Speedo Stopped Working -- 1999 XLT Sport

[jmp1973]

I've searched the forum but haven't found any threads with this problem involving the 1999 XLT Sport.

I drove my Explorer up my parent's driveway tonight through about 16" of snow to drop off a package for them. I had the truck in 4WD Low. I got back onto the road (after nearly getting stuck several times!)...and noticed immediately that my speedo wasn't working. Everything else was, though.

After not working for the day, it just started working again tonight.

Any ideas what it could be? Could I have jarred loose a connection to a sensor? If so, where would this sensor be? Could I have gotten some snow/ice interfering with it?

One other thing that may or may not be related...my ABS sensor light has been on for about a year. ABS doesn't work...but has never been a big issue for me. I keep meaning to change the rear diff sensor to see if that's the issue.

 

[gijoecam]

The vehicle speed signal for the IP on your Ex comes from the ABS control module. The ABS CM takes the inputs from the axle speed sensor and the front two ABS sensors, processes the signal, and outputs it to the ECU, Stereo (varies the volume based on speed), GEM, PCM, and several other components.

Sooo... Check to see if the automatic volume control adjusts on the stereo, and if the cruise still works. If they're both still working, you have a gauge issue. If not, then you have a missing signal from the ABS CM. I suspect the gauge, myself, as if the signal was completely gone, the trans would be shifting funny (since it wouldn't know how fast it was going).

-Joe

 

[dynamite196]

Could have some snow get in the sensor and short things out, the VSS sensor is pretty exposed and with that much snow it wouldn't be hard for water to work it's way into the sensor.

 

[Cobraguy]

On this particular year vehicle, it would need to kill all three ABS sensors to lose the VSS signal. If that happened, as Joe mentioned, you would have other issues including a trans shifting problem among a lot of other things.

 

[dynamite196]

I was under the impression that there is a seperate VSS sensor located on the transfer case, or is that only for the manual transmissions?

 

[Cobraguy]

I was under the impression that there is a seperate VSS sensor located on the transfer case, or is that only for the manual transmissions?

Around 1998 or 1999, they went to this system. Then they changed again around 2001 and eliminated the ABS module from conditioning the signal to the PCM. Don't quote me on those years though...