1996 Ranger STX O/D OFF Flashing

[kskiles]

O/D OFF flashing but not all the time. Check Engine light came on with a code of P0500 which indicates a VSS. Speedometer has been intermittent for a couple of weeks and has now completely stopped functioning. When O/D OFF is flashing, transmission shifts hard.

Changed the VSS on the transfer case. Internal gear showed no signs of wear or damage. Still no speedometer function. I checked the old VSS and read 220 ohms with a meter. Seems as though it is OK but I left the new one in place.

I read one thread somewhere that this might be a bad solder joint on the back of the instrument cluster. I can see that causing the non-operation of the speedometer but can that cause the P0500 code and the hard shifting etc....

1996 Ranger STX 4.0 4x4, 140k miles.

Anybody have any ideas?

 

[kskiles]

1996 Ford Ranger VSS issue resolved.

Not that there was a whole lot of interest in this thread, but here is how it worked out.

If you have a wiring diagram of the VSS circuit, the ground had a discontinuity from S111 to the ground at G103.

I resolved the issue by attaching another ground at PIN 33 on C111 on the PCM connector. This seemed to be the easiest fix other than tearing off all the wrap from the harness going from the PCM on the firewall to G103 located on the outboard fender just aft of the battery.

 

[Tbars4]

...:shifty_ey ..Might have drawn a lot of interest if it was in the Ranger sub-forum located here..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=5

..Hopefully a moderator will see this and move it to the Ranger section..We don't see to many STX's here anymore let alone with a problem and a real fix..Nice work..:biggthump