YACT: Is this for real and worth $400?

[DnetMHZ]

I have a '94 4Runner that I got for free from my father after I recently totaled my regular car.

I took it to the shop becuase the speedometer and odometer stopped working and check engine light was coming on from time to time.

They just called and said I have a bad "Speed sensor" and if I want to replace it it's going to cost ~$400. They also said that this is just the first step in the diagnosis and may or may not fix the problem.

I'm guessing this might be the sensor in the tranny?

Any thoughts?

 

[nakedfrog]

I know when that happened on my 92 Prizm, it was a cable that went from the speedometer/odometer to the transmission (or somewhere near it). I spent most of a day taking off the dashboard and replacing the (poorly designed) cable. The cable itself cost me about $20. The end of the cable that went near the tranny looked something like this: -0-, and the teeth on the sides gave out. Seems if they'd made it triangular or square it wouldn't break, but nooo...

 

[DnetMHZ]

I'm pretty sure it's something electrical because the speedo started working a few days ago for about a day then stopped again.

 

[DaShen]

When it comes to car maintenance, it is never worth "said amount of money".

Go to a junkyard, get a car book, and do it yourself FTW

 

[redgtxdi]

Not familiar with the situation, but I'd definitely take it to another shop.

As the years go by, cars get more & more complex!! (Grrrr)

Whatever happened to the good old speedo cable that went thru the driver's wheel hub & was square with a little circlip to retain it!! Ahhhh...........those were the good ole' days!!!!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: redgtxdi
Not familiar with the situation, but I'd definitely take it to another shop.

As the years go by, cars get more & more complex!! (Grrrr)

Whatever happened to the good old speedo cable that went thru the driver's wheel hub & was square with a little circlip to retain it!! Ahhhh...........those were the good ole' days!!!!

been there, done that, first car repair I ever did. Cost me $10 quite a few years ago. Had no clue what I was doing, but a friend told me what to ask for at the parts shop, and where to look for it. ("once you find it, you should be smart enough to figure out where the ends are")

Alternately, aren't there GPS units that can calculate the speed at which you're travelling? If you've gotta spend $400, why not go that route?

 

[Heisenberg]

A speedometer sensor is a real part. Instead of a speedometer cable there's a speedometer sensor on the transmission which sends an electrical signal to the speedometer in the dash. However, $400 sounds pretty steep to replace it, but the part may just be that expensive or it's a PITA to get to and requires a lot of labor hours.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Almost certainly electronic guages. Most analog guages today are run from electrical impulses, speedometers and odometers run off of impulses from an electronic sensor that reads the rpm of the transmission output shaft (occasionally they will run off of impulses from the ABS system's wheel speed sensors).

Depending on where the speed sensor is on the transmission, it my be very labor-intensive to replace.

The speed sensor is far and away the most likely culpret for the speedometer to stop working.

As for the check engine light, it is highly doubtful that this is caused by the speed sensor. If you have 80K or more miles and haven't changed the spark plugs, try that. It's possible that an intermittant miss-fire is causing the light to trigger temporarily.

ZV

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Almost certainly electronic guages. Most analog guages today are run from electrical impulses, speedometers and odometers run off of impulses from an electronic sensor that reads the rpm of the transmission output shaft (occasionally they will run off of impulses from the ABS system's wheel speed sensors).

Depending on where the speed sensor is on the transmission, it my be very labor-intensive to replace.

The speed sensor is far and away the most likely culpret for the speedometer to stop working.

As for the check engine light, it is highly doubtful that this is caused by the speed sensor. If you have 80K or more miles and haven't changed the spark plugs, try that. It's possible that an intermittant miss-fire is causing the light to trigger temporarily.

ZV

Thanks

According to the guy, the only code that the computer threw indicated the speed sensor.

The truck has 140,000 miles and was very well maintained so I don't think it's old spark plugs.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: DnetMHZ

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Almost certainly electronic guages. Most analog guages today are run from electrical impulses, speedometers and odometers run off of impulses from an electronic sensor that reads the rpm of the transmission output shaft (occasionally they will run off of impulses from the ABS system's wheel speed sensors).

Depending on where the speed sensor is on the transmission, it my be very labor-intensive to replace.

The speed sensor is far and away the most likely culpret for the speedometer to stop working.

As for the check engine light, it is highly doubtful that this is caused by the speed sensor. If you have 80K or more miles and haven't changed the spark plugs, try that. It's possible that an intermittant miss-fire is causing the light to trigger temporarily.

ZV

Thanks

According to the guy, the only code that the computer threw indicated the speed sensor.

The truck has 140,000 miles and was very well maintained so I don't think it's old spark plugs.

The ECU threw the speed sensor code? In that case it probably is what's causing the check engine light unless the oxygen sensor is flaky (typically the 02 sensor has about a 100,000 mile service life, but it should cause a steady-on condition for the check-engine light when it fails). In the cars I've worked on, the speed sensor has been separate from the ECU. If the ECU is throwing codes for the speed sensor though, it's probably using that data for other things as well.

ZV

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: DnetMHZ

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Almost certainly electronic guages. Most analog guages today are run from electrical impulses, speedometers and odometers run off of impulses from an electronic sensor that reads the rpm of the transmission output shaft (occasionally they will run off of impulses from the ABS system's wheel speed sensors).

Depending on where the speed sensor is on the transmission, it my be very labor-intensive to replace.

The speed sensor is far and away the most likely culpret for the speedometer to stop working.

As for the check engine light, it is highly doubtful that this is caused by the speed sensor. If you have 80K or more miles and haven't changed the spark plugs, try that. It's possible that an intermittant miss-fire is causing the light to trigger temporarily.

ZV

Thanks

According to the guy, the only code that the computer threw indicated the speed sensor.

The truck has 140,000 miles and was very well maintained so I don't think it's old spark plugs.

The ECU threw the speed sensor code? In that case it probably is what's causing the check engine light unless the oxygen sensor is flaky (typically the 02 sensor has about a 100,000 mile service life, but it should cause a steady-on condition for the check-engine light when it fails). In the cars I've worked on, the speed sensor has been separate from the ECU. If the ECU is throwing codes for the speed sensor though, it's probably using that data for other things as well.

ZV

That's is what the guy told me, he said it had 1 code stored that related to the speed sensor.