For safety as well as practical reasons, it is vital that drivers know how fast they are driving. A speedometer that doesn’t function properly increases the risk of getting a citation or in worse cases, an auto accident. An operational speedometer is vital for safety and once it stops functioning, its best to go for a Speedometer Repair in Arizona AZ.
In order to understand why a speedometer stopped working, it’s a good idea to know how they function. The speedometer of a vehicle determines the vehicle’s speed by interacting with the driveshaft and transmission. An inbuilt computing system then translates the driveshaft’s rotational speed into linear speed. This speed is then continuously displayed to the driver by means of the speedometer. The following are some of the common reasons for Speedometer Repair in Arizona AZ.
Faulty Speed Sensor
The speed sensor performs a multitude of functions which include regulation of the ignition timing and fuel flow, operation of the cruise control as well as indicating the vehicle’s speed. If this sensor stops functioning, it affects the reading on the speedometer. It also reduces the smoothness of the vehicle’s movement and causes the cruise control to stop working.
Faulty Wiring/Bad Fuse
In wet conditions, exposed wires may get wet and eventually short out resulting in a blown a fuse. If this happens, the speedometer stops functioning and goes to zero.
Broken ECU
The ECU (i.e. engine control unit) is the car’s computerized brain which monitors the different activities of a vehicle, including its speed. Once the ECU becomes faulty, it could affect the speedometer and cause it to stop functioning.
These are just a few of the reasons why a speedometer may stop functioning. In order to solve this issues, an experienced technician from Dick’s Speed-O-Tach will use a code scanner/reader to inspect the vehicle and evaluate the error codes (if any). This scanner is connected to the car’s ECU which detects and passes on information about any faulty components. Once the source of the fault has been localized, the technician then takes the appropriate steps to fix it. But if the ECU itself is faulty, it will require a replacement.
