# speedometer sticking 93 Altima



## rnello (Jun 22, 2004)

Roughly 4 months after I had given my daughter her first car, 93 Altima, the speedometer had stopped functioning. When ever you go from a stopped position the speedometer will go to 40 MPH and stay there. When ever you come to a stop the speedometer will go back to zero. I had taken it back to the place that we purchased the car and they told me that this is a known problem with this make and it will only cost me a little over $800 to fix it, boy what a bargain. I did ask what was wrong and they said it’s the sensors.

If anybody can give me better advise/directions then that I would be thankful.

Thanks


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## Cilver (Jun 22, 2004)

The same thing happened to me (93 Altima GXE)... It actually started acting up just yesterday. I decided to start washing the inside/outside of the car to kill time before work. On the way to work, I got stuck behind a slow truck and when I looked up I realized it said I was going 40 MPH... And it stayed there until the RPMs went below a certain point (when you're coming to a stop). It would just drop to 0 like you said. When I got home I started looking at it and I remembered that when I was cleaning around the dash, a drop of Windex went down in the gap under the display. I figured that's what it was and I gave it a day to dry out. At first I thought it was probably that speed sensor they told you about, but this morning I went out to check on it and it seemed to be working just fine. So, I guess that was my fault but that's weird it had the same symptoms as yours. Good luck with it though... I just hope the cause of my problem *was* my fault and it doesn't come back to haunt me 

*-EDIT-*
Well, I just drove it again and it has come back to haunt me  I noticed similar problems have been brought up on the forums before... Take a look: http://www.nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=55345. Looks like we're on the same boat now... I'll let you know if I have any luck...


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Try to see if the ECU has any stored codes. The ECU is under the front of the center console. To enter the diagnostic mode you turn key to the on position (engine not running) and then turn the mode selector screw clockwise and hold it for two seconds then turn it back counterclockwise to observe the flashes. The long flashes are the tens digit and the short flashes is the single digit. Record any codes that flash and remember it repeats when all the codes have been flashed. If a code 14 (vehicle speed sensor) comes up then use the following procedure.
To check the vehicle speed sensor unplug the the two pin electrical connector near the sensor, which is located in the transaxle. Test it with an ohm meter and it should read approximately 250 ohms. If the resistance is incorrect remove the sensor from the transaxle by removing the one bolt from the retaining ring. Set the meter to AC volts and place the probes at the two terminals. While spinning the sensor slowly note the signal pulses, it should vary from 0 to 0.5 volts. If it doesn't respond correctly then the sensor is bad. 
If all of the above is good then we need to look at the speedometer which has a reed switch internally to translate the pulses from the speed sensor into a mechanical movement of the the needle. Remove the negative battery cable and wait ten minutes so that the air bag system can discharge completely. Pull the instrument cluster and check the harness grounds with an ohmmeter and visually inspect the connections to the cluster. If these check out then most likely the speedometer head is bad.

Troy


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## Cilver (Jun 22, 2004)

The ECU came back with a code 55 (Clear / No trouble codes)... I'll have to try the rest of your suggestions later today or tomorrow. Thanks for the info by the way!


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## rivershark (Sep 27, 2004)

*Speedometer and heads up display work intermittently*

I have a similar problem with my (1993 GLE) Altima as noted above. Only my speedometer doesn't stick, it just comes on sometimes and sometimes it won't. I've noticed that it'll usually work if the car's been sitting in the sun for a while and then sometimes it will come on while I'm on the interstate for about 30 min. But if I turn the car off and turn it back on, there's no guarantee it will come back to life. I also notice that the HUD and the analog speedometer work together. When it's not working, the HUD won't show anything - no zero, no lights no nothing if the speedometer isn't working. I took the speed sensor out and tested it... it checks out ok. Does this sound like a HUD problem?

Thanks!


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## 93GXEracer (Sep 26, 2004)

i've got a similar problem with my 93 gxe except its not the speedometer its the tac.some times it jumps from like 3 1/2- 6 grand and bounces anywhere in between


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## jserrano (Oct 27, 2004)

For the sticky odometer problem: If it is a VSS problem then the odometer, trip odometer, cruise control would be affected as well. Otherwise it is mechanical due to trying to impress someone that the engine can indeed do 120 mph. Replace the cluster.

For the HUD issue: This is a common problem that needs electronic cluster repair. There are a few places online that can do the work.


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## J-Rock (Apr 4, 2005)

Question: Does speedo position (i.e. speedo reading 20, 40, 60 mph) affect driveability and/or idle in D???


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## Cilver (Jun 22, 2004)

It does not affect the driveability of the car in my case. It just reads weird and is annoying.

Wow.. Its been like 2 years since I posted in this thread and 3 instrument clusters and 2 speed sensors later my problem still exists. Has anyone else replaced these without luck? The only thing I can think of that may be a possibility is a wire coming from the speed sensor that appears to be pinched... Other than that I give up on this issue. I have a '93 GXE with about 180,000 miles on it and its being very good to me. In fact, this has really been the only problem for me in the 2 years I've had it.


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