speedometer and Dealer puzzle - 1994 Civic CX

The speedometer in my 1994 Honda Civic recently went on the fritz. It
only works intermittently. I called my mechanic, who said I would have
to take it to the dealer (for the first time), because they would have a
specialist/tech who would look at it. Took it to the local Honda
dealer; they came back with a bad speed sensor, and replaced it for a
grand total of $225.00.

I drove it away, and within a day it was doing the same thing again -
only working intermittently. Nothing had changed.

The Chilton book says the speed sensor is incorporated into the
speedometer. Does this mean that the speedometer gauge had to have been
replaced also? If so, since the odometer is on there as well, would a
new speedometer gauge have been reset to zero (it was not, and I'm
guessing that's not legal, anyway)? And last, could this have been
something else instead of the speed sensor?

I'd love it if anyone could help me out before I go back to the dealer.
.. Thanks in advance!

Al

 

I had the same problem with my old mazda and it wasnt the speed sensor, cant
remember what it was but it was an electrical problem, something else
stopped working also, any other symptoms?

 

I would think the dealer guarantees his work. Why don't you call them
back......

 

According to the Helm factory service manual for the 1994 Civic, the
vehicle speed sensor is located on the transmission, not incorporated in
the speedometer. See
http://www.geocities.com/ng_randolph/Civic/vss_loc.jpg and
http://www.geocities.com/ng_randolph/Civic/vss_loc2.jpg

for pictures of the VSS location on the tranny. (Other Honda's have had
the VSS in the instrument cluster, I believe early '90s Preludes were
that way).

If the VSS is bad, the Check Engine light should come on, and if you
read the codes it should be code 17. With a bad VSS, the cruise control
won't work, but since the CX didn't have cruise, that won't help you
much.

Does the odometer (trip as well as regular) still work, or does it stop
counting miles for as long as the speedometer is not working? Both the
odometer and the speedometer takes their signal from the VSS, so if the
VSS is bad, both should act up.

There have been posts in this NG in the past where people have found
poor connections in the VSS connector. That could cause a flaky
speedometer / odometer.

 

Finally fixed the puzzle. I took the car back, showed them it was not
the speed sensor. They replaced the speedometer gauge and everything
works fine. Except the odometer is now at zero again! I was really
hoping to see it go over 200,000 . . .oh well.

The odometer would always cut out whenever the speedometer did, but the
engine light never came on. There were no other mechanical or
electrical problems.

Thanks for all input,

alan

 

Just curious: Did they charge you for both the sensor and the guage?