1998 Ford Explorer Speedometer not working

Tiny
ATLMSL
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 FORD EXPLORER
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 145,000 MILES
My speedometer has been acting funny the past few months. It will work most of the time at lower speeds but on the highway it will go to zero. Sometimes if I bang the dash it will come back for a minute or two then return to zero. I took it to the shop and they said it will cost $150 to take the dash out and send it off to a mechanic certified to fix the dash. Then I would have to pay their costs as well. I have read some info about a speed sensor or maybe the connections in the dash. But I'm not sure how to access either. Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Thursday, August 13th, 2009 AT 3:02 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
The vehicle speed sensor is either in the transmission or on the transfercase if it is 4wd. Based on your description, it sounds like the problem is in the dash. If you look under the dash with a flash light, you will see a wiring harness going to the panel. Check it to make sure it is tight. Wiggle it around to see if it changes anything.

Let me know what you find.
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Thursday, August 13th, 2009 AT 10:47 PM
Tiny
ATLMSL
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
So I looked under the dash and found about a million wires. I found the biggest bundle and tried to make sure they were all tight and moved them around a little. The next time I drove my car it worked on the highway the entire 40 minute trip. But on the way home tonight it went out again. I think I must have affected the faulty wire in some way for it to work for 40 straight minutes (something it hasn't done in months). But how do I isolate the wires that are faulty/loose when there were about 200 to choose from?
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Saturday, August 15th, 2009 AT 1:28 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,176 POSTS
Chances are either the connector is loose or there is corrosion in the pins that attach to the cluster. I will try to find a schmatic and identify which wire it is for you. However, check to see if it seems loose disconnect the harness and check the pins to make sure they are clean and able to make a good connection.
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Saturday, August 15th, 2009 AT 9:06 PM

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