help!speedo not working and fuel gauge playing up.....
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I just had a similar problem a few days ago (2001, 1.6lt (AEH), auto)
The speedometer stopped working all together and the fuel gauge wouldn't sustain around coners.
After suspecting this problem to be electrical (as the car had previously been completely under water and then recovered), it turns out the mechanical speedo drive gear for the speedometer vehicle speed sensor (VSS) had seized and broke internally.
I originally tested it by trying to turn the internal drive whilst still in the auto box. I couldn't spin the drive. This indicated that it was connected, or so i thought. After testing all electrical signals with a oscilloscope and finding no problems, i removed the mechanical speedo drive gear. Turns out i could spin the gear and the shaft inside wouldn't spin the sensor. it broke internally and the top part of it had seized inside.
I replaced the part and all returned to normal.
The instrument cluster needs a speed signal from the VSS which is greater then 0km/h in order to sustain the fuel gauge. If it reports a zero speed, then theoretically the car is not in motion therefore no need to sustain the fuel gauge.
When this happened, the engine sometimes would report a vehicle speed sensor code in the engine module. (didn't always register this). The signal for the engine module reads the VSS signal from the output (terminal 3, blue plug) on the back of the instrument cluster. Hence the code was registered in the engine module and not the instrument module. The instrument module thought the car wasn't moving and couldn't detect any faults. Its only when the engine module detected the car was in motion from the transmission speed sensor and then read a VSS value of zero that it would report the code.
Be sure to check the transmission speedo drive by removing it! This doesn't take long and could save you lots of time. Its located on the back of the auto box, above where the driveshafts connect. it has a VSS sensor on top of it that is normally covered with a heat shield.
Hope this helps someone.
Also, this mechanical drive may be broken internally but could catch somtimes causing intermitent faults.
The speedometer stopped working all together and the fuel gauge wouldn't sustain around coners.
After suspecting this problem to be electrical (as the car had previously been completely under water and then recovered), it turns out the mechanical speedo drive gear for the speedometer vehicle speed sensor (VSS) had seized and broke internally.
I originally tested it by trying to turn the internal drive whilst still in the auto box. I couldn't spin the drive. This indicated that it was connected, or so i thought. After testing all electrical signals with a oscilloscope and finding no problems, i removed the mechanical speedo drive gear. Turns out i could spin the gear and the shaft inside wouldn't spin the sensor. it broke internally and the top part of it had seized inside.
I replaced the part and all returned to normal.
The instrument cluster needs a speed signal from the VSS which is greater then 0km/h in order to sustain the fuel gauge. If it reports a zero speed, then theoretically the car is not in motion therefore no need to sustain the fuel gauge.
When this happened, the engine sometimes would report a vehicle speed sensor code in the engine module. (didn't always register this). The signal for the engine module reads the VSS signal from the output (terminal 3, blue plug) on the back of the instrument cluster. Hence the code was registered in the engine module and not the instrument module. The instrument module thought the car wasn't moving and couldn't detect any faults. Its only when the engine module detected the car was in motion from the transmission speed sensor and then read a VSS value of zero that it would report the code.
Be sure to check the transmission speedo drive by removing it! This doesn't take long and could save you lots of time. Its located on the back of the auto box, above where the driveshafts connect. it has a VSS sensor on top of it that is normally covered with a heat shield.
Hope this helps someone.
Also, this mechanical drive may be broken internally but could catch somtimes causing intermitent faults.
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3 Posts
hi there,(golf IV gt tdi 150pd) I too have this problem but its intermittent,sometimes the car appears normal then out of the blue the speedo will drop to zero and the fuel gauge will beep when i go round a corner.i have checked the fuses and cleaned all the terminals under the battery,vag com reports no faults,only thing i can think of that is related is 2 weeks ago i changed the coolant tempature sensor for the new green one and most of my coolant peed down on to the engine while i was swapping the sensors over.could the coolant have gone onto my speed sensor and corroded it? i dont know but will check at the weekend and keep you posted.
tkornacki will try to check my transmission speedo... maybe better say will try to locate it first of all
This problem really makes me go mad... maybe anyone has any pics of that speedo sensor? So as I understood there is a distance sensor in dash which connects to the cluster and second somewhere in the gear box?
This problem really makes me go mad... maybe anyone has any pics of that speedo sensor? So as I understood there is a distance sensor in dash which connects to the cluster and second somewhere in the gear box?
here is a picture of the auto box speed sensor:
![auto box speed sensor]()
manual box speed sensor below:
![]()
There are bigger pictures at this link.
