Why is my speedometer not working?

What you need to know:

  • The common causes of speedometer failure for your Toyota Corolla generation are: a faulty speed sensor, broken speedometer gear, damaged wiring or circuit and rarely a faulty engine control unit.
  • Your mechanic is looking in the right direction. Should he find the speed sensor okay, he can inspect any of the other potential trouble causers I have mentioned.

Hello mechanic Paul, the speedometer reading of my 1995 Toyota Corolla car doesn’t function. The mechanic I contacted said that the sensor is the faulty component. Is he right? Jimmy

Hello Jimmy, as its name implies, a speedometer is piece of equipment that tells you the speed of your vehicle. In most vehicles, it is a circular gauge located prominently on your dashboard, with numbers arranged around the gauge.

The smallest numbers are at the bottom of the gauge and they increase steadily as they climb the circle. A needle radiates out from the centre of the gauge and points to the number that matches your current speed. Most speedometers actually have two rows of numbers, indicating the speed in both miles per hour and kilometers per hour.

The common causes of speedometer failure for your Toyota Corolla generation are: a faulty speed sensor, broken speedometer gear, damaged wiring or circuit and rarely a faulty engine control unit.

Your mechanic is looking in the right direction. Should he find the speed sensor okay, he can inspect any of the other potential trouble causers I have mentioned.