I have a 93 Civic Dx and recently the speedometer started to act strange. Sometimes it will just drop to 0 for long periods, sometimes it will work properly for long periods, and other times it bounces around. I noticed lately that when its acting funny it seems to feel as if the engine to switch between gears. For example the needle will drop to 0 and at the same time I feel a slight change in the engine...as if the the gears changed or some power was lost (just slight).

Within a few weeks of this problem the engine light began to go on. Sometimes during the problem sometimes on its own. It also tends to come on and off randomly (probably not random though). I had a nickle size hole in the exhaust tube just before the muffler for the last few months and don't know if the pressure loss could have affected anything back at the engine? I tried posting this before with no luck. Any help would be appreciated. I have the inlaws coming in and they'll want to be driven all around the island. Hopefully someone can sympathize.

Thanks

 

Sounds like a bad speed sensor. Mine went out not long ago and I had the same types of problems (go down to zero then bounce back up after a mile or so, engine rpm would drop (especially when idling - sometimes my car would die because the RPM's were too low). Since I have a manual tranny I didn't have a problem with downshifting. Eventually the sensor will die completely (took mine 2 weeks).

If you can find the speed sensor (should be on the back of your transmission) it should be a easy fix. Expect to pay around 70$ at the dealer for the part. If they do the work bend over for at least 300$

 

Thanks. I assume thats the same as the Velocity Speed Sensor or VSS as I have seen it called. I will give that a shot. Maybe I can get lucky and find one in the junk yard.