Q: Instrument cluster on the dash, tachometer bounces, speedometer at 0. Unplugged ABS module, speedometer at 0. doesn't shift gears

asked by on October 12, 2016

My dash has just recently started going haywire. My Tachometer will bounce up and down along with the temperature gauge. My Emergency brake light stays on and my Speedometer will sit at zero regardless of what speed I am going. The ABS light remains on as well. The AC does not blow cold air when this happens. I read that it could be the ABS module about to go out and to try driving around with it unplugged to see if the dash situation persists. I tried that and when I do, speedometer still sits at 0 and my car does not shift gears while in drive. When i re-plug the ABS module back in, it drives like normal and the dash works like its supposed to but only for a short time before it starts doing what it did before, but during the time the dash is going crazy with the ABS module still plugged in, the car drives normally. I took it to Auto zone to get diagnostics run on it. The only error it could find suggested that my speed sensor encountered an intermittent problem. What could it be?

My car has 114000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hello. There are a lot of possible issues that can cause this. Most of the time this is either due to a short in the ABS module or it may just be a voltage issue. I would usually start by making sure that the battery and alternator are in good shape. If they are good, then I check the connections at the battery and the ground connections. Any of these will cause this issue if they are interrupting the voltage supply. If those are all fine, then it will need a new ABS module. I recommend having another expert provide an inspection for the car. A qualified professional from YourMechanic can inspect the relevant electrical systems in order to diagnose the problem and advise you on correct repairs.

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