Sorry for not searching....I'm at work and have limited time.

On the way to work today my ABS started going nuts....coming to a stop in my neighborhood, the ABS was triggered.

I looked down and my ABS light was on. In addition, the speedo was going nuts. At a complete stop, it was showing speeds over 40 mph.

While driving, the speedo was also very innaccurate - it was showing speeds much higher than what I was driving. It was also sweeping between ~ 20 and 80 mph.

I did wash the car yesterday - am I safe to assume I damaged something while cleaning the wheels?

Thanks in advance!

Rich

 

Sounds like a bad wheel speed sensor which may also feed the spedometer.

 

Is that something I could have damaged yesterday? Where are the wheel speed sensors located? How can I determine which one is damaged?

 

Yeah. I haven't heard of them affecting the spedo but anything is possible. The speed sensors on 6th gens are known to get dirty and fail. They are located at the wheel. Look for a plastic piece with a wire attached to it on the wheel hub. I have 2 that have blown and I just pulled the fuse for my ABS and VDC to stop it in from engaging the meantime.

 

The speedo is no longer going nuts, but the ABS light is still on.

Is it a bad wheel speed sensor? How do I know which one? Will the ODB II tell me?

Is there a write up for replacing the wheel speed sensor?

 

just a shot in the dark but i would guess that it is your vehicle speed sensor that is the problem. I bet it something happened to it or it just died on its own and now it is sending signals that are all over the map to your ecu that arent corresponding to the readings your wheel speed sensors which is causing your abs code and your possessed speedo

 

Where is the vehicle speed sensor, and how does one test it?

 

its on the tranny somewhere but i dont know on the 6th gens specifically.

If you dont already have it you can download the FSM here: http://www.boredmder.com/FSM/Nissan/Maxima/
Its always good to have when you have problems like this. I bet they have a diagnostics procedure for the sensor in there too

 

I've got a FSM at home - I'll take a look.

Are the sensors on the trannys on manuals also?

 

yea, they are on manuals as well.

 

Took the ABS sensors off last night and cleaned them.....light is still on.

I did have the speedo read 40 while I was on the highway doing about 80 today...pushed in the clutch and it instantly read the correct speed. Other than that.....speedo has been correct.......but ABS light is still on.

 

I like ur name lol

 

check abs sensors also. i was gettin a jerk on 1st and 2nd gear and the speedometer hing happened a few times also. after i got it fixed its been golden

 

Are the ABS sensors what I pulled off right behind the rotors? What is the proper way to check them? I simply looked them over and cleaned them.

 

The ABS sensors would have nothing to do with the clutch. Two totally different entities. If your speedometer was all jacked up around the same time the ABS light came on, and you fixed the speedometer by cleaning the sensors and engaging the clutch. Then I suspect the problem is........ I don't know. Seriously it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I thought I was going somewhere with this, but I got nothing. Sorry

 

Try clearing the codes with a scanner tool and see if you magically fixed the problem. Cross your fingers.

 

Just talked to the shop.

They scanned the car (with an Nissan specific scanner, my ODB II pulled nothing) and found a bad wheel sensor.

$173 for the sensor
$60 for diagnostics
$48 for the installation

I could have put the sensor in myself if I'd known it was bad. Lesson learned I guess.....and better than a kick in the head.