brycarp Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 I didn't get a very good shot, but it's probably enough to tell. The Autozone that pulled the code that indicated a speed sensor problem said their computer showed either a "right hand side" or a "left hand side" vehicle speed sensor for a 96 Legacy 5MT. I already needed the VIN to know what replacement shift linkage joint to order for this car too, so obviously there was a mid-model-year change in the manual trans for the 96 year. Also, if I end up trying to find a junkyard part, does anyone know whether the tranny with the sensor on the right hand side would be the "up through part of 1996" style or the "part of 1996 and later" style? This shot is taken on the right side of the tranny, shot upward and forward over the crossmember. The thing I think is the VSS, I drew a red box around in the photo. The speedometer has been intermittent, but is still mostly working. Any guesses about whether it's likely to be the sensor itself in a car with about 160K miles? Should I try to mess with the connector first, before I look for a junkyard VSS? Any tips about the R&R process? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 There was a change in the linkage, no real change in the trans itself. Not real sure of the difference between sensors, could be the difference between automatic and manual trans. Either way, on the manual trans it's on the passenger side of the trans near the dipstick. You should be able to see it from above with little trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Yes, the part in the red box is the VSS. However, the VSS is wired directly to the spedometer head in the dash. The speedo head then generates the signal to send to the computer. So a faulty speedo head could cause the same thing. 99 legacys seem to have a lot of speedo head failures for some reason. 96's it's not usually a problem. The vss unthreads from the transmission, it's a 17mm wrench to pop it loose. Junkyard one should be fine, it's a rare failure. Just make sure the plug is the same as yours. Take yours out first and compare it to the junkyard one before pulling it. No gear oil will leak out with the VSS removed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brycarp Posted May 7, 2011 Author Share Posted May 7, 2011 I really appreciate the info and tips! Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 (edited) i thought all manual trans had the sensor on the left, but i have never sen one so obviously i'm wrong. one cause of a VSS cel in in some years is bad , weak, loose grounding screws on the back side od the speedo head. this is especially true of the 99s the ground on them id so bad that the fix is to add a small ground wire. first, i would pull the speedo and tighten the 4 or 5 screws on the back side of the instrument cluster. i think they are even marked. don't over tighten them just snug them up. to test, the vss can fail, i have a 96 lego that had one. to test (i worried that it was the drive gears inside the trans), i put the drive tip of the VSS in a small tube, vac line i think, and the other end of the tube in my electric drill. i then hookrd the wires up to my volt meter. the bad vss gave me nothing. the good one gave a ''jumpy'' needle. keep the rpm on the drill pretty low, ~700/800 revs = a mile, so keep it in that range. but check the speedo first. intermittent sounds like a loose screw to me. Edited May 7, 2011 by johnceggleston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted May 7, 2011 Share Posted May 7, 2011 Expanding on what John said... What's the code, P0500? Does the speedo still work right? I wrote a guide on why that happens, and how to fix it. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=119744 On the MT there's only one speed censor, they rarely fail. And if it does, good luck getting the bugger out of there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brycarp Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi guys, Yes, the code is the 500 one. I did grab a junkyard sensor to try swapping in today, but this thing with the screws in the cluster looks like it better be the thing I try first. Once again - this place is amazing and I really appreciate the tips!! Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brycarp Posted May 8, 2011 Author Share Posted May 8, 2011 (edited) One more point here. As 987687 said, "Good luck getting the bugger out of there." I'm glad I didn't try to pull it out yet on the car I'm trying to fix, as indeed it is difficult to get out. The main reason is that there's no realistic amount of clearance to manipulate it with a wrench. It's right up against the tranny case. I happened to show up at the junkyard where I got one yesterday at about 15 minutes 'til closing time. The owner agreed to pull the part for me, but even though the engine was already gone on the donor car and therefore the access was easy, it still took him at least 15 minutes to get it out of there. If I had to do it, I'd probably use my small "needle nose" Vise-Grip ( http://www.irwin.com/tools/locking-tools/the-original-long-nose-locking-pliers-with-wire-cutter ) but since I haven't done it I'm not even sure that would have enough swing room. So I'm definitely hoping the speedo screws are the culprit and I won't have to mess with the sensor at all! Edited May 9, 2011 by brycarp Tiny spelling correction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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