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What would make the speedometer suddenly stop working?

GSX_TC

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Apr 7, 2011
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Location
Houston, Texas
Was driving home the other night and out of nowhere the speedometer just stops working. I checked the connection on the trans, nice and tight. Any ideas?
 

Terry Posten

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Dec 16, 2003
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Davenport, Iowa USA
No, it connects to the transmission.

Cable broke.

Take the cable out of the tranny and make sure the inner cable is entact and if you spin it by hand, the speedo inside jumps around.

Or, remove the dash and take it dor a quick drive and see if the cable is spinning.
 

curtis

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Clarksville TN
I got money that says the barrel nut on the cable came loose and its just hanging out behind the engine waiting for you to slide back in and tighten back up.
 

GSX_TC

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One of my friends is scaring me saying how if I set the timing wrong, it would make that stop working and I would start melting stuff due to the increased temps from the retarded timing. Is this true? Is my speedometer not working Bevause of the timing? Bevause the other night I was prepping the car for the big trip to Ohio and we stopped a few leaks, and reset the timing to 5. And then shortly after that as I was going home the car felt like it was dragging, but it was at full boost, I didn't understand. Then it got so bad to the point to where I couldn't even go up a hill. So I pulled over and popped the hood and noticed the manifold and turbine housing were glowing extremky bright orange and the coolant over flow was all bubbling, so then I called my friend freaking out. And he told me to rotate the cam angle sensor counter clockwise, I do and test and it's still the same. Feels Like if the e Brake is on and your fighting it. Then he tells me to rotate it clockwise and put it centered . I do and suddenly power is back and car drives much better now. So in relief I thank him and proceed home, after about 5 min of driving that when the speedometer quick working. So is this all because of the timing? I hope I can fix this because Im supposed to leave in 2 days. =(
 

GSX_TC

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</font><blockquote><font class="small">Quoting curtis:</font><hr />
I got money that says the barrel nut on the cable came loose and its just hanging out behind the engine waiting for you to slide back in and tighten back up.

<hr /></blockquote><font class="post">

I had already checked that as was stated in the first post. It's def not loose, haven't tried diagnosing it yet though, tomorrow I'll test each end and see what's up.

My friend is telling me all sorts of things that are starting to scare me, heres what he said

But it has been fixed, after I readjusted the cam angle
sensor everything went back to normal. It doesn't feel like
if it's dragging anymore and makes power now.

Yes or no:  Does the speedometer work?  If the answer is "no" then it's NOT back to normal.  It might be "better" but that doesn't mean it's "good".

A non-working speedo means the ECU is getting a "0 MPH" signal from the VSS (vehicle speed sensor).  The ECU uses the VSS to calculate timing, but the manuals are vague about how.  On other cars, if it's not moving the ECU retards the spark for emission control.

A retarded spark WILL cook your turbo and oxygen sensor.  It MAY crack the exhaust manifold and/or oxygen sensor housing.  It WILL eventually melt the wires and connectors on the back of the alternator, making the car undriveable.  It may melt the plastic cooling fan on the radiator.  It will heat the cylinder head unevenly and that can warp the head, blowing the head gasket.  How much damage it does depends on how bad it is.  Because your EGT's run hottest on long-distance driving, whatever it does now it will do worse on a long trip.

This is NOT a minor problem.

You -MUST- get the base timing set correctly and see if that brings the problem back.  If it does, then you -MUST- get the VSS (speedo) working again.  You -WILL- have big problems if it's running a late spark.

Here's what I suspect happened:  Kris adjusted the base timing.  That was OK.  Then the VSS stopped working (which may not have happened at the same time the speedo conked out), and the ECU retarded the sh*t out of the timing because it thinks the car isn't moving.  You pulled over and adjusted the base timing even more advanced.  The ECU is still sucking timing out, but your re-adjustment left it still fucked up, but LESS fucked up so it could limp home.  You CANNOT limp it across the country like this.

If you take it on a road trip with timing out, you will get shitty gas mileage (like low-teens MPG) and exhaust will run hot (but not as hot as you had before).  It will still cook stuff, but it will take longer.  If the VSS starts working again, you'll have to pull over and dial it back.

A speedo stuck at "0" won't throw a Check Engine light.  So, not having a Check Engine doesn't mean you're OK.

If I'm right about what's going on, hitting the interstate while it's doing this WILL end with you stranded.  You can barely afford the gas for the trip.  Can you afford to fix the car?  Ship it home?  Can you afford it if it gets 14 MPG?  I'm tellin' ya dude, you need to have this sh*t working reliably before you hit the road or it's going to be a not-fun trip.  Going to the Shootout anyway won't matter if you don't make it there.

So:
1. Set base timing back to stock with a timing light and the timing adjust terminal shorted to ground.
2. Un-short the timing adjust terminal and test drive.  Did the problem come back?  Yes: Car is NOT long-distance driveable until VSS is fixed.  No: Something else is going on, troubleshoot from there as needed.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Cheers.
Rob
 

turbowop

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Yakima, WA
Have you checked the speedometer cable yet? Pull the instrument cluster to make sure the cable spins when the car is moving down the road.
 
Last edited:

GSX_TC

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Houston, Texas
I'll do that today. So I just have to pull the cluster out and drive to see if the one that normally goes behind the speedo will spin?
 

Terry Posten

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Davenport, Iowa USA
Yes
 

GSX_TC

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Apr 7, 2011
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Houston, Texas
Ok just pulled it from the trans and it came apart. Now I know that was the problem. Ok but what about what my friend rob was saying, He keeps saying how I need to get that timing right or else I'll ruin the motor.
 

turbowop

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Well yeah, you need to adjust your base timing correctly to have your car running right. Just set it to factory specs using a timing light as per manual procedure.
 

GSX_TC

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Apr 7, 2011
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Houston, Texas
Ok just bought a timing light and set it to 5 degrees. I should be all set now. I hope everything goes smoothly on the road trip tomorrow night.

Does anyone have a heat shield with will bolt up to a 2g manifold?
 
Last edited:

GSX_TC

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Apr 7, 2011
Messages
3,722
Location
Houston, Texas
Dammit now my 3rd brake light just stopped working..
 
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