Ford Focus speedo

Here is someones account of changing sensor , should help you .


01-12-07
timtimster
Pedestrian Join Date: Dec 2007
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how to replace ford focus speed sensor

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Just to add my two pence worth to this thread. Just replaced my speed sensor and found it relatively easy to do it working from above. Mine’s a 1.6 (I think you may have to remove the air filter ducting on other models) Cheers to all the other posters who gave me enough info to diagnose and have a go myself.

The symptoms I had were:

Speedo needle dropping to 0 at least once each time I used it. The milometer showed 0000. it would then be fine a few mins later. No discernible drop in power or radio going quiet like others have reported. It never cut out on me and I only had the ---- thing once but I reckon it was only going to get worse. Also all the needles in the console do a full sweep each time I start up.

Here’s what I did:

Before you start make sure you’ve got some light down there and a good set of smallish mole (vise) grips and a hammer.

Lean on an old pillow or something placed over the rocker cover and manifold. You can see the speed sensor pointing straight up from the back of the gear box. There are two black pipes in a white plastic clip. Unclip them, they will flex out of the way a bit when your arm’s down there. There is also a more flexible tube and a piece of the wiring that I tied out of the way to the bulkhead.

I prepped it with WD40 a few times for a couple of days before starting. Spraying onto the end of the pin and into the recess around the bottom of the sensor itself. It was only when I was putting the new sensor in that I noticed that you can see the pin as it passes and goes into the cut out in the side of the sensor where it holds it in place ie. The WD can lubricate the part of the pin that is ‘inside’ the gearbox.

Here are some pictures of the sensor so you can get an idea what it looks like out of the gearbox:

http://www.napaonline.com/masterpage...e+Speed+Sensor


You should now have a bit of room to get at the speed sensor and unclip the connector. This is pretty fiddly and took a bit before I actually disconnected it. On the side of the connector nearest to the bulkhead there is a raised ‘bridge’ squeeze this to unclip or get a small screwdriver under it levering towards the bulkhead while you pull the connector up.

At this point you could try cleaning the three pins you can see in the sensor and the connections on the connector (with contact cleaner or I used brake cleaner and a cotton bud). A week or so ago I tried this and it stopped the symptoms up until a few days ago when the speedo dropped again, fingers crossed it might solve yours.

Anyway, to get the pin out:

WD40 it regularly as you complete this.

The pin has a piece of metal riveted to the end, which bends over and is supposed to stop the pin from coming out on its own (yeah, right!), bend it up a bit. Firstly I used a flat head screwdriver behind the metal and the plastic arm to try and lever the pin out of the hole a bit. I think it might have moved a bit before it snapped off allowing a bit more purchase with the mole grips.

There is a plastic ‘arm’ that comes out of the sensor with a hole at the end where the pin goes through. Try to keep the arm intact as it will help you lever the sensor out when the pin is removed.

I cut the hole bit at the end of the arm off with some cutters. This gives you a bit more room to get the grips on. I first tried to lever the pin out with the cutters like someone else mentioned but that didn’t work for me. I gripped the end of the pin with the moleys really tight, horizontally to the pin. There is just enough room to get a medium hammer down there and about 5 inches of swing. I tapped the pin and twisted it a bit after each tap. It came out after 6 or 7 swings.

To get the sensor itself out:

Use a flat head screwdriver under the ‘arm’ and lever up, hoping as you do that it doesn’t break in half! You have to lever fairly hard but not straining.

I read that it helps to remove the transmission oil filler cap to ease the vaccum effect. It looked a bit tricky to get to and you risk your oil spilling all over the floor as it’s the level hole as well. I didn’t bother.

Once you break the initial seal it should come out fairly easily. Be careful after you remove it completely as there is a big gaping hole in the top of your gearbox. You wouldn’t want anything falling in there. Get a rag and clean out the crud that builds up in the hole. Be careful to wipe up and out so it doesn’t go into the gearbox, then tuck a clean part into the hole.

It was a little bit bent when I got it out due, I think, to the levering so if you want to get it out and reuse it again then I’d think of some other way to remove it. I can’t see why you’d want to do that, mine cost £26.80 from Ford and they’re a sealed unit.

Oil the O rings on the new one and tap it back in to place. I used a length of wood to tap gently down and a thin screwdriver to judge where the hole is. Finally I greased the pin (if I ever wanted to get it out again) and tapped that gently home. Neither needed any force. I didn’t bother with a new pin with the clip on it as it was a tightish fit in there and I doubt it would come out on its own. Connect the plug, clip the pipes back and untie the bits and hopefully it sorted your problem. About 30 mins to do and £50 in labour saved. Double or triple that for a Ford dealer. Good luck.