How to fix a speedometer and odometer that work sporadically
 

Background/Problem:

Quite a while ago my speedometer fell to zero while I was driving. I noticed that when it did that my odometer didn't work either. It was the first time it happened, but wasn't the last. From that day forward my speedometer would stop working occasionally and I couldn't find a pattern to why/when it was happening.

The Temporary Fix:

Tapping (sometimes slamming) on the instrument panel would bring the needle back to life. I figured it must be a loose wire somewhere. Pressing against the clear plastic cover on the gauges near the trip meter reset button also worked...but it was quite annoying.

The Long Term Fix:

This weekend I decided to figure out what was going on. My hunch was that it was something behind the gauge cluster. I followed the directions here to remove my gauges:
http://www.geocities.com/amixam69/ni...ash/index.html

Once I had the gauges out I took a look at the back of it (the white plastic part) and realized that there are four brass philips screws around the center of the speedometer needle. There is a circular bulge on the back where the center of the needle sits. I simply tightened the four screws (which seemed a bit loose) and viola! A fully functioning speedo and odo.

I plan on revising this with pictures shortly, but wanted to put it out right now in case it helps anyone. This also shut my CEL off because of a Vehicle Speed Sensor Code it was throwing.

Hope that helps.

awesome writeup, seems many folks have similar problems, could come in handy!

I had the same problem but every once and while i'd get a check engine like and code for the speed sensor, I am going to try this fix in a lil bit hopefully i'll see some loose screws and that'll b a nice easy fix, thanks

No problem. Even though the screws may not LOOK loose, give them a twist with a small phillips screw driver. They should tighten up a bit. Good luck, and post back with results.

i tried tightening the screws before, didnt work for me. i replaced the whole cluster with one from a 97 SE and all is fine now.

Did pressing on the face of the cluster bring your needle back to life before you replaced it?

Hopefully this will fix my speedo problem.

Has anyone experience this problem since? I have this issue now, all my gauges (speed, temp, gas, and odometer) will stop working and I had a code for speed sensor, and my engine has shut off a few times. Anyone had any other fixes besides the one above?

This is a fairly common problem, and it may well come back. Tightening the cluster screws is step 1. If that doesn't work, replacing the vehicle speed sensor is step 2. If that doesn't work, replacing the cluster (or just the gauge) is step 3.

This relates to the speedo not working. I didn't notice if it affected my odo or not (it probably did). The rest of the guages not working (and the engine dying) is probably something else.

nice write up, might do it to my car

Has anyone else had a problem similar to mine, all gauges go out and then when slowing down the engine dies?

Everything else works only my odometer and trip meter stops working from time to time. Also my seatbelt light doesn't work either. Maybe I'll try this out this weekend.

Wow i thought it was just my car..
My odometer one day just plummeted and started idling at like 3-400 and wouldn't go up at all.
Might have to try this. Thanks

Updates on the first post? My inspection is this month and I will take off the cluster first and tighten down. I started hearing a rattle that would go away by pressing the plastic cover and dash, so it may be loose on mine too. A 97.
HInt, mine may be loose because going over a bump makes it work when it drops.

Mine were very loose too. Tightening seemed to work.

How much time/miles have you driven since your fix? I would think the problem is the VSS, not anything in the cluster....

You do realize you're asking a question to a 3 year old thread...

OP hasn't been on the ORG for over a year now....

Oops, I saw "07-11" and thought it was only a 3 month old thread, not 3 years. lol

Thread ressurection but the same thing happened to me. A nice solid pothole sometimes makes the speedo come back to life. I had a flashing O/D light intermittently and today just got a CEL thrown at me. I'll try this tomorrow and hopefully it will clear my issues.

give him some credit...he ACTUALLY SEARCHED!!!

My speedo and odo are still intermittently going limp. :(

I don't believe in this tapping the cluster to solve your problem (correct me if I am wrong) so I just ordered a new VSS from Maxima Joe (fanaticrock).

I have this problem and it is slowly starting to get worse. At first my spedo would just die from time to time but now my OD light blinks, CEL on and no seat belt light. Forgive my ignorance but what is VSS?

Vehicle Speed Sensor. It's a fairly cheap part to get from the stealership.

Cool, thanks!

The link above is dead. Anyone have one for gauge cluster removal?

You don't need to. ;)

yeah everything works fine but my odometer just stopped working one day, everything runs normal but i would like to fix it should i just try tighting the cluster?

