I have an 89 RS Camaro. It has the factory 305, a T-5 from an older car (NWC T-5 not sure of what year)
So far I have been unable to find a wiring diagram that shows the wires that the vss connects to. The one on my car is currently not hooked up to anything, and I have about 4 wires hanging in the general area that may be the right wires.
If someone could tell me what color wires or where the wires go to I would greatly appreciate the help.

One last thing I may not reply to this very soon, my computer crashed and I am on a friends.

 

The non-WC and your 89 wouldn't have a tail shaft mounted VSS. There is some reverse-light wiring there (blue and green in my 85), however.

JamesC

 

James is right, GM did not introduce the VSS in Camaros until 1990. They all had mechanical speedometer until then.

The only two wires by the T5 should be, as James pointed out, green and blue for the reverse switch. If you have more wires there, they're not stock. If you have a 4-prong square connector in there, the car used to be automatic then.

You would need to get a mechanical speedometer pickup for the T5 so that you can connect your speedometer cable to it. There are many floating around here on TGO or you can buy a new one, your choice.
You will also need the right pickup gears for the tailshaft and the mechanical pickup to match your rear end ratio and tires.

Hope this helps.
Lou

 

I wish I had a better picture. However this one is a V-6 tranny but looks the same on the outside so it will work. The plug in the center of the main body of tranny is what I am looking at.

I am looking around now, so I am going to post this and probably make another reply in a bit.

A little explination though. The engine light on my car is on. When I bought it it was for the TPS, O2, and VSS. Having read both of your replies I think the plug I am looking at is the backup switch. But why would my computer have a VSS falut if I do not have one.
The wiring diagrams I have looked at all showed a VSS too, just not both wires. The parts stores also sell one for my car.

One last thought, unless I am wrong the VSS on a mech speedo car is just imput for the computer. On a manual it will keep the idle up between shifts and I am sure it is part of the computers imput for speed/load. All that good stuff.

 

Yes, it's a backup switch, you are right. The VSS plugs into the tailshaft instead.

Even the mechanical speedometers provided a speed signal for the ECM. They have an optical sensor on the back of the actual speedometer. If that sensor fails, the ECM can throw a VSS code.

You are right, the speed signal isn't used much on manual cars but it sure helps. Especially if you have cruise control!

Lou

 

Okay I think we may be getting somewhere then.
Correct me if I am wrong.
The "VSS" on my car would be the speedometer itself, and the light is on because I do not have a speedo cable, thus the speedo doesn't turn, and the "VSS" (part of the speedo gauge) doesn't do anything. Which in turn gives me a code for a VSS.

Thought I said it in my last post. The speedo hasen't worked since before I had the car. No big deal new cable. I got a new one pulled the old one out, which ran from the gage along the "frame" to the radiator, where the other half had been ripped off, by something somehow. Why it went to the radiator, don't ask me. The cable I had didn't want to go into the speedo, so I took it back and figured I would mess with it later.

Sounds like I just need to get a cable in, thank you for all the help.

 

If you have a code 24 (VSS) and the wheels are not moving, the manual says to disregard--even when everything is correctly connected.

JamesC

 

Doesn't come on until I am driving.
BigBadLou's last post makes sense of it now though.
The only reason I am pushing to fix it now, it will be about another two months before I see my car, but I am trying to get it street legal again, and get the engine light off so I can register it in Tenn. (they do emissions testing)
I am just trying to have all the parts on hand and know what I have to do before I see the car.
It was a little rough when I bought it. So far I have a steering wheel with a horn button, front sway bar. I need to look at the e-brake, get a speedo cable, hook up the back up switch. Other then that I think it's just my windows tinted that make it not street legal, but that is cause it's registered in Iowa right now.

 

If you're looking for a mechanical speedometer cable, I'll look in my pile, I should have one.

I know how you feel fixing up your car, I also bought a junker and got it running piece by piece. The feeling afterwards is good.

Lou

 

Yeah, but if you're like me you have to wait a decade or so for that feeling to kick in .

JamesC

 

The ECM on my 85 provided a ground for the cruise and that's all as far as I can determine. At any rate, the cruise will work without the ECM.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...-function.html

JamesC

 

Maybe we misunderstood each other. The cruise will work with the ECM removed, I agree. But it can't work without the VSS signal from the instrument cluster. That's what I was referring to before.

Lou

 

big bad lou, you helped me on the hei power problem i had, now i need help on this speedo deal. it doesn't work so i jacked the rear wheels off the ground and disconnected the speedo cable and watched with the wheels spinning and it didn't turn. is the cable broke, the gears in the trans. when i spin the part on the speedo the pointer moves up and down. so i think the cable is the problem. my 89 has a vss and some other electronic part that is part of the speedo system.

 

If you took the cable off the guage, then it's the speedo cable or one of the gears.
Take the cable off at the transmission. Use a drill if you want or spin it by hand. Have someone watch the other end. I usually leave it hooked up to the guage and see if the guage moves. If the cable moves at both ends when you spin it, then obviously it's good. If not get a new cable.
If the cable is good, take out the gears. I don't remeber looking at mine, but their should be a small bolt, 1/2 in head maybe smaller. Like a distrubutor hold down, same idea. Then take out the part the cable attaches too. The gear should come out with it. Look at the gear see how it is. If it's bad new gear. If it's fine, it's the drive gear in the tranny, or the gear got knocked out of place. That is something I don't know for sure either. The one's I have done have a few placements for the different rear end gears, different speedo gears. Just make sure when you put it back together the teeth grab.

 

I'd think your problem would be one of those in the following link:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...eedo-woes.html

JamesC

 

All good replies. When you remove the mechanical speed pickup from the tailshaft, have a catch pan under it because some fluid will want to come out (it always does). Not much but you sure don't want a mess on your garage floor.

Let us know what you find.
Lou

 

thanks everyone, i am going to remove the cable at the tranny end. can someone give me a short explanation of the vss and buffer that is part of my speedo assembly. i don't have the ecm or cruise control, so can i remove it.

 

If you don't have the ECM or cruise anymore, you don't need the electronic speed signal then and you can remove the opto sensor.
I wouldn't throw it out, it could be useful for somebody, I'm sure.

Lou

 

You could as Lou mentions, but why bother? Unless you're removing the cluster for other reasons, elinimating it seems more trouble than it's worth. Removing the cluster could be an excuse to fix your trip odometer (a miracle has occurred if it still functions):

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...-fix-pics.html

JamesC

 

thanks everyone. the speedo cable at the trans was broken. got a new one at napa and now the speedo works fine. i'm taking your advice and leaving the vss sensor in. again thanks for the support.