L400 speedo and O/D stopped working at the same time

D

drkkerns

New Member
Hi all,

I have a 1995 Diesel L400 GearSpace 2800 4WD automatic and the speedo and O/D suddenly stopped working. I had driven the vehicle onto a ferry and turned it off. When the ferry docked and I restarted the car I noticed quickly that the speedo wasn't moving at all. Then as I got onto the highway noticed that the car wasn't gong into overdrive, though the O/D button was clicked in. It also had been working prior to getting on the ferry.

I have checked the backup fuse and replaced it, also checked fuse number 4 (Electronic control). Actually I checked all the 10amp fuses in the dashboard fuse box to make sure none of them had blown. The A/T still works, all the lights work (backup lights, etc) ... I noticed that on one test drive after trying changing out fuses that the speedo needle moved for a short time when I was up at about 60km (in around the 10kmh range is what it showed), but now it is again consistently at zero and not moving. I can't see any other fuses to check. I read on another post that this model has a 'black box' versus a wired speed sensor circuit on the transmission, but not sure where that 'black box' is located.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated!! It is hard enough not having the speedo working but not having the electric overdrive is worse.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

kim
 
Sounds like it could be your speed sensor?

Space Gear OD switch

The OD switch on my Exceed seems to blow fuse ELC4. I saw a mention that the OD switch may be shorting. Can someone please tell me where the switch is? Also the speedo is not working. Does the speed sensor just pull out?
delicaforum.com delicaforum.com

Check your transmission blink codes.

Speedo Down/Speed Sensor(s) on 94 L400 Space Gear

Speedo down, problems shifting and A/T flashing intermittently after having a little too much fun in the mud perhaps... I've checked out a few of the threads on this, but a little confusing/conflicting, and wondering if there is some recent wisdom. Realize I probably need a new speed sensor. My...
delicaforum.com delicaforum.com
 
Thanks for the info SCK ... is this speed sensor located on the back of the speedo (e.g., need to remove the instrument cluster) or is it on the transmission? I had read somewhere that if there were error codes in the 1995's that they would flash when you turn the key on. Do I need to find the 'OBD' like connector and then connect pin 1 to a ground on the frame?? I have never done this but tried to look it up. Any further info would be great, I was pretty comfortable checking fuses but repairs require a lot of taking things apart that makes me a bit more anxious. Is this an hour or so fix for a mechanic or bigger job??
 
drkkerns said:
Thanks for the info SCK ... is this speed sensor located on the back of the speedo (e.g., need to remove the instrument cluster) or is it on the transmission? I had read somewhere that if there were error codes in the 1995's that they would flash when you turn the key on. Do I need to find the 'OBD' like connector and then connect pin 1 to a ground on the frame?? I have never done this but tried to look it up. Any further info would be great, I was pretty comfortable checking fuses but repairs require a lot of taking things apart that makes me a bit more anxious. Is this an hour or so fix for a mechanic or bigger job??
Click to expand...
Use this post http://delica.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?f=64&t=18339&p=135643&hilit=l400+speedometer#p135643 to do the blink codes.

What I did was put a piece of wire in the pin 1 spot and then used an alligator clip to ground it to the chassis body (a screw near the door) Then it's watch and count the blinks. long = 10, short =1 so, long long long short short = 32

The speed sensor is on the left side of the transmission (underneath the car of course)
 
I did read the blink codes and I got an 11 ... after a few seconds it gave an 11 again, so I assume that is all the info from that test. Would that indicate the speed sensor though from what I read on the blink codes that is
11 ........................ Defective TP Sensor Or TP Sensor Circuit

Is this the same as the speed sensor that I have seen in other posts described as Transmission Speed Sensor MR122305? Or do I need to do further investigative work given I have a 1995. I have seen some code tables that suggest that 94's and 95's are different and I believe I read that the 94 needed this part if it was the speed sensor.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Wish I had seen it blink more than an 11.

Thanks much for any thoughts!
 
drkkerns said:
I did read the blink codes and I got an 11 ... after a few seconds it gave an 11 again, so I assume that is all the info from that test. Would that indicate the speed sensor though from what I read on the blink codes that is
11 ........................ Defective TP Sensor Or TP Sensor Circuit

Is this the same as the speed sensor that I have seen in other posts described as Transmission Speed Sensor MR122305? Or do I need to do further investigative work given I have a 1995. I have seen some code tables that suggest that 94's and 95's are different and I believe I read that the 94 needed this part if it was the speed sensor.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Wish I had seen it blink more than an 11.

Thanks much for any thoughts!
Click to expand...
Well, the TP sensor is the Throttle Positioning Sensor. If that is not working, then mayeb the transmission is not aware of how much fuel is being used, and thus isn't shifting? (Guessing here)

Maybe test it to see if it's working?

askcarmechanic.com

How To Test a TPS Sensor - Ask Car Mechanic

Cars are great to have until something goes wrong. One of the problems a car can have is that it isn’t idling correctly. It may be fluctuating or high idle but all you know is it doesn’t sound right. It is time for you to test your throttle position sensor (TPS). You will need a ... Read more
askcarmechanic.com askcarmechanic.com

@Growlerbearnz any suggestions?
 
The gears are shifting just the O/D isn’t working. But the speedo is totally out. Should I go ahead and change the speedo unit on the transmission? Or maybe disconnect the battery for 10 seconds and check the codes again. Maybe it will give something beyond the 11. The speedo was the first thing I noticed and the. As driving it didn’t shift into overdrive as I got speed.
 
