Hello, I have a 2000 Nissan Altima. It has 91,000 miles. I was driving on the tollway and had my cruise control set at about 65. Suddenly the cruise control stopped working and the speedometer registered 0 and stopped showing the speed. There was no problem with the accelerator - I could speed up and slow down with no problem. I pulled over, stopped the car, and started it up again. The speedometer worked fine. I tested the cruise control again and eventually the same thing happened. It seems to “reset” when I stop and restart the car. What is wrong and how much can I expect to spend to get it fixed? My car has been running great except for this. Any advice would be appreciated!
I’d suspect the Vehicle Speed Sensor. That provides the signal for both the speedo and the cruise control.
Ditto.
The VSS would be my prime suspect also.
As to cost, you can buy a replacement (aftermarket) for somewhere around $50.
Installation is not too hard if you are agile. It bolts onto the transmission, on the side facing the rear of the car.
Could be the VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor). At about $50 from an auto parts store, the cheapest avenue would be to replace the VSS. A repair shop might charge $100 to diagnose the VSS; then, $100 for a new VSS, and a labor charge. There is always the possibillity that the problem is somewhere else in the circuitry. This would, then require diagnosis. Choices there be.
If interested, here is the circuit, and test values of the power (12 volt), and signal (150 HZ at 12 mph): http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?fromSearchPage=true&pageId=0900c152801aeba0&partName=Dtc+P0720+Vehicle+Speed+Sensor+-+A+T++Revolution+Sensor&partId=0900c152801aeba0 To view the information, go at autozone.com, register, come back here, and click on this link.
Thanks for the info- I appreciate it!