Wolftron Posted August 17, 2010 Share Posted August 17, 2010 Hey everyone! I have a 99 limited and the speedometer does not work, most of the time anyways. Sometimes it does very briefly. Does this sound like a speed sensor is not working or might it be something else? Also, is there more than one? I plan on trying to pick up parts at a junk yard so what do I need to look for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddywagon Posted August 18, 2010 Share Posted August 18, 2010 it sounds like the speed sensor to me. i could also be in the cable. the speed sensor will be on the pass side on the trans right at the bellhousing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WellsMcKenzie Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 My speedometer wasn't working either. I took it out and put a digital amp meter on the connector to the instrument cluster and found out something wasn't connected in my speedometer. I bought a new one on ebay. The miles are different, but at least my speedometer works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIMITED Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 I did the same. I replaced my cluster, started working again. Buy a new cluster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrobyz Posted August 25, 2010 Share Posted August 25, 2010 I had a similar problem, and the local dealership said I had to get it replaced. It was more money that I did not want to spend, but it works now, so whatever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxxinabox Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 How difficult is it to change the mileage on the odo? I'm not wanting to rollback any miles but I'm having the same issue and would like to put the mileage to something close to what I have when I replace the cluster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viebs Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 yea i just got my 99 outback back from the dealer a few hours ago from the same problem...had to replace the whole cluster, which really sucked cause the car had 189,980 miles on it and i was so excited to see it go past 200k....i even took pics of the odometer every 10k miles....oh well, major bummer...seems to be a common problem with this generation of cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project_Legacy Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 My speedo isnt working on this 99 legacy i just got. If the speedo part of the cluster is bad, is it possible for other parts to get screwed up too? I put new struts and springs on the car and everything was fine. Then i had to remove the front driver side strut/spring again and put it back in. After i did that, my brake light would go off and on. And now my brake stays on. The other cluster components seem to be working fine. Any ideas? EDIT: Also, What year clusters fit a 99? I was looking on ebay and it seems that they pair 95-96 to be similar but doesnt say anything about 99. TIA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danman_83 Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 So I just had this problem in a 99 Legacy Outback that I got and searched the internets and found the solution(at least to my particular problem). Here's a test, if your speedo isn't working and you push in the trip odometer and it starts working again(however briefly) then both of your speed sensors are just fine. The 99s seem to have a problem with a ground in the chipboard of the speedo unit itself. Here's how to fix it. Sorry for the lack of pictures but i'll try to describe it in detail. Start by unhooking your negative battery terminal so you don't zap yourself and/or set of the airbag accidentally. Remove the two screws at the top of the shroud covering the speedometer and the two at the bottom as well underneath the switches(fog lights cruise). Now the whole shroud should come off with a little persuasion and you can get your hand or fingers in there to pop off all the wiring harnesses to your different switches(cruise fog lights etc.) Remember where they are, or as I like to do, take a cell phone picture. Now there are two more screws on the top and two more on the bottom holding your speedometer cluster in place. Remove all of those and wiggle your speedometer out a little bit. There are a total of 4 harnesses to disconnect, one on the top left, two on the top right, and one directly in the middle(the speedo "cable") Take the whole cluster out and bring it inside to work on a table or something. Take the cluster apart by removing the plastic shield in front and unscrewing the 5 screws right behind the speedo head in the back of the board by where the speedo cables' harness was. When you get the whole speedo head out, pull off the chipboard and look at the middle pin of the 5 pins that the harness plugs into. It has a chipboard wire going a few mms to a soldering point called ground. This is the problem with your speedo. The 99s have a bad connection to that ground. THIS IS REALLY EASY!!! all you have to do is take a small wire from anything and solder it to the middle pin and solder the other side to the ground. Voila. You're done! You just bypassed the bad connections on the board with your own wire and now it has constant ground and will be happy. Put everything back together the same way you pulled it apart and your speedometer will be eternally grateful. I had never taken any part of my interior apart, and done VERY little soldering or dealing with chipboards before, and the entire process took me about an hour and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Project_Legacy Posted September 23, 2010 Share Posted September 23, 2010 So I just had this problem in a 99 Legacy Outback that I got and searched the internets and found the solution(at least to my particular problem). Here's a test, if your speedo isn't working and you push in the trip odometer and it starts working again(however briefly) then both of your speed sensors are just fine. The 99s seem to have a problem with a ground in the chipboard of the speedo unit itself. Here's how to fix it. Sorry for the lack of pictures but i'll try to describe it in detail. Start by unhooking your negative battery terminal so you don't zap yourself and/or set of the airbag accidentally. Remove the two screws at the top of the shroud covering the speedometer and the two at the bottom as well underneath the switches(fog lights cruise). Now the whole shroud