I have a '92 Legacy w/auto trans. It has the mechanical speedometer with cable running to the transmission. When the plastic gear in the transmission failed my speedometer died. Apparently the only way to replace this gear is to pull the transmission (told this by two dealer mechanics). I think having to do this is an incredibly poor design.

I recently had to pull the VSS in my Nissan 200sx and it was a piece of cake(one bolt holding it in, then pull right out).

What year did Subaru change from a mechanical to electrical VSS?

On later models can the VSS be removed without dropping the trans. like on my Nissan?

Since this is an older/high mileage car I opted for using a GPS unit as a speedometer. Not perfect, but seemed to be the best of a bad situation.

I have a '92 Legacy w/auto trans. It has the mechanical speedometer with cable running to the transmission. When the plastic gear in the transmission failed my speedometer died. Apparently the only way to replace this gear is to pull the transmission (told this by two dealer mechanics). I think having to do this is an incredibly poor design.

I recently had to pull the VSS in my Nissan 200sx and it was a piece of cake(one bolt holding it in, then pull right out).

What year did Subaru change from a mechanical to electrical VSS?

On later models can the VSS be removed without dropping the trans. like on my Nissan?

Since this is an older/high mileage car I opted for using a GPS unit as a speedometer. Not perfect, but seemed to be the best of a bad situation.

 

Thats a common design for cable driven spedos, as it is not that often the gear goes bad. Its the same for most automatics since the begning of time (or at least 1938).

The VSS started coming about in 1995, and was completly switched over in 1996.

 

nipper

My 97 OB has an electric VSS and it lso has a bad gear in the diff.

 

You are correct, pretty bad design, with OBD II - I can't get it inspected because of the bad gear.

 

ECU and TCU use it's output.

 

Max bummer indeed.

The gear is still there.....it's just whether the speedometer uses a cable to an electronic head in the speedometer, or an electrical pickup at the transmission.

The gear is still there.....it's just whether the speedometer uses a cable to an electronic head in the speedometer, or an electrical pickup at the transmission.

 

Right, but as I said, on my Nissan the sensor? with the plastic gear that fits into the trans. just pulled right out. Don't know why Subaru didn't make theirs as easy (inexpensive) to replace.

Right, but as I said, on my Nissan the sensor? with the plastic gear that fits into the trans. just pulled right out. Don't know why Subaru didn't make theirs as easy (inexpensive) to replace.

yes , the sensor with the plastic gear fits into the trans, b ut what drives the plastic gear. probably another plastic gear that you have to open the transmission to replace. maybe not, i don't know trannys. but i would think a metal gear on a plastic one wouldn't last long, but what do i know.

yes , the sensor with the plastic gear fits into the trans, b ut what drives the plastic gear. probably another plastic gear that you have to open the transmission to replace. maybe not, i don't know trannys. but i would think a metal gear on a plastic one wouldn't last long, but what do i know.

 

Technically its a nylon gear and they are fairly durable. What makes them go bad is when wahtever they are driving starts to seize up.

 

nipper

nylon,krylon

The VSS on mine is just a Hall effect device, read very easy to turn,

imagine a speedo cable needing lubed?

 

I believe in my case the small connection link

(thin stamped metal tang) broke and this jam

caused the nylon gear to strip.

 

No matter, it is a shame to have to pull the tranny and

open and strip the diff to service this part.

 

If FHI is so smart -- why not put the metal gear

on the diff output and the nylon on an

externally replaceable shaft?

 

As it is, the metal gear which is on the shaft that turns the VSS, it has to be removed from the diff

internal section even before changing the nylon gear

which is on the output shaft.

Again dumb idea for a device so important to the correct operation of a vehicle.

I own over a dozen Subarus and this has to be one of the worst cases of under engineering I have experienced.

 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

Nicely centered gear contact patches.

 

So, does Flatuous Blather = All_Talk ? (For that matter, does "flatuous" = "fatuous"?)

 

Happy New Year to you, too.