I did that when I was working on my CRX gauge cluster (unplugged the speedo cable). The ECU knew after about a mile that something was wrong and threw a CEL (check engine light) for a faulty VSS (vehicle speed sensor). Now this was on a pre-obd system of course.

Chances are the ECUs are much smarter now, and disconnecting the speed sensor could put the car into limp mode. Also all CEL codes are stored in the ECU now meaning odometer fraud would be detected the moment you went in for a smog check leaving you with that nasty "car-fax" problem.

With that in mind, I can say that a friend of mine has an OBD-2 code reader, and it has a feature that allows you to erase any codes stored in the ECU. So in theory you could simply disconnect the VSS, see if the car still runs normally, then clear the codes after you pugged the VSS back in...

BTW: I don't know anybody that likes having the CEL on constantly since you wouldn't know if something else went wrong with the motor.

 

Yes, it is...there's another one about a TL coupe from a while back that got bumped, as well.

 

It's been a long time since checking out this forum.. I got rid of my Piece of SH%$ TL a long time ago. Stepped it up to a Lincoln LS. Those TLs get smoked....

 

well, my exgirlfriends father had a 2G (03 TL-S) and he actually had a toggle switch installed on the speedo cable, so he could simply switch it off when he took long road trips. Mind you, with the switch off, the speedo- did not work & CEL was on. However for local trips, he would flip the switch back on....


strangely enough, the tranny went @ 27k on the odo, which was probably like 50k on the car. i also thought it had something to do with the toggle switch, because when the speedo was off, the vtec did not engage & tranny shifted hard. ..flip the switch on, car rode like a dream...

that same exgirlfriend, had an 01 accord coupe V6 lease. the car had 76k on it, and she bought a new cluster reading 22k.... i almost pissed my pants, because her last inspection sticker showed like 30k.. so i had to drive the car accross the country twice just to bring the mileage up to where it belonged before she traded in the lease..... i pity the fool who bought her car thinking it had 34k on it.... honda never came after her!

this is why, you should NEVER BUY A USED CAR!!!

 

 

Maybe his Lincoln LS is already belching smoke from its exhaust?

Another note, driving a car with mechanical odometer in reverse won't roll back the odo either. The odo usually stays when you drive the car in reverse.

The digital odo will actually keep counting the miles correctly even if you're driving it in reverse.

 

"Stepped it up to a Lincoln"

Isn't that an oxymoron?