1999 T4 Caravelle / Transporter Speedo Sensor. Help wanted.

[vortexturbo1988]

Hi everyone.
I need some help.
My speedo had been erratic over last few months, and now has finally stopped working. And fuel gauge now fluctuates.
I have found on google, that this could be due to many different issues. One being the speedo sensor.
However, as mine is the Caravelle, there is a lot of **** under the bonnet, and is very hard to see the top of the manual gearbox. I have also dropped the engine guard, and tried looking from underneath, also very hard. I can find a sensor that is shrouded in a foil boot, when looking from underneath, this is at the back of the gearbox, over the top of the left cv, (roughly), the cable is inside a rubber tube, that heads up into where the battery compartment is, and is only one cable that is mounted to terminal block of some sort. So, I am thinking this is not it.

Can anyone please upload a photo of where it is on the gearbox. If I know where to look, then it will make things simpler to find I cant find a workshop manual anywhere that show a diagram or photo of it's location.

Also what I did find, which I thought was unusual. An exposed hole at front op of the gearbox, near the position of where the starter motor is. It is a hole of a bout 15 to 20mm in diameter. And when you look into the hole, is a cog drive. looking like a ring gear, but to fine a tooth to be a flywheel I think. What is this, and is it normal for it to be exposed. I can upload a photo of this if needed.

Cheers David.

[Seano]

The hole is to enable timing...I'm assuming this is a manual box rather than an auto? Also need to know which engine...

It'll either be cable driven (in which case, the driveshaft will be found on top of the differential) or electronic (in which case, the transducer should be on the left side of the transmission just above the driveshaft drive flange).

[vortexturbo1988]

Yes it is manual. It is a 2.5 littre petrol engine. Is there any chance of a photo as I have looked everywhere, but it is very hard, in fact extremely hard to see with so much stuff crammed over the top the transmission. Form what I understand, that it is probably an electronic, but I am buggered if I can find it. I thought I was on a a winner when looking from underneath the engine and transmission, and found what I think is a sensor but it is inside a foil packaged boot. But is has a rubber hose covering one wire, so I dont think that is it. And that is located above the driveshaft flange / cv on the left side of vehicle. And i can not remove the foil boot, without ripping it, and I dont particularly wish to do this.

[Seano]

Can't help with a photo...mine is a TDi Syncro. Besides I'd have to lift it up and drop the belly pan. Suffice to say it should be a 2 pin multiplug under a rubber boot...

[vortexturbo1988]

Thanks. Yeah,I know what the part looks like, and I do know that it has either 2 or 3 wires to it, but I am buggered if I can see it from underneath the vehicle with the engine pan removed, even with it up on wheel stands and looking,. Not looking like I will find the answer on the forum. So, I may end up in having to take to VW specialist, which I dont have much a choice of here in Tasmania. Thanks again.

[Sunny43.5]

Wait a bit longer there are two guys on here who are specalist VW guys , Umai and Transporter I am sure once they see this they will have an answer for you .

[vortexturbo1988]

Thanks. Just hoping someone may have a transmission lying around that could take a photo. Or maybe a decent workshop manual that has a photo, or even a diagram. I have looked thorough one workshop manual and they say very little about the sensor, and show no photo. Okay, I will wait a bit longer to see if anyone can help me out. Thanks now, David.

[vortexturbo1988]

Hopefully, cross fingers, problem is solved. Pulled dash out this morning. Then stripped it down. Then with the aide of a led lit electronic technicians, magnifying glass, I went over the circuit board looking for dry joints, or breaks in trace on board. I could not find any dry joints, but I was not game, to remove gauges from the board to fully check the up wards side, the underside side was all fine. But I think I located a suspect in a trace that leads from the plug connector. So I scraped it back and tried soldering the length of the trace, that wasn't working to satisfaction, So I soldered in a jumper wire to replace the full length of the trace.Put it all back together and took it for a test run. It all works fine, but also the speedo did come good yesterday, when I was driving it,so I really don't totally know if I have fixed it or not. TIME WILL TELL.

[vortexturbo1988]

Problem not solved. Just done a 120km drive. The speedo stopped working after 70km, and fuel gauge erratic once again. Back to the drawing board once again. I need to find where the speedo sensor is located on the gearbox!!!!!!!! Frustrating as I can not find it. Photos of location would really appreciate it.

[Sendo_VW_multivan_2010]

1999 T4 Caravelle / Transporter Speedo Sensor. Help wanted.

Removed wrong sensor.

If you have 2 issues fuel gauge and speed sensor then you could have 2 separate issues or it maybe something common to both? Supply voltage, earth, connector at instruments cluster.
You really need a wiring diagram.
Sorry just a VW owner not a VW tech.


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[vortexturbo1988]

Thanks for your post. I had already seen this youtube clip, but it is of no help.
I do have a schematic wiring diagram, but it is of no help either, except for when I worked on the cluster.
The cluster and connections at the cluster are now all OK.
I may just take it to a mechanic,or auto electrician to fix.....HUGE EXPENSE.
I was hoping someone may have a transmission out of vehicle and be able to have posted a photo showing the sensor.
Cheers and thanks once again David.

[Sendo_VW_multivan_2010]

Speedo/fuel gauge not working HELP PLEASE | VW T4 Forum - VW T5 Forum
Found this


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[vortexturbo1988]

Thanks again. I had also seen this thread a few weeks ago. Still was of no use. I have undone a lot of wiring looms coming through the fire wall, and can not find any faulty wiring. I really need to find the sensor and then put a volt meter across the wiring at that point, and also measure the sensor. If the the sensor measures okay, then I can follow the wiring loom from the sensor back to the dash by putting a signal in to the cable. I do think that the tdi version is different to the 2.5 litre petrol version. And then I also know that the early 2.5 litre versions are different again to mine.
But thanks very much for your help.

[Sendo_VW_multivan_2010]

Any local VW clubs?


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[vortexturbo1988]

Ha, Ha, Ha. None any where near me. There are old VW's on the road, but I havent seen any club. Anyhow, my van is now off the road at this moment due to faulty fuel received, when purchased last week, and looking expensive to fix.