About Vehicle Speed Sensors:
The vehicle speed sensor is used to measure the vehicle transmission output, or wheel speeds. They are located at the transmission or trans axle. There are usually two speed sensors that work together for a more accurate result. Automatic vehicles use this data to calculate the speed of your vehicle and and use this to select the best gear for you vehicle to be in and when to change gears. Your car may also use this information to adjust fuel injection timing and make your engine more efficient.
How serious is a damaged vehicle speed sensor:
A vehicle speed sensor is very important in manual and automatic transmissions. If you find that yours is faulty it would be best to take your car to a garage as soon as possible, to prevent possible damage to your transmission and other parts of your vehicle. Otherwise if you persist on driving with a damaged vehicle speed sensor the car may go into “limp mode” locking your car into a low gear to protect other car parts, allowing you to drive your car far enough to a auto repairer to get it repaired / replaced.
Diagnostics:
The most common fault code for vehicle speed sensors is P0500. This fault code could be caused by the following and will be display on a scan tool if the cars computer detects a malfunction vehicle speed sensor:
– Metal Contamination – If your speed sensor is contaminated with metal it may not function properly.
– Worn Gears – Over time the gears that are used to calculate the speed in the speed sensor may wear down and become damaged.
– Water Damage – Depending on where exactly the sensor is placed, it is possible for the sensor to get water damage and corrode, rust, or not work properly.
– Electrical issues – Like most sensors in your car, if the vehicle speed sensor circuit has a short, open or lose wires it will cause the sensor to not work.
Learn more about the fault code
Symptoms of a damaged vehicle speed sensor:
– Check Engine light – This will turn on if the car computer detects a faulty vehicle speed sensor.
– Hard Gear shifting (Automatic) – If you experience hard gear shifting in your automatic vehicle, it may be because your power-train control module (PCM) is not getting a good speed reading from a speed sensor. This means it will not be able to change gears properly, and may change gears at improper times.
– Cruise control not working – If you’re speed sensor is not working, your car will not be able to maintain a constant speed and cruise control will not work.
– Non functional or incorrect speed display – If you feel the speed displayed is different to what you are travelling, it could be because of your speed sensor not working.
Vehicle speed sensor replacements in Hamilton:
If your vehicle speed sensor is damaged, our experienced, talented mechanics at Grimmer Motors can help. Our mechanics can diagnose and replace a damaged or failed vehicle sensor and get you back on the road in no time.
At Grimmer Motors we offer a range of diagnostic scans and repairs. After reading a fault code for a vehicle speed sensor we can do further diagnostic to isolate the exact issue plus do the needed repairs and can get it right first time.
For all diagnostic checks or vehicle speed sensor replacements in Hamilton, contact Grimmer Motors today!