Speedometer Not Working? Learn Important Tips For Getting It Fixed

Knowing the exact amount of speed you are driving is crucial for your safety and staying within the speed limits of a particular area. For a speedometer not working, then you might just end up driving too fast or too slow being afraid not to go over the speed limit. If you end up having such speedometer issues, it is important to learn how to fix speedometer so that it is back to its working glory. On overall, the process can be simple, but where you are not sure there is always the option of seeking professional help.

Read more:

speedometer calibrator

speedometer cable

Speedometer not working

Causes

Some of the common causes of a speedometer not working are included below

• A broken speed sensor

The speed sensor has multiple functions when it comes to a car. It is used to indicate the speed of the car, to regulate the fuel flow, operating cruise control, and control ignition timing. As you can see, it is crucial to your car and when it fails, the speedometer might stop working.

You might notice that the car does not run smoothly and there is a problem cruise control when activated.

• Faulty wiring or fuse

When the wires are exposed to wet conditions, sometimes it would lead to issues of shorting that will cause the fuse to blow. With the fuse gone, the speedometer will not work properly. It will cause the speedometer to remain at zero until the wiring or fuse is checked.

• A malfunctioning ECU

The ECU is the brain of the car as it controls various states of the car and this includes the speed. Having a problem with the ECU can affect the working of a speedometer. This is because the vehicle no longer has the ability to analyze the data from the speed sensor and show the current speed on the speedometer.

Symptoms

• The first symptom is that you will end up with a speedometer that does not work. Whether it is a digital or manual speedometer, when it is behaving erratically, then the information that you get is not going to help you at all. Depending on the extend of the problem, sometimes you get that the speedometer does not from at all from its current position.
• The speedometer sensor plays a critical role when it comes to the cruise control of the car. With the sensor not working properly, then the right signal is not sent to the CPU to maintain the desired distance from the car ahead. If you notice the cruise control light is on and the function is not engaged, then you might want to get the speedometer sensor checked.
• Sometimes the problem with the speedometer sensor can be detected by the CPU and you end up with the check engine light on the dashboard. When this light comes on, it might be a list of many other problems with the car, and the speedometer sensor might be one of them.

How to fix speedometer if it does not work

Now that you know more about what might cause the speedometer not work, what follows is how to change speedometer. If the speedometer doesn’t work, then the mechanic has to take a close look at the car to understand the problem.

The first thing will be using a code reader for your car. This is done by connecting the reader to your ECU to understand why the engine light is on and where the speedometer has failed. The results from the scanner will have codes showing the problems with the car.

If the scanner reveals there is a problem with the speed sensor, the mechanic has to get under the vehicle to reach the exact location of the speed sensor. At the sensor, the mechanic has also to examine the wires connecting to it as sometimes it can be a problem with the wiring. For a broken sensor, the mechanic will replace it with a new model.

For a blown fuse or faulty wiring, the mechanic has to follow the wiring to ensure it is done correctly and the fuse is in great working condition. Fuses are cheap and easy to replace, so it should not be a problem to get it done.

Tips for Speedometer Not Working

• When the speedometer doesn’t work but odometer does still means that there might be a problem with the sensors. You have to get the car to a mechanic for close examination.
• When both speedometer and odometer not working, then it might be a serious issue, so get the car repaired before you can continue using it.
• If the speedometer is not working and there is an engine light on, it might be because of various issues with the car, so get it repaired and all will be good again.

There is no doubt that you will have a speedometer not working at some point when using a car. The speedometer has both mechanical and electrical parts, which can fail over time. Just make sure that you get them sorted as soon as possible as it is always better to know at which speed you are driving the car.