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Speedometer is wigging out.

M

Mopar500

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado
I searched but I couldn't find any threads on this, so I thought I'd ask:

I have a '92 auto and my speedo needle is jumping around. I guess its a sensor but I don't know which one or where.
Anybody else know what I am talking about?
 
My 90 does that because it's cable driven, but 92's weren't. It must be a sensor or maybe your gauge is just shot. I'm sure someone will know though.
 
BigBlackHeep said:
My 90 does that because it's cable driven, but 92's weren't. It must be a sensor or maybe your gauge is just shot. I'm sure someone will know though.
Click to expand...
Are all 90's cable driven? Mines a 90' so wondering. Last few times I had a cable drive act like that was just before the cable end broke.
 
Loosen the cable housing from rear of speedo head. pull cable out of housing leaving the housing in the jeep and connected to the T/C. You'll probably find a place where there is a wad of hard caked grease. Clean that with degreaser and the spray degreaser in a rag and drag the cable through it to clean the rest of the cable. Re grease with die electric grease.

Tip only grease a few inches at a time as you feed it back into the housing.

good luck,
Tom
 
Mopar500 said:
I searched but I couldn't find any threads on this, so I thought I'd ask:

I have a '92 auto and my speedo needle is jumping around. I guess its a sensor but I don't know which one or where.
Anybody else know what I am talking about?
Click to expand...

The VSS (vehicle speed sensor) is bolted on the side of the transfer case output shaft housing. Probably what's happened is that the spindle in the sensor has worn out so it's not meshing properly with the speedo gear. Remove the sensor and take a look. You only have to remove one bolt to slide the whole thing out but mark its position relative to the housing with some while paint so that you remount it exactly as it was before, otherwise the speedo won't work at all.
 
I have a gauge cluster that will fit, yours for $35 shipped.
Before you replace the sensor you may want to look at the gear in the xcase. It may be worn which will also cause your symptoms also. I've changed everything but the gear and will do that shortly.
jd
 
On the driver's side I see a connector that looks like an electrical plug of some sort and another thing that has a two prong bracket holding it down (is also has a big a** nut on it).
If I understand correctly; the guage (cluster), the gear, or the sensor could be bad?
If I am correct so far, I would guess that the electrical connector is the sensor, the prong thing is the gear, and the guage is the guage (duh).

How do I check the gear? Do I just remove the pronged bracket and pull it out?

Please use small words, I'm feeling kind of stupid today.:confused1
 
Mopar500 said:
On the driver's side I see a connector that looks like an electrical plug of some sort and another thing that has a two prong bracket holding it down (is also has a big a** nut on it).
If I understand correctly; the guage (cluster), the gear, or the sensor could be bad?
If I am correct so far, I would guess that the electrical connector is the sensor, the prong thing is the gear, and the guage is the guage (duh).

How do I check the gear? Do I just remove the pronged bracket and pull it out?

Please use small words, I'm feeling kind of stupid today.:confused1
Click to expand...
first
go to http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSpeedoGears.htm and look at the pictures on the bottom. That's the sensor and the speedo gear. Gojeep has good information on that.
I would pull the gear out of the transfer case., remove it and put the end that goes into the gear and plug it into your drill and run it to see if your speedo works. If it does the problem is your speedo gear. if not next I'd replace your sensor. If that still doesn't do it then you are looking at getting a new gauge cluster.

Make sense?
 
OK, I'm still stupid.
I pulled the gear out and the whole shaft came with it.
I don't know what I am supposed to connect the drill to.
Did I "F" it up?
 
Thanks to the people here I successfully fixed yet another problem. I really don't know what I am doing but it gives me thrill when I actually succeed!

After I did the drill trick, and discovered the speedo read fine, I thought it must be the gear (from what I was told). I cleaned up the housing and a big ball o' crap came out. I am so new and unsure of myself, when it comes to wrenching, that I worried for a moment that I had broken something (it still wouldn't surprise me if I had).
But I decided to put everything back together and see what happened anyway.

It worked perfectly.:shocked: Let's hope it still works perfectly tomorrow.

Thanks again for your guidance, asatxj. I think you saved me a bunch of money.:sunshine:
 
Glad to be of service! Forgive me for raining on your parade but it may stop again. If it does go buy a new gear!

Did I mention that I found this out by doing the following to correct the same problem
1) replaced sensor
2) rewired sensor from xcase to firewall
3) removed gauges and cleaned/ applied dielectric grease to them
4) Repeated step 3
5) Put in a used cluster
6) Sold the jeep to a coworker and said I'd fix the problem for him.
7) Will have to go get a new gear!!!
 
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