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-   -   96 4.0 4x4 speedometer stopped working (https://www.ranger-forums.com/drivetrain-tech-37/96-4-0-4x4-speedometer-stopped-working-158979/)

Ber30125 Sep 13, 2019 06:57 PM

96 4.0 4x4 speedometer stopped working
 
96 4.0 4x4 speedometer stopped working, what do I replace 1st 2nd 3rd and where is it? Amy advice would be great I've replaced everything in this truck it seems like

RonD Sep 13, 2019 07:17 PM

Welcome to the forum

First look to see if Odometer is working, if it is then the speedometer's electric motor on the back side of the dash is bad

If odometer is also not working then check the driven gear on the transfer case next

Rangers used the standard drive gear and driven gear thru 1997, location seen here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/
1st picture
Near the rear drive shaft and next to the electric shift motor you will see the VSS(vehicle speed sensor) with 2 wire plug in, unplug it and check the wires

Loosen the one bolt and the VSS will pull out with the Driven gear
It will look like the ones here, 3rd and 4th pictures: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...edometer.shtml

You can hook up a drill to this and turn key on, run the drill and see if speedometer moves, can't remember if its clockwise or counter-clockwise, try it in both directions, doesn't hurt it to spin backwards, you do that every time you back up

If it moves with the drill, and driven gear looks OK, then the Drive Gear/worm gear on the output shaft is bad, try having a look inside, mirror or take a picture
Not too hard to change, same as changing the rear seal on the transfer case, which you would also do if changing the drive gear

If speedo doesn't move then get a volt meter and set it for AC Volts, not DC
Hook it up to the two connections on the VSS, use a drill to spin it, should see 1vAC and up the faster you spin it, if not replace VSS

Ber30125 Sep 13, 2019 07:21 PM

Thanks
 
Thanks I'll start on it in the morning

Ber30125 Sep 14, 2019 06:56 AM

?
 

Originally Posted by RonD (Post 2158858)
Welcome to the forum

First look to see if Odometer is working, if it is then the speedometer's electric motor on the back side of the dash is bad

If odometer is also not working then check the driven gear on the transfer case next

Rangers used the standard drive gear and driven gear thru 1997, location seen here: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-motor.123542/
1st picture
Near the rear drive shaft and next to the electric shift motor you will see the VSS(vehicle speed sensor) with 2 wire plug in, unplug it and check the wires

Loosen the one bolt and the VSS will pull out with the Driven gear
It will look like the ones here, 3rd and 4th pictures: https://therangerstation.com/tech_li...edometer.shtml

You can hook up a drill to this and turn key on, run the drill and see if speedometer moves, can't remember if its clockwise or counter-clockwise, try it in both directions, doesn't hurt it to spin backwards, you do that every time you back up

If it moves with the drill, and driven gear looks OK, then the Drive Gear/worm gear on the output shaft is bad, try having a look inside, mirror or take a picture
Not too hard to change, same as changing the rear seal on the transfer case, which you would also do if changing the drive gear

If speedo doesn't move then get a volt meter and set it for AC Volts, not DC
Hook it up to the two connections on the VSS, use a drill to spin it, should see 1vAC and up the faster you spin it, if not replace VSS

I got in my truck this morning to see if the odometer is working and now the speedometer is working, suggestions? I didnt hit my gauge cluster a few times before I started driving I read somewhere on here that someone did that

RonD Sep 14, 2019 09:34 AM

Good work

There is just one wire from the VSS to dash cluster and it feeds both speedo and odo, so could be loose connection

This one wire does have a splice under the dash where is splits to feed Cluster, Cruise control and Computer, computer will set a P0500 code if speed signal is lost, so if that didn't happen the VSS wiring is most likely OK, just the feed to cluster is the problem, which you may have confirmed by the "manual reset of control system", i.e. "hitting it a few times", lol


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