HELP! speedometer quit working

[rollingdowntheblock]

hey all, this is my first post here recently my tachometer started to stick up around3 to 4 grand and generally not work. when the key was switched off it would still stick. if i tapped on the lens the needle would drop and work for a while before getting stuck again.

So I bought a "new" gauge pod out of a 1996 explorer and swapped it in.
new pod fixed the tach, but the speedo wont work. Drove it to work for about two weeks, then bought yet another pod off ebay. This time out of a 1997 mountaineer. Swapped in the new, new pod and still no speedo. Checked the VSS and got 1.88 ohms. i know Im overlooking something here, im just not sure what. thanks!

 

[RonD]

Welcome to TRS

I think the 1998 to 2003 Ranger clusters and 1995 to 2001 Explorers/Mountaineers were a direct swap, door ajar and low fuel light wires needed to be swapped, but speedo should be correct.

Bad speedo motors are not all that uncommon, bad odometer worm gears were very common.
Does odometer move?
Or are speedo and odo both not working?

If Odo works then speedo motor is the issue, they share the one speed signal

In your 2000 the speedometer signal comes from the GEM module behind the Radio
VSS on rear axle runs to ABS module and GEM both, if you have Rear wheel ABS
GEM converts the VSS signal to 8,000PPM and sends signal out to speedo/odo, computer and cruise(if so equipped)

If you have 4 wheel ABS then VSS only goes to 4WABS module and it converts the signal to 8,000ppm and sends it out to speedo, GEM, computer and cruise

 

[rollingdowntheblock]

thanks! yeah the odo does't move. so how do you go about testing the motor?

 

[RonD]

If speedo and odo both don't work, they have separate motors, then signal wire is more likely the problem, or power to the dash

Test for speedo motor here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVz6ilGiTBY

In the video you can see the smaller Odo motor over on the upper left

I posted 2000 instrument cluster wiring diagram in this thread: http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=167158

Check and make sure pins are all making good contact with wires

 

[rollingdowntheblock]

thank you so much! tested the motor using the AA trick and it moved to 72ish. so i know that the motor is working. looks like its shaping up to be a bad connection at the back of the pod. will report back.