One more question for you. I decided maybe I should clear the 'blink codes' and followed directions of disconnecting the battery for 10 or more seconds to clear them. I did this and then retried the blink code test and this time my A/T mode light started blinking once per second but didn't stop. After about 20 seconds I turned it off. I read somewhere in a post that then "A/T light flashing means the transmission ECU thinks there's a fault somewhere" and suggestion was to do the code test. When I just drive the car the A/T isn't flashing continuously, but when I do the code test it is. I think I might do the clear once more, maybe leave battery negative unplugged for a few minutes. I did find the speedo unit on the left side of the transmission, not clear how to disconnect it. I will look more when I have the new unit in hand. Hopefully all will become clear then! Thanks for any thoughts on the continuous flashing A/T light when doing the 'blink test'.
 
I'm not too familiar with the L400's wiring, but failed speed sensors are sometimes a problem.I would check the wiring to the transmission first: follow the wiring loom, looking for worn/cracked/chewed areas. If it's all good then I'd replace the speed sensor.
 
Hello All,

SO my new speedo sensor has arrived and I am struggling trying to get the wiring harness unclipped from the old sensor. I can see that the wiring harness clips over 2 small plastic 'grips' on the outside of the speedo connector, but I am struggling to figure out how to get the wiring harness off the old sensor. Have tried gently prying from the top of the plastic connector but can't seem to make any headway. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. I have looked in the L400 manual but can only see things about troubleshooting the sensor, not disconnecting it.

Thanks in advance for any tips - it isn't raining today and I would love to get this changed while I have a dry surface to lay on!
 
Found the answer in the helpful post by sck_nogas! He mentions a small metal clip (barely visible under road dust) and removing that and replacing the speedo sensor fixed both the speedo and the O/D problem ... thank you so much sck_nogas and others on the forum. It was a $12 fix that I am sure would have been much more at shop. The post with the great explanation for removing the speedo sensor is here:

Speedo Down/Speed Sensor(s) on 94 L400 Space Gear

Speedo down, problems shifting and A/T flashing intermittently after having a little too much fun in the mud perhaps... I've checked out a few of the threads on this, but a little confusing/conflicting, and wondering if there is some recent wisdom. Realize I probably need a new speed sensor. My...
delicaforum.com delicaforum.com

The metal clip is a bit difficult to see but you can see glints of it in the picture. I pushed the 'tines' for the clip forward with a small screwdriver and that popped it off. Was easy to push back into the same grooves after I installed the new speedo sensor.

One extra note for anyone doing this on a 1995 L400. I noted when installing my new speedo sensor was that the metal pin in the center of the speedo that had been on the car was a bit 'longer' than the one that came with the new sensor. As I figured likely the one that had been in the sensor was likely the correct length, I went ahead and put the metal pin into the new sensor. Hopefully I did the right thing - one thing for sure is that the speedo is working again, so that seems like a good thing!
 
Thanks again sck_nogas ... I found it just before you posted it and the little arrows on your post above to the clip will be very helpful to future people needing to change theirs. Great info, great forum!
 
Hey Delica Forum Friends,
I’m new to the forum and want to say how much I appreciate this resource. I just got a 1994 L400 LWB V6 a week ago and on the first day the speedometer was struggling. It would work for the first 3 miles of a 7 mile commute. And when the speedometer went down I immediately noticed the transmission would not shift into fourth gear/overdrive. Within three days the speedometer completely failed and stopped working altogether. Engine rpm went up. I found the speed sensor and at the suggestion of the dealer that I bought the van from, I took the speed sensor off and cleaned all the parts. But this didn’t help. So I found this forum page and ordered a new speed sensor. It arrived yesterday, I cleaned all parts with contact cleaner, installed the new speed sensor, and now the Speedometer works and the transmission shifts better and runs at lower rpm! I find it wild that a $12 part can make such a difference to the function of the Van. Thanks to all who contributed to this thread. I learned a lot and solved my problems.
Peace,
CWD
 
sck_nogas said:
What you do is...

Taken from https://delicaforum.com/index.php?t...ensor-s-on-94-l400-space-gear.1998/post-15445

View attachment 19065
Find the ends of the metal clip and use a metal pick to hook them out, removing the metal part entirely.

You can then unplug the connector easily, then you can unscrew the old sensor and screw in the new one.

For reassembly, Install the metal clip into the plug before pushing it back onto the sensor.

This is what worked for me.
Click to expand...
I just did mine. What is the metal clip that's being mentioned? For me, the whole thing just popped right off with minimal effort, then the sensor was easy to unscrew and the new one easy to screw back in. When attaching the plug part, how snug is this supposed to be? I didn't feel or hear any "click," but simply pressed it down and it is working.

Am I missing something, or is this about right? Pic attached of the install.
 

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HammerOfThorazine said:
I just did mine. What is the metal clip that's being mentioned? For me, the whole thing just popped right off with minimal effort, then the sensor was easy to unscrew and the new one easy to screw back in. When attaching the plug part, how snug is this supposed to be? I didn't feel or hear any "click," but simply pressed it down and it is working.

Am I missing something, or is this about right? Pic attached of the install.
Click to expand...
Yes, you are missing the metal clip that helps secure the cable to the sensor...

Speedsensor.jpg
See the plastic tab that the arrow is pointing to? There is a metal spring clip that is in the groove.
 
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