Ford: 1997 Mustang GT Speedometer not working and car stalling when braking, ford mustang gt, ford mustang

Question
Ken,

Thank you for your prompt response.  I am just wondering if by scan tool you mean reading the codes, for example, autozone does this for free.  If you mean something else, do most repair shops have this, or is it a special tool that I will need to call around for?

Thanks,
Andrew Czop

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Followup To
Question -
Hello,

Recently I started my 1997 Ford Mustang GT, and I noticed that as I drove, the speedometer wouldn't move from zero.  It didn't twitch or move at all, it just stayed still.  Also, no miles register on the tripometer or odometer.

The second problem I noticed on this same trip was that the car would stall out if, while in motion, I braked with the clutch in or in neutral.  The RPMs would come down from whatever they were at and just go right past idle and stall.  Sometimes the RPMs will go down to 400-600 and hang for a second then there is a chance it will go back up to idle or stall.

The problem seems to be that when you are moving and braking after coming out of gear, the idle cannot "catch" or something.

There are no problems with starting or idling while not moving (yet) it appears to only occur during motion and braking.  When I accelerate, I have tried accelerating (no braking) and instead of shifting, just holding the clutch in to see if it will stall out as the rpms fall, but it catches the rpms no problem and does not stall in this case.

If it is applicable, about 5 days before (I drove the car every day in between), I hit an island curb on the left side of the car.  It hit pretty hard, but did not seem to cause any problems, because everything was fine after and for the next few days.

I have crawled under the car to see if the cable for the speedometer into the transmission had come undone, but I am not sure what I am looking for and the only cable I saw under there was more of a stiff hose looking thing that was the on the driver side front of the transmission, rubber, and about 3/8" or 1/2" in diameter.  This piece headed straight out of the transmission toward the engine.

Do you think the speedometer and stalling are related?  What could be the cause for each?  Please help!  I am trying to fix this problem as cheaply as possible, so I am hoping I might not have to take it to a dealer!
Answer -
Andrew,

No, I do not think that the speedometer and the stalling are related. Based on the year of your car, I believe that your speedometer and trip meter are electronic and your car will need to be placed on a scan too to determine where the problem lies. Make sure that you use a reputable repair shop.

As for the stalling, sounds like the Idle Air Control (IAC) of which, while your vehicle is on the scan tool, they can determine if that is indeed the problem.

It is going to cost probably around $100.00 to have your vehicle placed on a scan tool. When you do this, make sure that you request a print out of the scan, so that you can ensure that you do not get ripped off in repairs.

I hope that this informations helps and if you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Good luck.


Ken

Answer
Andrew,

Yes, you could go to Auto Zone or Advanced Auto and have them do it for free, but again, make sure you get them to give you a list of the codes, so you know where your problem lies so you do not get ripped off when you take your vehicle to get repaired. And yes, most reputable repair shops can do this as well. If you go to Auto Zone or Advanced Auto to have this done, they should be ble to interpret the codes for you as well, so that you know exactly what needs to be fixed.


Ken


Ken