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99 Outback Speedometer Replacement


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Guest 99obw

I am going to replace the speedometer because it has been intermittent for a couple of years now. What should I do with the airbag before I go tearing into the dash?

 

Thanks,

 

99obw

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Guest PAezb

Just disconnect the negative battery terminal and wait a couple of minutes (this from the Haynes Manual). I had a similar issue with my speedometer needle jumping around in the 0-30mph range, and then would work smoothly above 30mph. I was able to remove the instrument cluster without removing the steering wheel - tight fit but can be done. Just lower the steering wheel height to the lowest position and put a towel across the steering console to avoid getting any scratches on the clear plastic.

 

Are you sure it's the speedometer? Perhaps is just the connections needing to be reseated to the cluster. Mine was actually the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) thats mounted on top of the tranny (auto). Replaced it at a cost of $65 from Liberty Subaru and all works well now. I've also heard of a break in the wire cabling running from vss to the speedometer being a issue.

 

Just want you to make sure you're not spending cash and time in the wrong area.

 

Paul

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Guest theotherskip

i also agree that it probably isn't the speedometer. new speedometers are electronic, and tend to be very reliable. their sensors tend to go bad. i read through the service procedure for the 97. check for good power and ground to the speedo, then check the resistance across the vehicle speed sensor 2 - it should be between 350-450 ohms.

 

to check it for output, you can either connect jumpers to the car so that you can read the sensor while moving, or jack the car up. at a speed of greater than 12mph, you should get an AC voltage of greater than 5V. if you have an oscilliscope available, you should get a clean sine wave out of the sensor...otherwise it is bad. if you need more specific info, let me know. all of this data is from the 97 service manual, but i would find it hard to believe that it changed drastically between 97 and 99...

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