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2001/volkswagen/golf/body_electrical/speedometer_transmitter.html
The VSS (vehicle speed sensor is G22) it is sometimes covered by a heatshield (silver material looking thing): I'm must admit, i'm not sure if this changes throughout the various models around.
![auto box sensor location]()
http://autorepair.about.com/library/a/1h/bl611h.htm
if you remove the sensor you can try rotating it manually and watching the speedo for movement. making sure it is still plugged in.
![]()
Here are some related threads: Similar intermittent problems.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2115556
http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?threadID=23769&tstart=0
manual box speed sensor below:
There are bigger pictures at this link.
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2001/volkswagen/golf/body_electrical/speedometer_transmitter.html
The VSS (vehicle speed sensor is G22) it is sometimes covered by a heatshield (silver material looking thing): I'm must admit, i'm not sure if this changes throughout the various models around.
http://autorepair.about.com/library/a/1h/bl611h.htm
if you remove the sensor you can try rotating it manually and watching the speedo for movement. making sure it is still plugged in.
Here are some related threads: Similar intermittent problems.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2115556
http://tech.bentleypublishers.com/thread.jspa?threadID=23769&tstart=0
tkornacki
Thanks for the pics and info... just read some links which you gave me and decided to take a look once again to my car... took the battery tray out, and saw I think a starter motor and behind him some kind of sensor and a connection to it... what was strange I saw that a power steering hose is really touching the wires of that sensor... so decided to disconnect it and take a look... and guess what I saw that one part of rubber which covers the wire have been really scratched to the main wire by the power steering pipe(metal part of it) and that's why all that 10 amp fuses was blowing up each time I tried to change it...
So put a bit more rubber tape on that, changed the fuse and put back everything where it should be and tried to have ago and guess it`s bloody working the speedo shows the mpg as well... haven`t been driving a lot but seems everything to be fine...
By the way and what I noticed the last couple of weeks when my speedo was not working, that my reversing lights is not working too... changed the bulbs and it was still not working... so had a look now it`s working fine...
Thanks guys for your help and good luck to anyone who haven`t sorted that problem yet....
How to upload pics in here? Silly question but I have no idea
Thanks for the pics and info... just read some links which you gave me and decided to take a look once again to my car... took the battery tray out, and saw I think a starter motor and behind him some kind of sensor and a connection to it... what was strange I saw that a power steering hose is really touching the wires of that sensor... so decided to disconnect it and take a look... and guess what I saw that one part of rubber which covers the wire have been really scratched to the main wire by the power steering pipe(metal part of it) and that's why all that 10 amp fuses was blowing up each time I tried to change it...
So put a bit more rubber tape on that, changed the fuse and put back everything where it should be and tried to have ago and guess it`s bloody working the speedo shows the mpg as well... haven`t been driving a lot but seems everything to be fine...
By the way and what I noticed the last couple of weeks when my speedo was not working, that my reversing lights is not working too... changed the bulbs and it was still not working... so had a look now it`s working fine...
Thanks guys for your help and good luck to anyone who haven`t sorted that problem yet....
How to upload pics in here? Silly question but I have no idea
Same here - mine went haywire, then seemed to be ok for a few days. Got the garage to change the speedo sensor anyway, everything still seems fine. If it goes mental again, at least I'll know it's more likely some wires somewhere !! All my fuses were ok. Have a read further up the thread and maybe try the other fault finding ideas the others have tried (checking the wires underneath the battery tray)
Good luck
GIN - glad you got it sorted !!
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3 Posts
I took my speed sensor out today with the help of my father-in-law, it was easy if anything it was a bit fiddly.[^o)]
The sensor and mechanism looks nothing like the ones on the picture that tkornacki posted. The mechanism on my mk4 golf gt tdi 150 is about 3" long that goes inside the gearbox with a sensor on top.
You can get to it under the bonnet but its easier to go underneath the car first (no need to remove undertray).
This way you can undo the bolt (9mm socket and ratchet) and the mechanism just pulls out (removal of the mechanism is quite tight removal is best done underbonnet once the bolt is removed.) As I said before I changed my coolant sensor and my coolant ran down the gearbox and I found that the vss and mechanism is directly below, on inspection of the mechanism the contacts looked a little corroded so I bought some electrical contact spray for a fiver, sprayed the contacts and put it back in place and viola seems ok now, took car for a spin and speedo and fuel gauge were working fine [] but time will tell I will let ya know how I go on!
