Why Did My Speedometer Stop Working?

by Spork Marketing

Why Did My Speedometer Instrument Cluster Stop Working?

Many drivers expect their speedometer to last the lifetime of the vehicle. So when a speedometer stops working, it can be quite surprising and frustrating. If you're in this situation, you may be wondering why your speedometer stopped working all of a sudden.

This post may help you pinpoint the cause of the speedometer malfunction. We'll go over some of the most common causes of speedometer failure.

  1. Faulty Speed Sensor

You can find the speed sensor mounted somewhere on the transmission. The sensor measures the rotation of a toothed wheel inside the transmission. It then sends the information to the ECU. Next, the ECU sends the information to the speedometer. This process occurs many times per second.

The speed sensor should last the lifetime of the vehicle. Yet, premature failure can happen. As a result, the speedometer either displays inaccurate readings or doesn't display a reading at all.

  1. Broken Speedometer Drive Gear

There's a gear behind the instrument cluster that moves the needle on the speedometer. That's called the speedometer drive gear. Sometimes it can break or get stripped. When that happens, the speedometer needle is stuck in one position. In some cases, it falls down beyond resting position and stays there.

  1. Damaged Wires

There are some wires connected to the instrument cluster. It's possible for one (or a few) of the wires to be damaged. The most common types of instrument cluster wiring damage include:

  • A short
  • Corrosion
  • Animal damage
    • It's common for small animals like mice to get into the engine compartment and chew wires

To check for damaged wires, give all the wires and connections a thorough visual inspection.

  1. Defective ECU

This is a huge, huge problem. Thankfully, it's very rare. The ECU is a major piece of hardware inside your vehicle. It controls every electronic component within your vehicle. If the ECU becomes defective, it can affect the entire car, including the speedometer. So if you're experiencing other major issues too, it may be the ECU.

We Can Fix Your Speedometer For You

If the problem lies within the speedometer or the instrument cluster, we can fix it for you. We have a team of skilled technicians who know instrument clusters inside and out. Our mail-in repair services are quick and affordable. Just mail in your instrument cluster. Our techs will start fixing it within 24 hours of receiving it.

If you're not sure whether the issue is related to the instrument cluster, feel free to call us and we'll figure out if we can fix it.

 

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