should come off with a little persuasion and you can get your hand or fingers in there to pop off all the wiring harnesses to your different switches(cruise fog lights etc.) Remember where they are, or as I like to do, take a cell phone picture. Now there are two more screws on the top and two more on the bottom holding your speedometer cluster in place. Remove all of those and wiggle your speedometer out a little bit. There are a total of 4 harnesses to disconnect, one on the top left, two on the top right, and one directly in the middle(the speedo "cable") Take the whole cluster out and bring it inside to work on a table or something. Take the cluster apart by removing the plastic shield in front and unscrewing the 5 screws right behind the speedo head in the back of the board by where the speedo cables' harness was. When you get the whole speedo head out, pull off the chipboard and look at the middle pin of the 5 pins that the harness plugs into. It has a chipboard wire going a few mms to a soldering point called ground. This is the problem with your speedo. The 99s have a bad connection to that ground. THIS IS REALLY EASY!!! all you have to do is take a small wire from anything and solder it to the middle pin and solder the other side to the ground. Voila. You're done! You just bypassed the bad connections on the board with your own wire and now it has constant ground and will be happy. Put everything back together the same way you pulled it apart and your speedometer will be eternally grateful. I had never taken any part of my interior apart, and done VERY little soldering or dealing with chipboards before, and the entire process took me about an hour and a half. Great! Now I dont have to go buy another one! And I solder everyday at work so this should be cake! Thanks for the info! EDIT: Looks like most of the people in here that have/had issues have 99's.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolftron Posted September 24, 2010 Author Share Posted September 24, 2010 Thanks danman! I'll try it out even though the trip doesn't seem to have any effect. Anything that's free in a process of elimination type of problem comes first without a doubt. I'll try it later this week and post the result. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxxinabox Posted September 26, 2010 Share Posted September 26, 2010 I found photos of the fix online. It should be the photo in the top left corner (picture #5) but, if it changes for some reason, it's the one with the blue S-shaped wire. It is possible to get to it without tearing your whole board down like this guy did. http://imagehosting.gr/gallery/3450-Subaru-Legacy-1999-speedo-problem/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolftron Posted September 29, 2010 Author Share Posted September 29, 2010 i tried this last night and it worked! and it is easy to get to without taking the board off of the speedo. thanks a million guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmann Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Thanks Danman! I fixed my 99 legacy tonight. One change I would suggest. The solder point on my board is labeled "S P". Not "ground". It is where the filiment on the board takes the middle pin on the connector. I found the picture I think foxxinabox spoke of in a thread on ultimatesubaru called 99speedofix. Could not find it on imagehosting. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty2Hotty Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Someone please post pictures to the forum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 the blue wire is the fix. http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/johnceggleston/m86025_dscn2765.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolftron Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Here are the pictures. The last one has the connection that is the culprit. Fixed with the blue wire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolftron Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 Oh, sorry. I didn't realize johnegg had already posted the pic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmann Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Here is the picture. http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/johnceggleston/m86025_dscn2765.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted October 23, 2011 I Donated Share Posted October 23, 2011 The blue wire is how you fix it http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/johnceggleston/m86025_dscn2765.jpg -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 wait, is it the blue wire?? http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/johnceggleston/m86025_dscn2765.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolftron Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Lmao, I NEED MORE PICTURES!... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Donated broknindarkagain Posted October 25, 2011 I Donated Share Posted October 25, 2011 Just incase you didn't understand it the first 5 times, its the blue wire http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg240/johnceggleston/m86025_dscn2765.jpg -broknindarkagain My Current Project - Click Here COME AND TAKE IT "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surbahar Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Did more people have diagnostic success with the procedure of pressing the trip reset button and having temporary speedometer functionality? I've just had the speedo fail at over 257k this morning. Error codes generated are P1507 and P1540, according to AutoZone. I can't afford to buy the Haynes or Chilton's right now in case I need to buy a new speedometer cable if it is not this electrical problem. Advice or thoughts from people? Thanks! -Josh new-to-me 99 Legacy wagon, AT, AWD, 257k+. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twisty Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 https://docs.google.com/folderview?pli=1&id=0B6P6dybMMzg9Z004U05OVHFFMWM theres the full service manual for a 96 legacy, theres other years here on the site somewhere. that should help for a lot of the questions. as for the trip reset helping, my 95 doesnt react at all with a trip reset, but the only prob that one has is the speedo bounces when under 20 mph. from what ive read, its likely the speed sensors (one or both) rather than the cabling that goes bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.