Hey guys,

I did some searching and nobody seems to have the exact problem i do.. i just bought a 93 4runner v6 auto, the speedo is acting all funny, jumping up and down to 0. sometimes it works.. sometimes it doesn't.

i'm about to go check the vss, but the main problem is, the PO said that the odometer stopped working last time she filled up the gas tank, when she pushed the trip reset button..

could the reset button be binding the gears, causing evrything to go wonkey... or could it be something else.. i'll post what my results from the VSS test are.. that may sort it out... any ideas?

 

I'm not sure what test you plan to run, but the "VSS test" in the FSM's I've seen are for the speedometers with a cable. (That test looks at a reed switch in the speedometer itself.)

I'm guessing you have the electronic (no cable) speedometer, and your symptoms are the same as when my sensor went out. The sensor is in the back of the transfer case, and it has a hall-effect sensor and amplifier. It is possible to test, but you have to provide 12v to the correct terminals and test on the other. (And since yours is intermittent, you can be sure it will be working when you have it out.) The bad news: the sensor is about $350 (about 1/2 that at RockAuto).

 

I think this is related to the speed sensor.... or at least i hope it is. The auto tranny has started shifting eratically... i'll be driving normally, and the trans will start shifting for no reason... usually drops down... almost feels like it goes into N.... any ideas?

 

I had this same exact problem. Do you have a speedo cable? If it's electric then there is a No. 1 sensor that's inside the cluster. It has plastic gears and crap as well. Is your OD light blinking? You can pull the transmission code from that and it will tell you exactly which one it is. If you have anyone close with a 2nd gen yota and the cluster is the same I would test that out first. You could test the VSS with a voltmeter as well since it's only 1 bolt.

 

Its an electric speedo, without the OD blinking

 

Bump?

 

This happened to me a couple of years ago. I have a 92, 3.0, SR5 4Runner. The culprit was the Variable Speed Sensor (VSS) in the transfer case. When the VSS goes it messes with the transmission, you'll get funny shifting (not funny at all).

 

thanks, you aleviated the fear of a trans rebuild... hope this fixes it

 

Mine had funny shifting and my cruise control died/would not work. It took me replacing my VSS and it STILL not working for me then to replace the cluster. Thankfully, my VSS under under $50 since it was from a junk yard.