Well I ripped the dash apart last night to investigate further. My speedo itself is a "60mph=1024rpm" unit. I didn't see any electrical faults on the circuit board, however I didn't want to screw with the motor not knowing what voltage it is sent, so I put it all backtogether, cleaning the contacts, etc. It still does not work though. I thought of something I might try tonight though. If my VSS is good, but the gear is wore to the point where it doesn't make contact with the other tranny gears, I can check it by having my fiancee sit in the car with it turned on while I spin the vss by hand (While it's hooked up, of course). I guess if the speedo increases, then I know that the gear itself is bad and I can order that part straight from the dealer. I don't expect to be able to spin the vss too fast, but as long as it is a steady hold on the speedo I know its working.

Heh, having insomnia helps sometimes!


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

im having the same problem with mine (89 Maxima), it sits at like 130 but im sure it just fell there after it stopped working...every once in a while it will spin back to 60 and then drop to 130 again, not all that good with cars but i needed to fix it, anyone know how much the damage (to my wallet that is) could be? lol

my apologies for putting this in the wrong thread, a friend sent me the link on a topic about it and i didnt pay attention


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

From what I understand (Atleast for b14's) is that there is either a vss that goes bad, or the cluster itself. If it's the speedo in the cluster, figure $200 (Or cheaper if you can find one in a junk yard or ebay). If it's the vss, new they are around $150 I think.

No offense, but 89 is older than 95, so it may use a speedometer cable instead of an actual VSS sensor. I am not sure when they made the switch. If that's the case, you probably just broke the cable and I imagine that the cable is much cheaper than the VSS stuff I gotta deal with.


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

You are right the 89 Max has the cable. Open your trunk, look at the tranny. Search for a cable coming up from the tranny going to the drivers side firewall.
There should be a screw cap holding the cable into the tranny, im not to sure how it is held into the cluster. Im assuming that it has the same or similar connection into the cluster. 
Spin one side of the cable. If the other end of the cable isnt spinning, your cable is probably broke....lol Easy fix, not a lot of money, and you can install it.
Now if that isnt the problem, then it might be the actual gauge, and its enternals.

SoCal, that would have been the way I would have suggested testing the speed sensor. Try to run it down your pants leg, will be better than just using your hand....lol
Oh and your cruise control, have you checked the vacuum line that leads into the CC valve thingy...lol The ball looking piece of plastic on your firewall.


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Nostrodomas said:


> SoCal, that would have been the way I would have suggested testing the speed sensor. Try to run it down your pants leg, will be better than just using your hand....lol
> Oh and your cruise control, have you checked the vacuum line that leads into the CC valve thingy...lol The ball looking piece of plastic on your firewall.


Heh I, uhhh, spun it to 45mph. Guess I uh, have fast hands 
 Actually I ended up hooking it up to a drill because my fiancee could see it blip as I turned it, but not a constant speed like I wanted. In any case, a variable speed black & decker can accelerate your speedo from 0 - 45 in about 0.1 seconds :jawdrop: 

The good news is that I put 0.2 miles on the tripometer and the gauge stayed steady at about 45 with the drill, so I guess my "concave" gear is the culprit.

I'm going to call nissan tomorrow. The dealer wouldn't give me a part nmber today without the vin :loser: (I was at work away from my car) When I get the part number I'll post it here for others, because no sense in replacing the entire VSS if just the nylon gear is bad....


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

Junk yard!!!!!! Try that 1st. No need to walk into the dealership backwards, with your pants down, unless you have to.
P.S. I bet my dewalt would hit 100........lol
Just glad to see that you spotted the problem.


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

So did you ever find out what sends the signal to the trannym, for shift points?


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

SoCalB14 said:


> *No offense*, but 89 is older than 95...


lol why would i take a offense to that 

Nostrodomas - Thanks bud ill check that out tomorrow...so all i need to do is find the end of the cable and spin it by hand and if it doesnt work than the cables effed up?


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Naah, I didn't find out. I have a feeling that it is the VSS, but I am thinking that the tranny has some sort of a fallback mode. I know that Pre 93 GM 4L60 transmissions don;t use a speed sensor at all -- it is entirely controlled by throttle cables and fluid pressures. I got a few spare hours this morning though -- I'll check over the FSM and see if I can look it up for the heck of it.

Yeah I thought about the junkyard. I may give one a call today. I'll get the nissan pn and price though just in case it's cheaper than me buying a entire sensor from the junkyard.

I thought about my 30,000RPM Dremel  I bet I could log a few thousand miles per hour with that! Heck, the sensor might put out 110V AC  The biggest problem for me was that the sensor pigtail was not very long, so fitting my drill way down in the engine compartment was kinda tough.


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Nissan P/N: 327020M116
Cost: $42.00

That's for the whole sensor. The guy at the parts counter told me that the gear is not replaceable (??) but I can live with $42 every 250k miles I guess 

I'm picking it up at lunch and will install tonight.


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

so you ended up walking away with that cheaper than you had intended?


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

Well I bet you could have got one at the junk yard for $10....lol 
Oh well, did you get it fixed yet?


