pavan87

I got a P0500 code last week so I replaced the speed sensor. I was having problems where the entire gauge cluster would freeze at the speed I'm going or it would all drop down to 0. I didn't replace the white wire that connects the actual speed sensor to the wiring harness since I couldn't disconnect the wiring harness connector from the white wire connector. I cleared the code and drove 100 miles or so and the light came back on. Even when the SES light was off, the gauge cluster would still get stuck.

After the SES came back on, I thought it might be the white wire connecting the speed sensor to the wiring harness so I went about replacing it. The two connectors were still stuck together and in the process of trying to separate them, the two wires (green and orange) from the wiring harness which go into the connector separated from the connector (all on the wiring harness side). I went to the junk yard and cut out another connector and spliced it into my wiring harness. I used connectors that you crimp and heat shrink to connect the two ends together. I haven’t driven very far yet, but the SES light is still on and it seems that the transmission is not shifting where it used to. It's an AT and go through all the gears but the shifts don't seem to be at the optimal moment. (The shifting may just be in my head since I think there is a problem.)

What is the easiest way to check to see if my splice is good? All of the wires are in there tightly especially after the heatshrinking, but it seems that it could still be a problem. Is there another way to solve the connector issue without splicing it in? If the splice is actually good, what steps should I take next to solve the problem? Should the SES clear itself if the problem is fixed or should I pull the battery to reset it? Could there be another problem other than the speed sensor that is causing the gauge cluster issue? Thanks in advance for any help.

NetFurie

I'm not sure if this is the same code but I was getting 0104 for malfunctioning VSS. I replaced the VSS but the code came back. Tried resetting the ECU multiple times.
The problem was in the speedo cluster itself. I first tried a recommendation to retighten all the ground screws in the cluster but that didn't help. Ended up replacing the cluster with a junkyard one and the code never came back.

pavan87

From the threads, P0500 and 0104 is the same thing. NetFurie, Was your entire gauge cluster not working or was it just the speedometer? Reading through some of the threads, people claim that only their speedometer was not working but I don't know if they actually meant the entire cluster and just misspoke.

Does anyone know of a way to check to make sure if the speed sensor is working after I spliced in the connector? I think that is the first thing I should check and go from there.

pavan87

It seems from the threads I have thread that the speed sensor is hooked up directly to the gauge cluster and then goes to the ECU. If this is correct, if the splice I made to connect the connector was bad, the speed sensor shouldn't work, thus the speed sensor shouldn't work, and the speedometer would not work either. Is that correct? If that is correct, then I'll know whether the splice is good and thus the speed sensor is working and the ultimate problem is somewhere else.

pavan87

Could someone help me figure out what these diagrams are saying? I know very little about electrical issues so I have no idea where to begin. Also, I don't know where these connections they say to test are located. Thanks in advance.

Silverdart

Does Cruise still work when this happens? The speedo passes on signal to both the ECU and the cruise module. IF cruise still works the VSS is working and the wiring is good and the speedo itself is at fault.

The FSM wants you to disconnect the ECU and the instrument cluster harnesses. You need to remove the gauges to do this. The ECU is behind a cover to the left of the drivers feet I believe. First thing to do would be to remove the cluster and check for continuity between it and the VSS. The letter and number in the oval tell of which plugs are connected to the unit. IE cluster has connectors M28, M88, and M89. The next figure shows the connectors pin arrangement. To test the VSS you want Pins 2 and 4 on connector M28 on the cluster, and 1 and 2 on connector F52 at the VSS

I would recommend removing the speedo from the cluster and resoldering the threaded mounting connectors. This fixed my P0500.

Pictures and some instructions.
http://forums.maxima.org/album.php?albumid=4208

pavan87

I will check the cruise control later this evening. Should I see if it works while the speedometer is actually working and when the speedometer freezes/drops to 0?

When checking for continuity, do I stick each of the metal probes from the meter inside the molex type connector (the connector that actually connects to the speed sensor itself)? I haven't pulled the gauge cluster yet so I'm not familiar as to what exactly is back there, but are there molex connectors on the back of that as well that can be used for testing?

When you had your P0500 problem, did only your speedometer stop working, or all all of the gauges (tach, gas, and temp.)? All of my gauges freeze or drop to 0 simultaneously and not just the speedometer.

