Having problems with a speed sensor that works!!! What great Luck!

Hey! Alright heres the dilly-o!

My speedo and odometer have been broken for the longest time! So after reading many threads on speed sensors goind bad (on dsmtuners), I decided to go and look into the problem! OK so i took out the speed sensor, and attached a drill to the end of the metal shaft, and the speedo worked, so there is nothing wrong with the sensor!

SO, here is my question, how long is that metal shaft (the one on the speed sensor, that drops down into the tranny) supposed to be (I hope you know what I am talking about)? Because mine was only about an inch, I fear that maybe it is supposed to be longer!

Also does there have to be transmission fluid in the tranny for the speed sensor to work? Because I think mine is running low (not to sure though, how can I check?)

Thanks very MUCH!!

Ummmmmmmmm..any Help???

There should be a dipstick for checking your transmission fluid. I believe with the 420a its on the drivers side in front of your battery. You are supposed to check tranny fluid when the car is warmed up or running. As for the speed sensor shaft... I'm not real sure about it, but I would think it only has to be about an inch or so...

EDIT: My bad, I noticed that you have a 5 speed and not an automatic... To check the tranny fluid in a 5 speed you have to get under the front side of the tranny and on the driver side there will be a plug about halfway up the side of it. Take the plug out and put your finger in there. The tranny fluid should be right to the bottom of the hole. (Mine actually started coming out when I tried to check it, so I plugged it back up real quick.) If not, then you'll have to get a pump and pump more tranny fluid into it. Or, if you just wanna change it all the drain plug is on the front half of the tranny...

Tranny fluid will not affect the speedo. People would purposely have little tranny fluid to keep their miles low then. IDK how long that piece is supposed to be. If anything, goto pepboys or something and ask to see one. Or even buy one, try it out, then take it back if it doesn't work. Then you know there's something else wrong. But it sounds like you tested it out pretty good.

Thanks for your help guys! Here is my theory:

I think that the speed senor must have a longish metal shaft with a plastic gear/sprocket on the end of it, but when I take out my speed sensor, there is only about 1 inch of shaft to it.

Also when I look at previous maintance on the car (from previous owner) it say that they changed the speed sensor, but 5 miles later it quit working again, so my theory is that the person who put the speed sensor in the first time, maybe attached it at an angle, therefore after a couple runs (5 miles), it caused the shaft to break!

Hopefully this it and that the shaft is still in the gear, who knows!

Tell me what you think!

Once again THANKS!

Could be. Do what I suggested... Thats all I got

I have been having the same problem with my 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS. My Speedo went on me a couple monthes back. After checking up on what code was setting of my check engine light it said that I had a Speed Sensor Type A malfunction (or something like that) I then swaped out my speed sensor but to no avial speedo still not working. So I tried a cluster but that too did not work. I think that the plastic gear inside the engine is broken so that is next on my to do list...Ill let you know how it works out