Speedometer and Odometer not working?

Tiny
JEDCOOPER32
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 DODGE RAM
  • 5.9L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 170,000 MILES
I just bought the truck listed above 1500, it was swapped from an automatic to a 5 speed Manual. The person I bought it from says that the speedometer and odometer don’t run due to him not replacing the rear end after swapping the transmission. I just need to know if that could be the issue.
Monday, April 17th, 2023 AT 2:45 PM

5 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,071 POSTS
Hi,

The rear differential doesn't make sense to me. The vehicle speed sensor (VSS) is normally in the transmission housing. See pic below.

Check to see if you can locate that on the new transmission. Keep in mind, I have no idea what year or model transmission was used, so what I'm telling you may be wrong. However, I know there are speed sensors used on the differential housing for the ABS system, but not so sure about the speedometer.

Let me know. Note that the transmission in the pic is an automatic. However, the manual transmission should have one in the same area.

Let me know what you find.

Joe

See pic below.
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Tuesday, April 18th, 2023 AT 8:39 PM
Tiny
JEDCOOPER32
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
These are all the connections that are unhooked as far as I can see.
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Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 AT 2:54 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,071 POSTS
Wow. You do have an issue. I'm not even sure where to start, but I do notice a sensor that is not connected to the transmission. See the pic below (I copied your pic).

As far as the handful, I would have to take the wire loom off and start tracking wire colors to see if I can match them.

If you want to try one connector at a time, remove the wire loom and let me know the color of the wires going to a connector and I'll do my best.

Let me know.

Joe

See pic below.
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Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 AT 8:19 PM
Tiny
JEDCOOPER32
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Yeah, it is an issue every wire I tried to connect to that connector and none of them worked.
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Friday, April 21st, 2023 AT 3:40 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 110,071 POSTS
Hi,

It's likely a different type of sensor than was originally on the vehicle.

I attached a pic below of the connector for the vehicle speed sensor. The pic indicates it as a 3-pin connector and provides the wire colors that should be associated with it.

See if you have any connectors with those colors.

Let me know.

Joe

See pic below.
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Friday, April 21st, 2023 AT 10:42 PM

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