Silverdart, thank you so much for your help. It is very much appreciated.

pavan87

I did some testing this weekend and found out that the speed control does not work when the gauge cluster freezes. Cruise control works just fine when the gauge cluster is working but when it freezes, cruise control stops.

I took a volt meter to the connector that I spliced in an it was saying infinite and no numerical value. (I touched the probes to the 2 small metal plates on the connector) That led me to think that the splice was bad so I cut it out and redid it. I tested the bare wires when I cut out the old splice and it still was showing infinite and no numerical output). I know the meter works because I used it on other things to make sure that it wasn't the problem. I redid the splice put soldered it back this time and put heat shrink over it.

I pulled the gauge cluster as well and tried to find continuity for those 2 pins but I wasn't sure which ones they were. The two that I think they were would initial start to show a reading on my meter then go to infinite. Since I wasn't sure which wires they were, I tried to get readings for other wires and that would always show infinite.

Another thing I noticed before I did any of this testing was that the "O/D off" light would flash 16 times when the car was started occasionally. There is a testing procedure I found to determine what this should be but I haven't done it yet. I'm betting that it is going to send a trouble code for the speed sensor.

Anyone have any advice on what to do next? It seems that there is a break somewhere between the connector for the speed sensor wire and the gauge cluster but I'm not even sure where to begin looking. Thanks in advance.

Silverdart

To check for continuity of the sensor circuit you need to test at #2 and 4 of the cluster gauge with a jumper wire (ie paper clip) in the VSS plug to complete the circuit loop. Seeing as it works most of the time I would say this is not your problem.

The fact that all your gauges die would indicate a common failure to all. The only common link is power from the ignition circuit through the indicated fuse to the cluster, or the common ground shown on pin 16. If either fails cluster will turn off. Try wiggling the key when it happens it may be a bad ignition switch, replace the fuse with another, does anything else die?

What year of Max? My '96 has diff circuit numbers. My problem was speedo output to ecm, no gauge issues at all.

pavan87

So I would need to put a paper clip on the speed sensor side and then measure at the connector behind the gauge cluster?

Before I broke the connector, I hooked up the new speed sensor with the old wire from my old speed sensor. I cleared the SES and it came bacl after 100 miles.

Where is the fuse located for the ignition? Is it on the driver's side? Where is the common ground on pin 16? I didn't notice it in the diagrams above. On a connector, how can I tell which wire is which number? They don't seem to be numbered on the connector at all. Nothing else I have noticed dies at the same time. I know for sure the radio and the clock still work even when the gauge cluster dies.

It's a 1999. I'll try the key jiggling when it happens next. What's weird is sometimes the speedometer will freeze at the speed I'm going and the fuel and temp guages will either drop to cold/zero or the fuel will go to empty and the temp will go to max hot. It would seem the speed sensor and the gauge problem are connected since they started happening at the same time, but I have no idea.

jwilliams2788

I am having the same problem, took my 99 SE to the mechanic with gauge cluster intermittently working with the SES on all the time. The only reason I finally took it to the mechanic is I have to get it through emissions. I have 200K plus on it but do not know for sure because the gauges have not work for almost a year. The mechanic replaced the speed sensor and a knock sensor and it cleared the fault. The next day I took it on the highway and engaged the crusie control and the gauges went loopy again and the SES came back on. I am hoping there is a easy fix to get it through emission but is sounds like not. Any help I can get would be great. Kind of under the gun becasue emissions and registration need to be done before April. Thanks for any help.

pavan87

Another thing that I noticed that is out of the ordinary is that the gas gauge drops to empty when the car is shut off. Before, even when the car was off, the needle would still indicate how much gas was left. Could someone tell me which fuse I should check and where the ground wire is? Thanks.

apate91

Ok, so im in a similar jam that you are guys are. About a year ago, while driving home from work, I noticed that none of my gauges were reading correctly. About a month ago I got my speed sensor replaced after my mechanic told me that code came up. My sensor worked for a week or 2, but it was reading faster than I was really going, probably about 15 miles over my actual speed, so my mechanic ran the ECU check and said it's probably one of the wires because all the gauges alligned perfectly. Im hoping its just a bad wire because I already put a new circuit board in the car about a year ago. Currently when I start the car, the gas and temp gauge either go to the top or the bottom, they pick and choose, the speedometor never goes above 5, and the tacometer never reaches the 1. Anybody able to pinpoint any other issues, all I have to go on is a bad wire.