Engine Fault Code P0500

[joe1602]

Just had the CEL read at advance auto and came up with this code. Says its the vehicle speed sensor. After searching the org and the web, I haven't been able to come up with anything specific. I see things like ABS sensors, or the sensors in the trans or diff. I did have a LSD installed several months ago, but didn't have any problems, did just put new brake pads in the rear and left out the pad wear sensor. CEL came on when car was revving to about 5500RPM and it sounded like the rev limiter kicked in. Anyone have any ideas where this vehicle speed sensor is? Thanks for the help!

[alika808]

First thing, checks the speed sensors, sometimes it will work just to clean it. Do you have scanner with live stream data capability. If so, live stream the speed sensors during the car running. You can tell if the sensors work or not.

[xxxJohnBoyxxx]

+1 clean the speed sensors behind the brake rotors. Clean all metal off magnet on rotors and dust off sensor good and you should be all set unless a sensor is really bad..

John S

[joe1602]

The right front sensor has frayed and I have never replaced it as we only really use the car for autocross so we don't need the abs. It has been that way for 3 years and we have never had a CEL come on. I did remove the right rear brake pad wear sensor but that shouldn't make a difference. I just want to make sure its not a sensor in the transmission or diff. I have disabled all of the abs and traction control through the fuse box as well. In addition to the CEL I also have the traction control light and the abs light on the dash, has always been that way and has never thrown an engine code.

[xxxJohnBoyxxx]

Remove ABS sensors. The frayed one most likely is making your ABS unit think it is in a slide and is appling brakes and/or activating the traction control TB unless you removed it..

[joe1602]

Update after out last Auto-X: We are having problems when the engine reaches about 5500 RPM, I sounds/feels like the rev limiter is kicking in at that point. I still have the speed sensor code on the computer, the CEL comes on and off at different times. It stared yesterday in first gear, when I hit 5500, misfire/rev limiter, something. It only did it in 1st gear as we were unable to reach 5500 in second on the auto-X course. CEL did not come on at any of these instances. So on my way home, I decided to run the revs up in 2nd gear on an entrance ramp to the highway, hit 5500, rev limiter/misfire again, this time, CEL came on. I don't think its the rear wheel sensors as they drive the speedo and the cruise and they have both worked, no problem, all of the time. Could I be experiencing a misfire at high revs or is there another sensor somewhere that I am missing. Also note that I have quite a large hole in my resonator & car is very loud & get a little backfire when coming off the throttle at times, not sure if that is related. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks!

[vwmikel]

Originally Posted by joe1602

Update after out last Auto-X: We are having problems when the engine reaches about 5500 RPM, I sounds/feels like the rev limiter is kicking in at that point. I still have the speed sensor code on the computer, the CEL comes on and off at different times. It stared yesterday in first gear, when I hit 5500, misfire/rev limiter, something. It only did it in 1st gear as we were unable to reach 5500 in second on the auto-X course. CEL did not come on at any of these instances. So on my way home, I decided to run the revs up in 2nd gear on an entrance ramp to the highway, hit 5500, rev limiter/misfire again, this time, CEL came on. I don't think its the rear wheel sensors as they drive the speedo and the cruise and they have both worked, no problem, all of the time. Could I be experiencing a misfire at high revs or is there another sensor somewhere that I am missing. Also note that I have quite a large hole in my resonator & car is very loud & get a little backfire when coming off the throttle at times, not sure if that is related. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas. Thanks!

It's the sensor in the differential that drives the speedometer, not the wheel sensors. Those are just for the ABS as far as I know. Most cars didn't start using CAN based speed from the ABS until later. If it did use CAN based speed then it would have no need for the sensor in the diff. Either way, you can verify this by unplugging the sensor on the differential and going for a drive. Is your ABS module active at all right now? Typically I would suspect this is an ABS sensor issue and that it is also storing in the engine controller. Sometimes they will display that way to trip a light for something that it otherwise couldn't.