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Nostrodomas said:


> Well I bet you could have got one at the junk yard for $10....lol
> Oh well, did you get it fixed yet?


Yeah, probably, I agree, but I am getting so frustrated with the car that I want to use known good parts. Heh, atleast this one should be good for another 240k miles 

I haven't put it in yet, but I will later tonight. The gear is straight like you said though, so it's definitely the problem. Just for fun I might hook my dremel up to the old sensor and hook the terminals up to my voltometer. I wonder how many volts I can generate with 30,000 RPM  

Still, $42 ain't bad to have cruise, a working odo & speedo, and who knows, maybe a better shifting tranny.


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

To me, the dremel idea is a bad one....lol You dont need any thing eles frying. 
You are right $42 isnt to bad. Unlike the drivers side master window switch @ $98.


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

It fixed it. 

No time to play tonight, I'm starting to tear down the engine to get @ that darn timing chain!


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

So what all did it fix?


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

absolutely nothing!


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

heh, actually now I have a speedo and a working odometer. Because the car is running so bad, it's hard to tell if it has affected the tranny shifting, although I didn't think that it was shifting before.

The fastest I have driven the car was probably 45 (Back from the dealer) so I cannot confirm the cruise right now. I did inspect the hoses, cables, fuse, etc for the cruise and they are all fine. I did hook a vacuum gauge up to the vacuum hose and at idle I got nadda, but I am guessing there is no vacuum until you actually engage the cruise.

Once I get the car running like she should, then I'll repost on the cruise.

(So far I got the oil pan off, the downpipe off, the valvecover off) I am happy because I didn't need to remove the center support brace  and I didn't snap off the studs on the bottom of the manifold/cat. (Propane helps)

I haven't received my "kit" from courtesy nissan yet, but I want to have it ready to go as soon as I get the kit.

I can't verify if the longer, lower chain has a lot of slack, but the top chain looks fine and has nearly no slack. I'm stll not sure if the cams are lined up correctly though (I hope they are not, so I know this will fix it)

I kid you not -- there must be 10 POUNDS of caked on oil on the bottom of this car. It goes all the way back to the muffler! I scraped off oil on the anti-sway bar and had enough to make a ball the size of a tennis ball :jawdrop:

To my amazement, the engine is exceptionally clean inside (Both the upper and lower areas) so the previous owner atleast did keep the oil at the proper level


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

LOL.....So when do you think your kit will be in?


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

yeah i found out that apparently my Maxima does use a sensor so now im looking at a good chunk of change to fix it


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

Nostrodomas said:


> LOL.....So when do you think your kit will be in?


Not sure -- some of the parts were on backorder, but I figure I'll have it tore down ready to go. I'm calling it quits for today but I got it tore down to the point where I can take off the timing cover. The crank bot was actually super easy to take off. I hit it with the impact wrench and it buzzed right off.

Here's the SCARY part: I only have the top cover removed, so I have no clue on the bottom, but...

Both cams were 2 teeth off the mark on the chain, and the bottom "idler" was off *6 teeth* Frankly I am amazed the car even ran.

I still have the center brace installed and the engine is supported by my jack. I placed a small piece of 2x4 sitting on the bottom of the block (Where that piston os in the up position) so the weight is entirely supported by the sides of the engine. Because wood is soft, I'm not worried, and the crank (or main bearings, etc...) is up far enough that it is not touching the wood  Hell if it has to sit that way for a week, that's fine with me. I am glad to see the timing is so blatently f'd up. Now I know it will run good once I get it put together correctly.


----------



## SoCalB14 (Dec 28, 2004)

nissanmax89 said:


> yeah i found out that apparently my Maxima does use a sensor so now im looking at a good chunk of change to fix it


Sorry to hear that man. If you can get at the sensor, take it out, maybe you can replace just the gear, or like nostrodomas suggested to me, you can hit up a junkyard.


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

Right on, now fix that bish....


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

SoCalB14 said:


> Sorry to hear that man. If you can get at the sensor, take it out, maybe you can replace just the gear, or like nostrodomas suggested to me, you can hit up a junkyard.


well what we have is actually a Speed Sensor cable which ive found as low as $10 on ebay used...so new im assuming there not too expensive...hopefulyl that will fix the problem, if not im taking it to a mechanic


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

great that wasnt even the problem i just ripped apart my dash and i cant find where the wire runs from the firewall to the tranny correct me if im wrong but its to my understanding that the cables are as follows

cable from tranny which connects to another cable which runs to the firewall, into my cluster?

not sure, anywho i picked up the repair manual for my car and the wires look nothing like shown


----------



## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

Post you question eithe rin the maxima section, or over at maxima.org. Im sure someone there will be able to tell you what to look for.


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

did both, no one can help lol


----------



## nissanmax89 (Jan 6, 2005)

ok heres the thing, cars going into the mechanic friday, i THINK that its a loose cable because ill be driving it around and randomly it will just turn on, and then sometimes it wont...we'll find out when i get it back, thanks guys for the help


----------

