Mates got an early T plate Focus Zetec (1.8) and the speedo doesnt work (hasnt since he bought it). He took it to a garage who wanted £200 to sort?!!!! Doesnt the speedo rely on a cable via the gearbox, if so how hard are they to change?

Chris

 

Speedo is run by the 'VSS' / Vehicle Speed Sensor, which is indeed in the gear box. It doesn't cost anywhere near £200, but bear in mind they will be charging labour on top, although it shouldn't take that long!!

 

If it is the VSS, they can be a complete nightmare to replace, as they're very hard to remove. If it snaps, then it's a gearbox out job.

Think I paid about £40 for the actual sensor, and it took a full day to get it out. Yours may be easier, and it may be the actual clocks, and not the VSS.

 

The vehicle speed sensors on these are quite common for failing and as said above can be a complete bastard to replace if the pin which secures it in place is seized.

To check whether the sensor is faulty, it may be worth putting it on a diagnostic machine and go into the live readings/data logging/measured values (whatever you wanna call it) and there should be a function to read vehicle speed. Take the car for a drive with it plugged in and see if there is a reading. If it reads a value, it's unlikely to be a sensor fault.

Try that first as you'd be proper pissed off it you spend a whole day changing it and it still doesn't work!!

 

Even if the pin's not seized it's still a 'mare to get the actual sensor to come out.

If it turns out to be the VSS use a good pair of side-cutters to carefully lever the pin out, then keep wiggling the sensor while pulling upwards and it will slowly come out. They don't like to be rushed. TBH I'd be wary of taking it to a garage as they may just use brute force, and snap it, knowing that you'll be picking up the tab for getting it out the long winded way.

 

I can't say that I've ever had a problem getting the actual sensor out of the box tbh but it has been a while since I last did one.

 

I got mole grips on mine, not too tightly mind, then as I wiggled it an assistant used a very long hammer cap screwdriver against the mole grips and whacked it as I wiggled it and it came out quite easily

When refitting I greased the vss where it located in the gearbox and used large water pump pliers to gently press it into place

 

Excellent cheers guys, sounds like a bit of a bitch to do. I'll shop around various mechanics to get prices, £200 did sound a bit steep. If it were a simple job i'd do it for him but it would be just my luck i'd snap the bloody thing!!!!

 

Dash clusters do fail too, so could be that.

Normally when the VSS goes it just fails intermittently. A good tip I heard is to pour some boiling water over the gearbox before removing the vss, makes it a bit easier to get out apparantely!