Yeah! Exactly. Just tighten a few cluster screws and you should be fine. But whatever you do, don't replace the VSS.

:rotz:

ok thanks its been bugging me for a while, one more question though, my bose head unit doesnt work, like the light for the radio comes on every once in a while and it doesnt play cds anymore, should i replace the whole thing?

same prob with gauge cluster here...
 

I too have sporadic gauges when I hit a bump or nothing at all. Smacking the top or bottom of the dash sometimes makes it go back right, but sometimes both the speedo and the tach either go to 45mph and 3700 rpm, or they both go to zero. I am going to try and take apart my cluster as maxima4me did to see if this is indeed the root of my aggravating little problem. Another thing that I think that I noticed it that when the cluster goes bazerk, the digital mileage goes to crap, and the car seems to stop counting mileage. It is difficult to notice (try to see the mileage before the gauges go crazy if difficult) but I think that it does indeed stop counting...I will post back after work is done!

My '98 is having similar speedometer issues. It will "stick" on a certain speed, and then jump sporadically to whatever the actual speed is at the time. It seems to be the worst in the 45-65mph range for some reason.

I took the instrument cluster out tonight and tightened it down. I just got back from a test drive and at first everything seemed great, but about 20 minutes into the drive the problem came back! The screws definitely seemed to affect the speedometer though, but it doesn't seem like a real solution in my case. I'm going to keep messing with it, but I guess looking into the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) is the next step.

I tried and it failed
 

I took the cluster out of the dash, tightened every screw on the back of it and about 15 miles down the road, everything went bazeerk. I am at a loss..what to do next? Plankeye, do you think yours is the VSS?? If so, then mine has got to be the same fix...please let me know if that fixes your ride if you change it..oh yeah and where it is??
Thanks.,

E

Save yourself the trial and error........Change the whole cluster

Most fix their problem by replacing the VSS. Fairly easy to do, it's on top of the tranny.

Still broken...
 

I tightened the 4 screws behind the speedometer, and at first everything seemed better for about 20 minutes of driving, but like you ejis4lsu, it all went bazeerk again! I took my car to Autozone and had them scan for error codes. I had read on this forum that P0500 is a bad VSS. No error codes present though, so I'm assuming the VSS is fine (plus, cruise control works great, and I assumed from other posts that a broken VSS would mean cruise would do funny things).

I'm thinking I need to replace the whole instrument cluster then. My main question is regarding my digital odometer. Is the mileage stored on the computer, or is it stored in the cluster? If it's stored within the cluster, I assume you need to have it replaced by someone that knows what they're doing (most likely at a dealer :bawling:) in order to ensure the mileage is accurate. Any advice on replacing the instrument cluster and where to get one for cheap would be greatly appreciated, since that seems to be the next step I need to take.

I personally don't like the idea of someone playing with the odo in any cluster,Bottom line:
Search for cluster instrument very close to your actual mileage...And replace it yourself...search the How to's........

I have same problem with the instrument panel in my '99 maxima.. Speedometer and Tachometer stays at zero... Coolant temp gauge stays on 'H'. This happened right after had gas filled up at Hess. I read this thread but did not get clear idea what to change or fix.

Tapping on plastic cover brings the cluster back to life for a moment but it goes dead again. I tried to check-out the link provided here, but that do not exist anymore. Anyone else has any picture or direction how to open cluster and reach to the back of the panel?

Try resoldering the four threaded inserts on the speedo circuit board.

Worked for me!

Picts of mine,

http://forums.maxima.org/album.php?albumid=4208

Newbie here.

When I experience the zero mile an hour problem, I've come to learn that holding and pressing the odometer reset button and, while depressed, wiggling the button brings the needle back to life. Letting go drops it back to zero, so I need to repeat this a couple of times.

I guess all I'm seemingly doing is putting pressure that forces a loose or bad connection to correct itself somewhere in the speedo head area/circuitry/etc...

I did have the screws on the back of the head tightened down a year-plus ago at my cousin's shop per the first posting of this thread. It helped reduce the frequency of the issue. I just sent him an email around silverdart's suggestion of resoldering. I've got my fingers crossed that this is something he and his crew is comfortable trying...

Re-up on the thread lol. I have a 93 se auto and having issues with my odometer that is not digital. Will this work with for my cluster and odometer aswell?

ive had this problem for a while. speedometer dropping, CEL, OD light blinking. i went to replace my VSS before and the mother****ers sent me one for a 3rd gen. and now i always forget to order a new one and replace it :(.