1991 Toyota Previa Repair Question
The speedometer quit working and it's messing with the transmission.
Answer
Do you have a multimeter to do some testing?
Do I need one to find out what the problem is? Or is there another way?
Get a scan done to check for trouble codes. Most parts stores provides free scanning services.
Most likely the Vehicle Speed Sensor or its circuitry is faulty. Do not jump to conclusion that the sensor is bad. It could be a loose wire or a bad circuit.
Not too sure about obd1 code scanning i know they do obd2 but obd would be a lo harder for them with all the connectors scan tool etc.
http://www.2carpros.com/articles/toyota-trouble-code-definitions-and-code-gathering-method-1990-1995
Japanese makes comes with a flash code retrieval for pre-OBD-II models.
Most modern scan tools comes with adapters for code retrieval for these but some are not compatabile as the ECM/PCM are not designed for scan tools as they are like those with sight windows which don't have any scan tool plugs.