I have a 94 dodge grand caravan that the speedometer does not work. It started not working after i got into an accident july of '09. Since then every once in a while the speedometer will go up and down when i am not moving and the engine is running but other than that it does not work. I took it to a mechanic and asked them to check the speed sensor to see if it works and they said that it did. I dont quite believe them because i am not sure what else could be causing the problem. I get a chenck engine light that comes on when i accelerate too fast (or try) and the readout from the light says that its the sensor. This light did not come on before this accident. if it is the speed sensor, then please tell me where it is how to replace it myself as i am no longer employed and cannot afford to pay a mechanic. i have looked for a diagram as to the location but have not come up with one. please help.
Check in a Haynes repair manual. It should be screwed into the side of the tranny housing. From the sound of it, it could be just a broken wire or a frayed insulation. You might be able to fix it with a simple splice or heat-shrink tubing.
Most common failure on these is speed sensor. It will be on the front of trans above solenoid pack. Dont overtighten, made or plastic.
It could also be a loose fuse. I had one that someone had installed an extra wire on the fused side of one of the fuses. After the wire was removed, the fuse was loose in the fuse block as the extra width of the wire spread it out. It was on another Chrysler product a couple of years older.
i have a haynes repair manual. it mentions the speed sensor but does not show where it is.
i dont know what a solenoid pack looks like
I have checked all the fuses, both the fuses under the hood and the fuses in the cabin.
Oh I forgot to mention that the tachometer works, cruise and the odometer dont work either. i dont know if that matters.
check the other end of the speed sensor too. On my Grand Am, the speed sensor is located in the wheel bearing hub and there is an electrical connection there. It caused a couple of different lights to pop up until I tracked it down (ABS, traction control, and one other). It could also mean that the speed sensor inside the bearing hub is out in which case you need to replace BOTH hub assemblies with a OEM or a decent after market part. I paid nearly twice the “cheap” after market part after reading some posts about the cheap ones. I replaced with Timken rather than a Duralast. It took all of an afternoon to replace and part of the morning buying the parts and renting the puller. Read the Haynes manual and be sure you know what you’re up against before starting this job. Pretty hard to get your car to a mechanic after the wheel bearing is pulled.
Good Luck!