Log in

View Full Version : Intermittent Speedometer



andrewvorobyev
01-14-2008, 10:56 PM
Hey Guys,

First off, I'd like to say that this is a very informative forum for subaru's. The ONLY one that I've found for Older Legacy's. Now on to the problem. I've done a search on speedo's in this forum, and can't find my exact problem... so I figured I'd ask.

My speedo stopped working about six months ago. My car is a 99 2.2 AT Legacy L. I've been trying to get it to work: here's what I've done:

I DO NOT have a CEL. I have to double check by going to autozone, because my gas light does not come on either, but I have no lit CEL.

The Cruise Control WORKS when the speedo does not, which implies that it is not the VSS2 sensor.

It works when it wants to. Pushing the trip odometer ALL the way back, past where it should stop without applying huge force seems to help, because most of the time it starts working again. When I let it go, it usually stops working again.

EVERYTHING points to a bad speedometer, but I've replaced it with another 99 speedo from a junk yard. I THINK it worked better, but then it died slowly. I replaced it with a 97 speedo from a junk yard, which does not work at all(but it may have different Volts of something, that was just a shot in the dark). A speedo is $150 around my house, so I do not want to dump that money into it without knowing that it'll fix it.

Hitting on the dash does nothing, so I doubt it's a loose wire.


ANOTHER THING. For those of you that have cracked open your cluster. There are 4 connectors that connect to it in the back. There is one connector, the smallest one, that goes directly into the speedo. On all the donor vehicles, I've seen 2 wires connected to it. One Green and one Black. On MY car, there is only one, black/green wire going into it. I don't know if that makes a difference. I do have to say though, that it does work from time to time.


One last thing. If I look under the dash, by the pedals. There are GREEN male and female connectors, that fit into each other, but are not connected. Should I connect them?

Any advice on any of this would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. It drives like a boat. Anything at all besides serious mods to fix that ;0)

andrewvorobyev
01-15-2008, 12:11 AM
I also wanted to add that the odometer breaks/fixes itself along with the speedometer, and my car is not in limp mode (does not rev over 4000).

Huffer
01-15-2008, 09:20 AM
You just have to replace the speedometer sensor that bolts into the transmission.

http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/cp_par ... artid=5807 (http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/cp_partdetail.php?partid=5807)
Description: SPEED SENSOR & HARNESS ASSMBLY FOR 1998-1999 LEGACY AUTOMATIC TRANS CARS ALL (item A) (for cars produced after 11 of 1997)
Part No.: 24030AA041
Fits Model: Legacy
Year(s): 1998-1999
Shipping Weight: 10
Price: $199

The green connectors under the dash are for diagnostics only, and are only useful if you have a CEL. If you connect them the car will go into limp mode.

andrewvorobyev
01-15-2008, 09:42 AM
why would it be the speedometer sensor if the cruise control WORKS when the speedo does not. It implies that the cruise control is sensing a speed. Does it not?

Huffer
01-15-2008, 09:48 AM
why would it be the speedometer sensor if the cruise control WORKS when the speedo does not. It implies that the cruise control is sensing a speed. Does it not?

Cruise control is tied into the speed AFAIK. When my speedometer dies, so does cruise control.

I have been on the highway before cruising @ 60mph when the speedo has stopped working. At the same time the cruise turns off. This has been replicated several times by myself.

andrewvorobyev
01-15-2008, 10:36 AM
So, then it's NOT the speed sensor, it's the speedo. Right?

Huffer
01-15-2008, 10:49 AM
So, then it's NOT the speed sensor, it's the speedo. Right?

Normally I'd say yes, but given that you've already replaced that once (twice?) and checked the connections at the back, and you've done the "bang on the cluster" bit that I did, then I don't think it's the cluster/speedo.

And, given that I threw a CEL which was P1540 Vehicle Speed Sensor Malfunction 2, I come to the conclusion that it wouldn't be difficult to pull the sensor in the transmission and replace that.

Have I done this yet? No - but it's the only thing left.

JeremyT
03-19-2008, 04:33 PM
Were you guys able to get this solved on your vehicle?
I have the same problem.

My speedo and odometer go out occasionally and the cruise control works no matter what. My auto trans also shifts real hard but I've been dealing with that for a couple years.

The issues for me appeared together after I had a serious over voltage problem that blew out most of my electrical components. Now the car mostly works so I don't worry about it but I would like to know how fast I'm going without having to use the tach.