'94 Speedometer Stopped Working

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My speedometer stopped working a while back without any other symptoms, so I pulled the speedo and had the same burn marks. It also appears the bottom of the cap is burned out also. Would it be possible to replace the cap with one of the same value, or do the burned tracings mean the board is bad as well.
 
My speedo does the erratic jumping... going 40 and it starts dancing around up to 100 then sometimes it just quits all together... sometimes I don't have any issues and it works 100%

No other problems with shifting or blinking lights...

I am going to pull the cluster and see if I have the burn marks and try the jumper wire that Bigduke6 tried if so.

Have any of you had the erratic speed jumping or just no speedo?

I just put a speedo app on my phone but the wifey want it fixed so she can drive it.
 
Btt. My speedo in my '94 started doing the jumping needle thing and then quick working all together. what's weird is that while it was in the process of failing, it show bounce around from 0 to 80 or so with the truck not moving at all. I don't think it's the sensor.

Is this burned board thing getting more common? I am at 197k miles showing on the odometer now.
 
Any one have any photos of where the sensor is located?

my 94 stops working and then all of the sudden starts again and it just started doing this over the weekend.
 
Any one have any photos of where the sensor is located?

my 94 stops working and then all of the sudden starts again and it just started doing this over the weekend.

No pics - see post #24 for a description of where it is.
 
It doesn't seem (in my case at least) the burned tracings had anything to due with the non functioning speedometer. It looked like the cap was bad on mine also so I changed it, still no speedo. I ordered up a used one that also had the burned spot and it works fine.
 
Drove the 80 yesterday and for the first time I noticed it was having shifting issues with the trans and the spedo was NOT working. Then after about 15 Min the trans started shifting normal and the spedo was still NOT working. Then 15 min later the spedo started working again and all was well in the world.

Could I maybe just need to clean the plugs on the sensor or should I just take the hit and get a new sensor??
 
Just to bump this back up with an update. I picked up a used vss assembly for the tcase and swapped it out for my original. This fixed my issue and my speedo/odo are now working normally again. $45 for the complete used assembly including the harness and piece that slides into the tcase.
 
The following is for my '94.

This thread was a huge help to me so I wanted to follow up with my own experience. I encountered speedo/odometer failure the other day followed by a flashing "O/D Off" light on the dash. Read the code and it returned a Code 42 (vehicle speed sensor #1). I was not experiencing any issues with the transmission shifting, rough idle, etc. While investigating the problem online over the next couple of days, the CEL (Check Engine Light) came on. It read a Code 71 (a super ambiguous "EGR"). After reading a hypothesis on another thread that the Code 42 can actually cause a Code 71, I decided to just focus on the Code 42.

While there is conflicting information on Mud as to which speed sensor is the No. 1, it is the one on the transfer case. I crawled underneath to discover the sensor was not only loose, but soaked in gear oil. Thanks to this thread, it prompted me to not only replace the sensor, but also the sleeve sub-assembly as that's how the oil was infiltrating the sensor.

Part number for the Speed Sensor is 83181-20040
Part number for the Sleeve Sub-Assembly is 33404-22010

This should not be confused with part number 83181-24060 which is also listed as a speed sensor and on some sites is actually labeled as the "correct" part number and even Norwalk Toyota's website states 83181-20040 will not fit. IGNORE THIS INFORMATION.
1993717


If you are looking to replace the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) #1, 83181-20040 IS THE CORRECT PART NUMBER.

After replacing the sub-assembly sleeve and the sensor itself (I did go cheap aftermarket on the sensor as the ease of replacement in case of failure takes away any potential annoyance of having to replace the sensor more frequently), the speedometer and odometer started working immediately. I then pulled the EFI fuse to reset the CEL codes. I drove it 100 miles the next day and both the Code 42 and Code 71 stayed away. Between the $10 Amazon sensor and the sub-assembly sleeve ($28 from the dealership), the fix cost less than $40.

On a separate note, the tripmeter hasn't worked for the past couple years and I'm assuming it's related to a failed trace on the back of the speedometer itself. Here's an example thread of that issue. It seems to be the next step people take if replacing the VSS doesn't resolve the issue.

I hope this helps reduce confusion for those encountering this issue in the future.
 
Now I’m eating my words. Code 71 came back tonight. Will update once I figure out what’s causing it and if it was related it or coincidental.
 
Now I’m eating my words. Code 71 came back tonight. Will update once I figure out what’s causing it and if it was related it or coincidental.
Any update?
 
My 1994 FZJ-80 now has a non- functional speedometer/ odometer and is also burned on the back. Tried the jumper wires between solder points and it worked for a while. I think these questions have been asked previously, but here’s what I’d like to know:

1. Has anyone determined what the cause of the charring is?
2. Is there an aftermarket instrument cluster option? I haven’t seen one. For my square body Chevy I could get a whole new set of digital gauges If I wanted.
3. Is there anyone who could restore these Speedo’s professionally and fix the root problem?

Here’s my Speedo with only 170,000 miles.

12182868-D29D-4030-AE34-21E40EBD78BC.jpeg
 
Last edited:
The following is for my '94.

This thread was a huge help to me so I wanted to follow up with my own experience. I encountered speedo/odometer failure the other day followed by a flashing "O/D Off" light on the dash. Read the code and it returned a Code 42 (vehicle speed sensor #1). I was not experiencing any issues with the transmission shifting, rough idle, etc. While investigating the problem online over the next couple of days, the CEL (Check Engine Light) came on. It read a Code 71 (a super ambiguous "EGR"). After reading a hypothesis on another thread that the Code 42 can actually cause a Code 71, I decided to just focus on the Code 42.

While there is conflicting information on Mud as to which speed sensor is the No. 1, it is the one on the transfer case. I crawled underneath to discover the sensor was not only loose, but soaked in gear oil. Thanks to this thread, it prompted me to not only replace the sensor, but also the sleeve sub-assembly as that's how the oil was infiltrating the sensor.

Part number for the Speed Sensor is 83181-20040
Part number for the Sleeve Sub-Assembly is 33404-22010

This should not be confused with part number 83181-24060 which is also listed as a speed sensor and on some sites is actually labeled as the "correct" part number and even Norwalk Toyota's website states 83181-20040 will not fit. IGNORE THIS INFORMATION.
View attachment 1993717

If you are looking to replace the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) #1, 83181-20040 IS THE CORRECT PART NUMBER.

After replacing the sub-assembly sleeve and the sensor itself (I did go cheap aftermarket on the sensor as the ease of replacement in case of failure takes away any potential annoyance of having to replace the sensor more frequently), the speedometer and odometer started working immediately. I then pulled the EFI fuse to reset the CEL codes. I drove it 100 miles the next day and both the Code 42 and Code 71 stayed away. Between the $10 Amazon sensor and the sub-assembly sleeve ($28 from the dealership), the fix cost less than $40.

On a separate note, the tripmeter hasn't worked for the past couple years and I'm assuming it's related to a failed trace on the back of the speedometer itself. Here's an example thread of that issue. It seems to be the next step people take if replacing the VSS doesn't resolve the issue.

I hope this helps reduce confusion for those encountering this issue in the future.
I’ve read through what you attached and your suggestions. I’m getting the same 71 code on my 94. Speedometer, odometer, and cruise won’t work. Also have a flashing o/d light this happens intermittently. I replaced the vss sensor at the output shaft of the transfer case but still nothing. Didn’t replace the sleeve but it looked fine? The only thing I can come up with is the speedometer is bad.
 

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