BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

So for a a few months now I noticed when I slowed down to 20 mph my speedo needle would just drop to zero and not gradually fall as i continue to decrease my speed. Then I accelerate and my speedo remains at zero until I reach about 15-20mph. After that it works fine but from 0 to 20 I get nothing. My o/d light blinks sometimes when I start the car, not often though. I did have it checked out at the stealership and the service guy said he found no issues even with the scan. I tried the self performed steps to read the code with no luck I couldnt get it to work so I just gave up after 1.5 hours or trying. In my mind im thinking it would me the speedo sensor on the tranny but I dont wanna start replacing random parts that dont need to be. So if you guys could give you some thought on where to begin or possible causes of this speedo issue I would greatly appreciate it.

AMaxima2Envy

vss or bad cluster my guess. did you search?

QT1 5MT AE

iTrader: (6)

maybe your Vehicle speed sensor has gone bad. maybe a broken gear in the trans took it out? does your transmission behave normally?

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

no tranny issues exist from what I can tell shifts normal no weird noises or anything, fluid is good i drain and refill every 6-8k

AMaxima2Envy

you drain and refill your tranny every 8k?

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

yea i just bought the car a back in october 2010 so im doing drain and refills to get back the to proper red color

Super Shadow

when was the car built and is it auto or manual?

maxima dude

clean ur abs sensors in the front...im going threw this now lol

Super Shadow

if it is an auto it has a vehicle speed sensor. it is located on the transmission itself

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

its an auto...abs sensors huh never thought that could be the issue let me know if that fixes ur issue...assuming you are having the same issue as mine. I need to check out my vss and see if its the culprit, ive just been so busy with classes dont really have time right now

ajcool2

iTrader: (43)

Same thing happened on my gf's 4th gen and it turned out to be the VSS harness. I replaced it and all was well.

Super Shadow

I know in my car the speed is monitored by the abs sensors because it is a manual but autos always have the vss. Spent a few days in my shop looking up that info for my car lol

88MaximaSE

hey guys, when we talk about VSS on a 5th gen auto max, are we talking about the transmission speed sensor/tranny revolution sensor? I see no information about a "vehicle speed sensor for 5.5 maxima auto.....

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

for the 5.5 gen i think the speed come from the abs sensors...thats why you wouldnt find info IIRC

Bjdjncaw22@gmail.com

How much does a VSS cost?

luvlexus101

iTrader: (6)

Damn I vote vss too.

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

well I had time to change out my vss and it didnt fix the speedo issue so ill just try and test out another cluster over xmas break and see what happens, however my O/D had been blinking for some time at startup(not every start up) and the vss fixed that so it wasnt a waste at all.

grip1968

My speedometer is not working also im getting code P0500. were is the VSS located on this car, also is it easy to fix or do I have to take is to a mechanic...

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Yes change out the VSS. Google it and i'm sure someone has a youtube video showing you step by step and at minimum you can find out exactly where it is. hope this helps but it is surely that if the speedometer is showing 10mph when your clearly traveling faster or vice versa.

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

its on the top of the tranny just remove the air box assembly and you will see it in the back near the firewall. its held in by a 10mm bolt iirc you can screw it out with a #3 phillips but i wlndt waste my time, just use a socket. twist and pull together to get out the sensor and it'll come out easy. no i wouldnt pay a mechanic for this, if you replace it yourself you'll see y. there are 2 different vss for our car, sad thing is you gotta look down there to see wat you have. i went to 2 dealers in diff states and they both told me even with the vin they wont kno(they cld be full of it )

grip1968

My speedometer is not working also im getting code P0500. were is the VSS located on this car, also do I need to replace the output speed sensor or the revolution sensor.

bigrak

VSS all the way!

grip1968

I replace the Revolution sensor on the rear on top of the transmission, but im still getting a p0500 code. I called my nissan dealership and the said i needed the Speedometer pinion sensor. were is that located, can I do this myself.

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

The VSS is on the rear too just the other side or the transmission near the firewall. If you look down by the MAF sensor you can see it and to replace it you need to remove the air box so you can reach it. Yes you can replace it yourself in like 15-20 min or less. Its held on by a 10mm bolt and has a single electrical connector. Just twist and pull at the same time and it'll pop right out. wear gloves if you have them cause its hurts like hell when you are gripping that sensor the way you have to in order to remove it. good luck

grip1968

Ok I replaced the VSS on top on the transmission, Biglou you was right it was hell, I started the car up and the speedometer still dont work, I'm also still getting code P0500 & my O/D is flashing when the car starts up. Do anybody know what else is wrong. I was thinking it might be the VSS harness. I just changed the Speedometer pinion itself. if it is the harness do they sell them at any auto store or is it a dealer part. also is the harness easy to replace.

grip1968

Just finish driving my car an the speedometer still not working, Code p0500 still showing. I unhooked the battery to see if that would help no luck. I guess I have to take it to a mechanic to see whats wrong.

pat6290

I have this problem with my gas gauge

grip1968

All other gauges are working fine, except the speedometer. I dont know what else to do but take it to the mechanic and see if he find anything.

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

It could just be a bad cluster. My next move it to grab a cluster out of the junkyard and see it that is the issue.

grip1968

Biglou, if it is my cluster, would a bad cluster still throw a p0500 code. Cause I'm still getting that after I changed both sensor..

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

I'm referring to the speedometer issue, the cluster could have a bad unified meter and it's cost a LOT to repair so it's easier to swap one and see if that fixes the issue. as far as the p0500 code I do not know much about it And I doubt bad cluster would throw a code. sounds like you needs to research that code and see ALL possible causes of it.

Rods03Max619

iTrader: (5)

GL to all alot have shot out ideas...

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

UDDATE: Finally got a SE cluster from a fellow org member and swapped it and now the speedo works perfectly! So since I have an SE I have the sporty gauges and wanted to see if it was the circuit board or speedo and it was the circuit board. I swapped the speedo over the the cluster that worked perfectly and the speedo acted as it should. So ill probably let those gauges go. If anyone is interested ill post them in my fs thread I have.
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...ima-parts.html

88MaximaSE

Glad you got your speedo working. My symptoms were a bit different but I may try swapping my speedo to see if that helps. I changed some sensor on the tranny and that didn't help. Weird thing is when it is cold, speedo works, but after 15 minutes of driving, ABS/TCS light comes on and speedo goes to zero. Anyone with an Max 5.5 or I35 get this kind of issue resolved before?

BigLou55

iTrader: (6)

IIRC the 5.5 use the abs sensors to output speed and if your abs and tcs light comes on then you more than likely have a bad abs sensor. You have to find a shop with consult II to pull those kind of codes or you can jump it with a paperclip(search on the forum for this its there)