96 4.0 4x4 speedometer stopped working
#1
09-13-2019
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Locust Grove, GA
#2
09-13-2019
Welcome to the forum
First look to see if Odometer is working, if it is then the speedometer's electric motor on the back side of the dash is bad
If odometer is also not working then check the driven gear on the transfer case next
Rangers used the standard drive gear and driven gear thru 1997, location seen here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/
1st picture
Near the rear drive shaft and next to the electric shift motor you will see the VSS(vehicle speed sensor) with 2 wire plug in, unplug it and check the wires
Loosen the one bolt and the VSS will pull out with the Driven gear
It will look like the ones here, 3rd and 4th pictures: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...edometer.shtml
You can hook up a drill to this and turn key on, run the drill and see if speedometer moves, can't remember if its clockwise or counter-clockwise, try it in both directions, doesn't hurt it to spin backwards, you do that every time you back up
If it moves with the drill, and driven gear looks OK, then the Drive Gear/worm gear on the output shaft is bad, try having a look inside, mirror or take a picture
Not too hard to change, same as changing the rear seal on the transfer case, which you would also do if changing the drive gear
If speedo doesn't move then get a volt meter and set it for AC Volts, not DC
Hook it up to the two connections on the VSS, use a drill to spin it, should see 1vAC and up the faster you spin it, if not replace VSS
First look to see if Odometer is working, if it is then the speedometer's electric motor on the back side of the dash is bad
If odometer is also not working then check the driven gear on the transfer case next
Rangers used the standard drive gear and driven gear thru 1997, location seen here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/
1st picture
Near the rear drive shaft and next to the electric shift motor you will see the VSS(vehicle speed sensor) with 2 wire plug in, unplug it and check the wires
Loosen the one bolt and the VSS will pull out with the Driven gear
It will look like the ones here, 3rd and 4th pictures: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...edometer.shtml
You can hook up a drill to this and turn key on, run the drill and see if speedometer moves, can't remember if its clockwise or counter-clockwise, try it in both directions, doesn't hurt it to spin backwards, you do that every time you back up
If it moves with the drill, and driven gear looks OK, then the Drive Gear/worm gear on the output shaft is bad, try having a look inside, mirror or take a picture
Not too hard to change, same as changing the rear seal on the transfer case, which you would also do if changing the drive gear
If speedo doesn't move then get a volt meter and set it for AC Volts, not DC
Hook it up to the two connections on the VSS, use a drill to spin it, should see 1vAC and up the faster you spin it, if not replace VSS
Last edited by RonD; 09-13-2019 at 08:46 PM.
#4
09-14-2019
Thread Starter
|
Member
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Locust Grove, GA
?
Welcome to the forum
First look to see if Odometer is working, if it is then the speedometer's electric motor on the back side of the dash is bad
If odometer is also not working then check the driven gear on the transfer case next
Rangers used the standard drive gear and driven gear thru 1997, location seen here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/
1st picture
Near the rear drive shaft and next to the electric shift motor you will see the VSS(vehicle speed sensor) with 2 wire plug in, unplug it and check the wires
Loosen the one bolt and the VSS will pull out with the Driven gear
It will look like the ones here, 3rd and 4th pictures: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...edometer.shtml
You can hook up a drill to this and turn key on, run the drill and see if speedometer moves, can't remember if its clockwise or counter-clockwise, try it in both directions, doesn't hurt it to spin backwards, you do that every time you back up
If it moves with the drill, and driven gear looks OK, then the Drive Gear/worm gear on the output shaft is bad, try having a look inside, mirror or take a picture
Not too hard to change, same as changing the rear seal on the transfer case, which you would also do if changing the drive gear
If speedo doesn't move then get a volt meter and set it for AC Volts, not DC
Hook it up to the two connections on the VSS, use a drill to spin it, should see 1vAC and up the faster you spin it, if not replace VSS
First look to see if Odometer is working, if it is then the speedometer's electric motor on the back side of the dash is bad
If odometer is also not working then check the driven gear on the transfer case next
Rangers used the standard drive gear and driven gear thru 1997, location seen here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/
1st picture
Near the rear drive shaft and next to the electric shift motor you will see the VSS(vehicle speed sensor) with 2 wire plug in, unplug it and check the wires
Loosen the one bolt and the VSS will pull out with the Driven gear
It will look like the ones here, 3rd and 4th pictures: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...edometer.shtml
You can hook up a drill to this and turn key on, run the drill and see if speedometer moves, can't remember if its clockwise or counter-clockwise, try it in both directions, doesn't hurt it to spin backwards, you do that every time you back up
If it moves with the drill, and driven gear looks OK, then the Drive Gear/worm gear on the output shaft is bad, try having a look inside, mirror or take a picture
Not too hard to change, same as changing the rear seal on the transfer case, which you would also do if changing the drive gear
If speedo doesn't move then get a volt meter and set it for AC Volts, not DC
Hook it up to the two connections on the VSS, use a drill to spin it, should see 1vAC and up the faster you spin it, if not replace VSS
Last edited by Ber30125; 09-14-2019 at 08:04 AM.
#5
09-14-2019
Good work
There is just one wire from the VSS to dash cluster and it feeds both speedo and odo, so could be loose connection
This one wire does have a splice under the dash where is splits to feed Cluster, Cruise control and Computer, computer will set a P0500 code if speed signal is lost, so if that didn't happen the VSS wiring is most likely OK, just the feed to cluster is the problem, which you may have confirmed by the "manual reset of control system", i.e. "hitting it a few times", lol
There is just one wire from the VSS to dash cluster and it feeds both speedo and odo, so could be loose connection
This one wire does have a splice under the dash where is splits to feed Cluster, Cruise control and Computer, computer will set a P0500 code if speed signal is lost, so if that didn't happen the VSS wiring is most likely OK, just the feed to cluster is the problem, which you may have confirmed by the "manual reset of control system", i.e. "hitting it a few times", lol
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
that1drummer
Drivetrain Tech
4
09-19-2019 12:05 PM
Johnmac
General Technical & Electrical
1
05-26-2018 08:36 PM
