Psycho Speedometer (Vehicle Speed Sensor?)

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hi All:



I have been having a problem with my 97 Escort. Based on some reading I have done on this board, I think my VSS is dying on me. (The speedometer will drop to zero, and then fluctuate randomly, regardless of how fast I am actually traveling.)



My questions are as follows:



1. How expensive a fix is this?

2. What would happen to the car if I didn’t fix it immediately?



3. When this happens, and I have to stop (at a traffic light for example), as I get REALLY slow (probably 10 MPH or lower) the car will give a little jerk. This is a gear related jerk, nothing to do with the brakes. Is that part of the same thrilling issue, or is it something totally unrelated?



Any help you can give me would be much appreciated!



The Big Seester

2

Not familiar with the Escort, but Fords of this age do use the VSS to control the transmission.

3

OK, so no transmission would be bad, I’m pretty sure.

Any ideas on the general cost of the repair? Are we talking $200, $400, $1000???

Thanks for any feedback!

The Big Seester

4

i took my mazda p up in and it was 145 if i recall. 30 for the part, 115 for labor. BUT, different brands may cost different. then again, when you take it in, it may be diagnosed as something different.

5

I’m not sure exactly how it’s set up in your escort, but usually even with the electronic speedos there’s still a regular mechanical speedometer cable, which is more likely to be faulty than the sensor itself.