Chrysler Repair: 1988 Chrysler Dynasty: speedo,.fuse blows., fuse blows, trip mileage


Question
QUESTION: I have a 1988 Chrysler Dynasty which I bought a little over a week ago. Took it to the high school auto shop were they put the summer tires on and balanced them and stuff. They also took the lower panel off the dash on the drivers side looked at the wires not touching them finding nothing they could see to say why the speedometer stops working for very short times about a minute or two then starts to work again. My question though is will it be very costly to repair the speedometer issue as well as a fuse that constantly blows no matter what you do. I'm told there is something in the electrical system that is not working properly that is causing this one fuse to blow anytime you put a new fuse in. The fuse that is blowing runs the intere lights the automatic trunk shutter as well as the radio and clock.

ANSWER: Hi Kassandra,
The speedo is run by a distance sensor mounted on the top of the transaxle extension housing. It has a plug in connector and one bolt to hold it in. That housing is behind the engine, down low and from where the half axles attach. Look for a wire running down toward that area behind the engine and you will find it. Unplug the wire. It is probably damaged so you may have to get a new one. Remove it and see how the gear on the end looks and then decide. I assume that when it stops that the odometer and trip mileage also stop moving. Otherwise, the problem is in the speedometer head unit itself.
The fuse issue can be solved but you need a volt-ohmmeter to do it. Do you have access to that device? Let me know and I will tell you how. Also to be sure verify that it is fuse #2 that is blowing.
Roland

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QUESTION: The fuse that keeps blowing is number two. Got it fixed though which is really nice thanks though. When my partner opened the glove box one day she pulled the two wires out a little and then yesterday noticed that one was not insulated and had black marks were it was being burned when we turned on the car or turned it off. If the fuse was in the slot when the car was turned on or off it would blow. Now it works perfectly again which makes me happy. On the situation with the speedometer I will have to do that when my brother in law is home and can help me and has the right tools.

Answer
Thanks for the positive evaluation, Kassandra. And you found the cause of the short without a major search. If you notice the next time the speedo stops whether or not the odometer/trip readings also stop moving then that would confirm the problem is the distance sensor or its wire that runs to the speedo unit. If the mile readings continue to move without the speedo, then it is the speedo itself, not the sensor/wire.
Roland