Hope this helps anyone having the same problems I have had.
The sensor and mechanism looks nothing like the ones on the picture that tkornacki posted. The mechanism on my mk4 golf gt tdi 150 is about 3" long that goes inside the gearbox with a sensor on top.
You can get to it under the bonnet but its easier to go underneath the car first (no need to remove undertray).
This way you can undo the bolt (9mm socket and ratchet) and the mechanism just pulls out (removal of the mechanism is quite tight removal is best done underbonnet once the bolt is removed.) As I said before I changed my coolant sensor and my coolant ran down the gearbox and I found that the vss and mechanism is directly below, on inspection of the mechanism the contacts looked a little corroded so I bought some electrical contact spray for a fiver, sprayed the contacts and put it back in place and viola seems ok now, took car for a spin and speedo and fuel gauge were working fine [
] but time will tell I will let ya know how I go on!Hope this helps anyone having the same problems I have had.
If you get a chance robertswood, can you please post some pics as well. it may help some other people.
I suspect the difference in sensor is due to diesel / petrol differences of the gearbox.
I never posted a picture of the actual mechanism. i will get around to doing this as well. I found it tricky to get photos on this forum. The only way i could get a photo was to reference one all ready on the internet somewhere. i couldn't find a pic of the mechanism that goes inside the transmission, hence i didn't post a pic. I'll find a way to get my jpg pictures on here.
Its great people are getting this problem sorted. []
I suspect the difference in sensor is due to diesel / petrol differences of the gearbox.
I never posted a picture of the actual mechanism. i will get around to doing this as well. I found it tricky to get photos on this forum. The only way i could get a photo was to reference one all ready on the internet somewhere. i couldn't find a pic of the mechanism that goes inside the transmission, hence i didn't post a pic. I'll find a way to get my jpg pictures on here.
Its great people are getting this problem sorted. [
]
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3 Posts
hi there,found this on the net, this is from a vr6 but looks exactly the same as my speed sensor mechanism on my golf gt tdi 150pd.
my car still seems to be ok been using it over the weekend so fingers crossed.[<)]
![]()
my car still seems to be ok been using it over the weekend so fingers crossed.[<
)]
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11 Posts
Hi there people, just registered on here.
I have the same problem on my 99 golf gt tdi, speedo not working, fuel gauge all over the show! Also it jerks/kangaroos really bad at 1500rpm,but is fine when driving above 1500rpm?can anyone give me a idea what it could be? Replaced the nylon part which goes inside the gearbox, the one with the sensor fits on to! As this was broke, but still no joy? Any info on this would be very helpful.
I have the same problem on my 99 golf gt tdi, speedo not working, fuel gauge all over the show! Also it jerks/kangaroos really bad at 1500rpm,but is fine when driving above 1500rpm?can anyone give me a idea what it could be? Replaced the nylon part which goes inside the gearbox, the one with the sensor fits on to! As this was broke, but still no joy? Any info on this would be very helpful.
I called a local mobile vag specialist. A full scan and a bit of witch-craft + £40
Job done.
Job done.
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11 Posts
Done a scan on it, brings nothing up, really bugging me now, as its terrible to drive!
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38 Posts
hi all i also have this problem with fuel going mad and no speedo working but everything else is working any solution known as the whole thread is confussing to me lol im new here as you all can tell its the bloody ping noise thats doing my head in
Feel I have to bring this post back into life as I'm having the same problem now. I suppose as time goes by the newer MK4's are gonna start getting these's problems.
Our 53 GT TDi has got the annoying fuel gauge going mental (up & down) and the speedo that now doesn't work - plus reversing lights have stopped working too.
I have read this post and will take the battery out at the weekend and check the sensor and connections underneath battery tray.
I just don't wanna go spending money on a sensor without checking what other people have done to cure it.
Does anyone else have this problem or have had this problem? what cured it for you?
Our 53 GT TDi has got the annoying fuel gauge going mental (up & down) and the speedo that now doesn't work - plus reversing lights have stopped working too.
I have read this post and will take the battery out at the weekend and check the sensor and connections underneath battery tray.
I just don't wanna go spending money on a sensor without checking what other people have done to cure it.
Does anyone else have this problem or have had this problem? what cured it for you?
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