I am new to the site.and looking at purchasing a 1990 accord 4 door ex 5 spd..i went to check it out today..and the speedo and odometer were not working..the rpm gauge was working so im guessing the whole thing isnt shot but i have no idea..the owner said that he thinks its some form of wire or cable or something that goes into the back of it that isnt working..is this true?...im mechanically enclined but never had a problem with a speedo so fill me in..thanks much.Jim

 

The problem is either the vehicle speed sensor, the speedometer, or the wiring.

When the speedometer isn't working, try to use the cruise control.

If the cruise control works, then the VSS is fine and the speedometer needs repaired.

If the cruise control doesn't work, then the VSS is the culprit. When the VSS fails, the check engine light (CEL) will be on. You can short the service connector to read the error codes. You should do that anyway to see if there are any other error codes stored in the ECU before buying the car.

The CEL procedure is outlined in the pic below. Use a thin paper clip to jumper the two pin connector under the glove box (i think that the color is brown for the connector). Post any code(s) you find from the ECU.

Good luck.




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