I’ve took out my cluster & the gear was not broken. Both of my odometer n speedometer aren’t working. I then took off the speed sensor on my rear diff lock but it was not broken but i replaced with a duralast sensor But still nothing is working.. any help? 98 ford ranger 4x4 v6 3.0.

 

Welcome to the forum

In 1998-2000 Ranger the GEM module converts the speed signal

BUT............................if GEM wasn't working you would have a P0500 code in the computer AND CEL(check engine light) would be ON all the time

Since there is no reported P0500 code then rear axle sensor is OK, and GEM Module is OK
So that leaves wiring to cluster, IF................BOTH Speedo and Odo are not working, speedo/odo share the ONE speed signal wire from GEM

Wouldn't be speed or odo motors since each has its own motor

Wiring or "pin" on the cluster plug is the issue

Look at the wiring diagram
C215, center connector, pin 1, grey/black stripe wire, thats the Speed signal from the GEM, its shared by the speedo and odo

The GEM just has 1 grey/black wire OUT, it is spliced and goes to the Cluster, Computer and to Cruise(if so equipped), so they all use that one signal wire from GEM

Also just FYI, if the rear axle sensor fails, the ABS light will also come on, as thats the ABS sensor not the "speed sensor" it was just used as a speed sensor from 1998-2000

 

Much appreciated, i will take out the cluster and look at the wiring. i will update what i find thanks!!

 

 

these are the photos from being the cluster


that is the wire harness going to the speedometer in the cluster... from the looks of it, the wires that are going to the speedo are not burnt or wore.. maybe theres a short that goes deep inside the truck?

 

The white connector is the wrong one, its the black one next to it in the last picture

Speed signal is on the Grey/Black stripe wire in pin 1 position on the black plastic connector, next to the black/white wire

Have a look at it

 

 

I found no visible sort of cuts for shorts on the black and grey wire in pin 1

 

Yes, thats the Speed signal wire pin 1, Grey/black stripe

Its for both speedo and odometer

Its spliced to GEM module pin 1, 18/pin connector

If you have a equipment you could jack up the rear wheels, and start engine put in any forward gear and test for AC Volts on that wire

The next wire over is a Ground, black/white stripe wire
Set meter to AC Volts, touch probes to those two wires and you should see .5-1.5 AC volts it rear wheels are spinning

If you see AC Volts then cluster is bad, if you don't then wiring or GEM module is bad, but you should have code P0500 if GEM was bad

 

Did you find the trouble yet? My 1998 ranger started doing the same thing but is intermittent. No check engine light, cruise control still works.

 

If cruise works, and no P0500 code, when speedo doesn't work then problem is in the instrument cluster

 

Odometer quit too , any component on the dash that causes both to fail?

 

Yes, the ONE speed signal wire on the back of the cluster, grey with black stripe wire

Speedo and odo each have their own electric motors, but both share the one signal wire for speed than comes from the GEM module in 1998-2000 Rangers

This grey/black wire is split 3 ways in the dash wiring
From GEM, behind radio, to goes to the computer, cruise control and instrument cluster

So if no P0500 code then computer is getting the signal
If cruise holds speed then its getting to cruise module
If no speedo or odo then its not getting to cluster

So back of cluster would be the first stop, to check that wire, pin 1 on center connector
Its possible a trace on the cluster is damaged, longshot but not a no shot

You should pull the radio at the same time, and then you could test the connection between GEM's Grey/black wire and cluster's grey/black wire with OHM Meter
If no connection then you could easily run a new wire vs trying to track down where it broke
Grey/black wire is also Pin 1 on GEMs 18 wire connector

 

I will try to hook a meter up to the GEM output hopefully at the splice if I can find it to see if I lose it there. I already took the dash apart last week and couldn't find anything.. I will run a new wire to the instrument panel if the GEM output looks good..Thanks for the help.

 

If cruise works then GEM is putting out a good speed signal on its grey/black wire
If computer doesn't have code P0500 then GEM is putting out a good speed signal on its grey/black wire

Use an OHM meter between grey/black wire on GEM to grey/black wire on cluster, 0 ohms means good connection
If not 0 ohms then run a new wire
If it is 0 ohms then cluster has the problem inside

 

I will try that next. Hopefully the problem is at the splice so I don't have to pull the instrument panel again.

 

I couldn't find any splices for the Gray/black wire behind the radio. It goes from the GEM to behind the instrument panel. I put a meter on that wire, I get 10vac and 5vdc when moving 0v when I stop. So far my speedometer hasn't quit working yet, only drove 5 miles will keep testing for about a week with the meter hooked up.

 

For the past 2 days my odometer, tripometer has been working fine on a cold start for the first mile or so. My speedo jumps but is off about 20 mph the same time as my odometer is working. Once My engine temp. reaches the high temp both odometer tripometer and speedo stops working. The speedo stops at 20 mph when it stops working. I know my engine runs hot since it gets high temperature quickly, the coolant is a quarter below from the coolant line but not sure why my speedo and odometer only works when i first start driving on a cold start then suddenly stops once my engine temp reaches high

 

You should start your own thread

What YEAR Ranger?
Ford changed speed system several times on the 1983 to 2011 Ranger models

No, there is no relationship between engine temp and any speed system used, its more likely drive time related, speedometer use time

 

This is my own thread. my ranger is 1998

 

This is fopez's thread, bruiser1977 is the one that hijacked it.

 

I didn't hijack it, I have the exact same problem. I bought a used dash panel and should have it in by the weekend.. Hopefully that solves it. I will post results.

 

Mine seems to be fixed. The back panel was the problem. My old speedometer works in the new panel. The new speedometer would not work in the old panel.
So it is probably a bad connection in back of the panel on the flexible pcb. There is 2 layers of pcb, the bottom layer has the connection for the blk/gry wire

 

Gook work

That was a tough problem

 

so all you did was buying a used complete instrument cluster and replacing it with your old one? plug n play?