I got weird one for you all....

Earlier today while driving around in the wife's '91 LX (auto trans) the Speedo didn't start moving until it shifted into 2nd gear.

Gear engagement from park to drive was firm as it should be, as was the shift into second....

My question is, why would the speedo read zero (with the car moving) until it shifted into second (around 15 or so MPH)?

It's at random, but may get worse if ignored...

 

its most likely your speed sensor is going bad.

 

That's what I was thinking...

What symptoms will we have once it fails outright? Other than no working speedo.....

Our 94 T&C (when he had her) would go into "limp-in" with a failure of that sort. Does Honda do the same thing?

Also where is the speed sensor located on this vehicle. I knew where it was on the T&C and on my Jeep, but the Honda is a mystery still.....

 

If the speed sensor was bad, it should throw a check-engine light. As long as the CEL is not showing (except bulb-check when you first start the car?) then the VSS should be OK. That leaves probably a bad cluster or (less likely) a problem in the wiring harness.

The VSS is on top of the tranny, back against the firewall. Pretty much right above the axle centerline, about a foot below the throttle body.

 

Gzus help me if the cluster is bad.....

I can deal with the speed sensor, but a bad cluster I won't mess with.....

If it is the cluster, can the speedo itself be changed with swapping in a whole other cluster? I know it's got the two screws for the speedo on the face.....(yes I know the cluster has to come out anyway......

 

If your cruise control works when the speedometer isn't working, then the VSS is working properly.

Removing the cluster isn't too bad of a job. Download a 91 shop manual from the online manuals thread in the DIY section. It will help you with the job.

You can take apart the cluster on 94/97 accords and replace the speedometer. I would assume that the same can be done on the 91 accord.

 

Funny that you mention cruise.....

When set it slowly drops in speed, all they down to the point of release....

Hmm.....I have some work to do while the wife is in Vancouver.....

 

Just to be thorough, see if the cruise control works properly when the speedometer is working.

 

The only time the speedo seems off is when you first start out, and occasionally it seems to read a little fast when you have been driving for a while....

I will have the car all next week as the wife is roadtripping with my sister and the kids, so I should be able to more diagnostics....