Speedometer and serious gauge reading low problem....Please help!!!

phils89sc

Registered User
When I first start driving in the morning, or after the car has sat for awhile, the speedo will work fine. But after roughly 6 minutes or so, every time, it will start to give out, dropping to zero, then back up to whatever speed I am at, then back to zero, till finally it goes to zero then stops functioning altogether. I am not sure if it is the signal coming from the speed sender/sensor on the tranny (5speed) or the speedo itself. My cruise control will continue to function, if that matters at all. Also, all of m gauges seem to read low, oil pressure, temp, and the fuel runs out just above the red line above 'E'. Can anyone offer any advice here?

Thanks

Phil Stocker
 
Speedometer & Gauges

hhhmmmm well i don't think its the speed sensor. If it was the speed sensor then i should only affect the speedometer. Question ?, does the odometer keep working even if the speedometer stops working ??... I think you might have a wire that is not proper connected. loose wire....
 
Re: Speedometer & Gauges

Yhe odometer quits working altogether as well. As for my other gauges being wrong, I know they are off, especially the fuel level because when the level gets down to just about a hair above 1/4 tank, the low fuel sign turns on on the module above the stereo. At about just a hair above the red line on the fuel level gauge, the 'check guage' light comes on on the dash. In my past experiences with my other 2 SC's (89, 90), the 'check guage light does not come on till well below the 'E'. Then there is my oil pressure guage, which is now riding almost on 'L', way below the normal range. For this one I think I will need to hook up a mechanical Autometer guage because I have never trusted the factory Ford 'Idiot' guages. Any Ideas?

Thanks

Phil Stocker
 
Had the same problem with my 92, except girlfriend just thought the car was getting amazing mileage...it ran on a 1/4 tank for three days! sputtersputter....cough. Mine turned out to be a problem in the fuse box. One of the fuses (sorry I dont remember which) controls the gage panel. Someone had used a "fuse tapper" at some point and spread the socket that accepts the fuse so that it would be intermittant when it moved around. Start your car and while watching the dash move the fuses from side to side and push on them. If your problem is the same as mine, you will see the gauge jump to life.
 
Speedometer & Gauges

hey JPPadula you are absolutely right, i forgot about the fuse in the fuse box.. Well i know that the fuse is in the fuse fox inside the passenger compartement, and that its a fuse rated at 5 Amps.. hope this helps.
 
I have had this problem with most of my fords. There is a voltage regulator that feeds power to the gauges. It is usually mounted to the cluster but I am not sure where it is on our SC's. This goes bad and causes the gauges to read low. If all gauges read low, then it usually the instrument cluster voltage regulator. This is not always the case but hopefully it helps.
 
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