Speed Sensor Problem

Hey guys,

I just recently swapped transmissions on my manual 00 OBS, with a tranny from a 1998 manual OBS, and everything went splendidly, except for the speed sensor compatibility.

The 2000 speed sensor on the transmission has an external plug with three prongs, from which is clipped a pig-tail wire that goes up into the engine compartment that also has three prongs.

The speed sensor on the 98 transmission is quite different, and there's actually no plug that comes off from the sensor. The sensor itself has the "pig-tail" built into it, and at the end of THAT there are two prongs. The guy who helped me do it is a ASE tech and he insists there's no way of splicing those wires or anything, to make it work. Additionally, going to O'Reilly's confirms that the 2000 sensor and the 1998 are both different INTERNALLY as well, so I couldn't take the 2000 speed sensor and put it into the 98 tranny.

I'm pretty illiterate when it comes to electrical issues, so any help would be appreciated. What are some solutions, if any?

I'm not really worried about losing my speedometer, as I can get around that to know what my speed is...but losing my odometer is another story. Let me know! Thanks.

-Andre

You can just swap the speed sensors. Take them both out, put the original one in your current transmission and it'll work fine. Same deal when I put a 98 forester transmission in my 2000 outback, I had to swap from the two wire speed sensor to the original 3 wire type.

The black plastic 3-wire ones are a wicked bugger to get out, just go at it carefully and patiently. 

The drive paddle thing on the 3-wire ones is a separate piece, you'll see what I mean when you unthread the sensor. Just make sure that lines up with the groove when you install it in the new trans (this statement will make a lot more sense when it's apart and you're looking at it)

Huh, really? See, we didn't remove the vss from the 2000 tranny because we were afraid to break it, and O'Reillys looked at the fitment and said it wouldn't fit anyway. But you're saying it's just a matter of modifying the fit a little? I hope it's the same with my 98 obs tranny as it was with your 98 forester tranny. Thanks for the tip, I'll let you know how it goes.

You can put any vss into any transmission. Be it cable or electronic with NO modification. Their parts catalog likely doesn't know this....

You can put a vss into a 1980 GL transmission with a cable, you can put a cable speedo into an 04 sti transmission (yes those still had a vss) with no mods... Just get the correct sensor and call it a day. 

Chris said:

You can put any vss into any transmission. Be it cable or electronic with NO modification. Their parts catalog likely doesn't know this....

You can put a vss into a 1980 GL transmission with a cable, you can put a cable speedo into an 04 sti transmission (yes those still had a vss) with no mods... Just get the correct sensor and call it a day. 

Click to expand...

I gotta say buddy, you really saved me from what I thought was going to be a huge headache.

After getting a new vss in the mail (couldn't for the life of me get the one out of my original tranny), I swapped the two out in a couple hours and I have my speedometer and odo back Thanks again, Chris. Big help!

No problem. The trick to getting the old ones out is to very carefully head around where it screws into the trans. Some really brilliant asshole at subaru decided to red loctite plastic into aluminum.... You just gotta work it back and forth out slowly without melting or breaking it... fun stuff.