so the speedo stopped working on my 98 t4r 5 speed sr5. I got an error code for VSS but my model just has the 4 abs speed sensors, no vss sensor at the base of the trans. i swapped out the front 2 sensors but no dice. tried getting the rears out to inspect them but i can barely get them to move let alone get them out. i have no lights on other than the check engine light. the speedo intermittently works and then will go back to reading zero.

 

The ECU gets a vss signal from the speedo. If the speedo doesn't receive a signal it won't send one. Chances are with it being intermittent like so its either a short in the signal wire between the speedo and the abs module or its a problem with the speedo head or cluster it self.

 

Also the ecu does have its own speed sensor on the trans too but it has nothing to do with the speedo

 

ill also add my cruise control doesn't work when the speedo is at 0, does that change any of what you just said? How would i go about checking the wire between the speedo and abs module?
when it first started happening i could turn it off for a min or 2 and then it would come back on, or sometimes after a hard brake that would cause it to stop working or start working again. now its at 0 95% of the time and sometimes will randomly work and then go back to 0 after a few min.

 

The cruise module gets its signal from the speedo also so no it doesn't change. The best way to check is to pull the cluster and pull the abs module. Find the wire that connects between the two and do a continuity check with a dmm. If it checks out its probably fine and likely in the cluster. Check the condition of the connectors. Make sure there in good shape and have no bent pins.

 

thanks for the help! it ended up being a short between some of the soldered connections inside the speedo. I took the cluster apart and noticed some corrosion around a few of the soldering points so i took a wire brush and cleaned them all off and that seemed to fix it.

 

Good to hear