Speedometer is floating after 30MPH and ABS light is on.

[moretsky99]

The ABS light is on as well.
I just replaced the speed sensor figuring that would fix all, but same issues.

What's the next step?

Thanks...

 

[Curious Hound]

Could you describe what you mean by "floating", please? And which speed sensor did you replace?

 

[moretsky99]

Over 30MPH the speedometer is unreliable and will "float" from 0 to 60.

As far as I know there is only 1 speed sensor on the vehicle, on the transfer case towards the tail end of the vehicle.

 

[MISWFL]

Did Rangers use the PSOM instrument clusters like the full size trucks from that era?

 

[moretsky99]

yes

 

[Curious Hound]

The one on the transfer case is where the speedometer signal comes from. However, with ABS systems, there are more. If you have RABS (rear ABS), there should also be one on the rear differential. The early 4-wheel ABS systems also had one at each front wheel. I think that is what your truck should have. Then, I believe later systems had one at each wheel. Interruption of any of those signals will set the ABS fault light.

From what you are saying, I would suspect a problem with the one on the transfer case.

 

[SenorNoob]

If you've already replaced that sensor and it's still doing the same thing, I'd look as close as possible at the wiring along the way...

 

[MISWFL]

yes

The one on my '94 e150 would do all sorts of intermittent unpredictable stuff. It would go for a long time being perfectly fine, then act up for a bit and go back to being fine. As I understand it, the PSOM clusters all need rebuilding because of the old capacitors failing. The odometer screen part of that system is terrible and of course costs extra to repair on top of the electronics.

 

[Curious Hound]

Did Rangers use the PSOM instrument clusters like the full size trucks from that era?

PSOM??

 

[MISWFL]

PSOM??

Have you ever tried calling the 1800 Ford technical department phone number that's on the orange warning sticker on the instrument cluster?

 

[Curious Hound]

Have you ever tried calling the 1800 Ford technical department phone number that's on the orange warning sticker on the instrument cluster?

No. Not sure if any of my clusters have an orange sticker. Definitely not the 2 on the table in my living room. Maybe the one in the superduty. I'm just curious what PSOM stands for and other readers will be, also. So I asked. Not all acronyms are obvious.

 

[MISWFL]

No. Not sure if any of my clusters have an orange sticker. Definitely not the 2 on the table in my living room. Maybe the one in the superduty. I'm just curious what PSOM stands for and other readers will be, also. So I asked. Not all acronyms are obvious.

Programable Speedometer/Odometer Module. You can change the program a few times for different tire diameter sizes.

My van isn't here with me or id take a pic of the sticker. You're supposed to be careful not to tip the cluster a certain way or oil inside it would leak out or something. IIRC, the 1800 number was to warn mechanics about that. The number was a sex line when I called it a few years ago lol

 

[MISWFL]

No. Not sure if any of my clusters have an orange sticker. Definitely not the 2 on the table in my living room. Maybe the one in the superduty. I'm just curious what PSOM stands for and other readers will be, also. So I asked. Not all acronyms are obvious.

 

[moretsky99]

The ABS light is on as well.
I just replaced the speed sensor figuring that would fix all, but same issues.

What's the next step?

Thanks...

Thanks all for replying and now to sheepishly tell you what happened. I mis-id'd the parts of the truck. I first replaced the speed sensor on the rear axle. I bought a new one, but that did not fix the problem. Today I took apart the other sensor, the sending sensor on the bell housing to my clutch. Most of my problems here are not know the correct names for the parts of my truck. When I undid the bolt to the sending sensor, well it was so loose, I just took it off by hand. I cleaned it with brake cleaner, all the parts and the connectors. Probably the wrong stuff to use, but all I had on hand. I replaced the part and tested the truck. The speedometer works and the truck no longer has that slight hesitation when stepping on the gas.

This is a pretty good explanation of the sensors over the years: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/speedometers-how-they-work/#gsc.tab=0

I was hoping this would fix the ABS problem, that idiot light still is lit.

 

[thunderuncle244]

Thanks all for replying and now to sheepishly tell you what happened. I mis-id'd the parts of the truck. I first replaced the speed sensor on the rear axle. I bought a new one, but that did not fix the problem. Today I took apart the other sensor, the sending sensor on the bell housing to my clutch. Most of my problems here are not know the correct names for the parts of my truck. When I undid the bolt to the sending sensor, well it was so loose, I just took it off by hand. I cleaned it with brake cleaner, all the parts and the connectors. Probably the wrong stuff to use, but all I had on hand. I replaced the part and tested the truck. The speedometer works and the truck no longer has that slight hesitation when stepping on the gas.

This is a pretty good explanation of the sensors over the years: https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/speedometers-how-they-work/#gsc.tab=0

I was hoping this would fix the ABS problem, that idiot light still is lit.

i thinnk you are refering to the oss which as far as i know is not connected to the abs

abs light could be abs module under hood or if you have 4 wheel abs it could be a front sensor a bad wire or a host of issues