as the title says my speedo just stops working as im driving, my xj is a 97 and it has the basic cluster, any ideas of whats going on? thanks

 

Odd, my speedo STARTS working when I'm driving.

But seriously, when your speedo stops do you experience sub par engine performance that goes along with it?

Anything else on the cluster stop working?

Is it throwing a code?

Could be as simple as a bad ground.

Worse comes to worse and you can't fix it, switch it out with one from the junk yard for about 25 or 30 bucks.

 

I copied and pasted this from another site.

if the engine performance is not affected during this drop I would suspect a problem with the PCM – power control computer or the instrument panel itself.

There is not really much in between…the computer gets a signal from the engine, sends that signal to the instrument cluster. If the signal from the engine was wrong, I would expect the engine to run bad or not at all.

 

I'd say this is your problem but if its only the speedo I'm not sure. Maybe check it out though.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/fi...cluster-88247/

 

I don't experience and change in the engine it some time will flash the airbag light and the speedo drops but fuel stays where it should be. I'm planning on getting a cluster with a tach for the junk yard but was wondering if I have bigger problems than just a bad cluster

 

Vehicle speed signal does not come from the engine.

 

Typically is is simply a bad speed sensor. But the actual speedometer in the cluster could cause the came concern. If you are already planning on getting one with a tach, swap it out, check the connections at the cluster and see if it still happens. If it does, look at the vehicle speed sensor.

 

Ok now that you mentioned the airbag light. It sounds more like what I posted earlier. If the speedo stays off long enough you will see "no bus" displayed on the odometer. Then you will know for sure its the connectors.

 

give it a couple good smacks on the dash just above the cluster, if it gets going again its your connectors... take out the cluster and spray connections with electrical contact cleaner, apply some dielectric grease and you should be back in business..

 

Are you the Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull?

 

Ha, I have to smack my dash or hit a bump sometimes to get the tach to work, I'll clean them. And my speedo doesn't resgister anything until I hit about 10mph, then the needle pops ups really quick.

 

mine has acted up a few times as well, though I have yet to yield to my own advice but I'm positive it will work

 

Rodents like to snack on wires. Salt water also LOVES to snack on wires! Speedo in a '97 uses wires. Is the wiring in good shape? Speed sensor will be on the back of the transfer case if you are 4WD, or back of the transmission if you are 2WD

 

Ill have to check on all these things mentioned. Thanks for the help

 

So I tried the smack method... It worked thanks for the tip haha