Where does the speedometer cable run from on a 1997 Dodge Neon?

Answer 1

The reason you can't find reference to the speedometer cable in the 95-97 Dodge or Plymouth Neon's is because it doesn't have one. The speedometer is all electronic, there is no traditional mechanical cable like you see in older model vehicles.

There is a small sensor called a VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) mounted on the transaxle, which sends electronic pulses to the PCM (Performance Control Module) which is connected via wiring harness to the circuit board that controls your speedometer.

If your speedometer or other gauges are working intermittently or the speedometer doesn't work but the other gauges do, odds are very good it is due to faulty soldering on the original circuit board, a very common problem in the Neons. The Chilton manual has instructions on how to remove the instrument panel, all you need to do is remove it and resolder the connections on the back of the circuit board that controls the instrument panel.

It's not as difficult as it sounds, the front panel on the dash more or less lifts right off giving you very easy access to the instrument panel, it only takes the removal of 4 screws for the panel to come right out. A really good walk thru for resoldering can be found here:

http://www.neons.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18

You don't need any fancy equipment or really too much experience soldering, all you have to do is just hold a soldering iron on each of the indicated solder points long enough for the solder to heat up and change color, it only takes a few minutes to do the whole board. Then just replace the board.

If none of your gauges work then it could be the soldering problem, or it might be a faulty PCM module though normally if the PCM goes it will generate a host of other problems as well. Also this could be caused by a problem in the wiring harness or a loose connector either too the circuit board or to the PCM or even to the VSS, but that would be a less common cause for this particular problem.

I didn't need to solder anything. After removing the panel from the dash, I noticed that on the back there are some sensors that had come losse. I just tightend all of them up and put my dash back together and now my speedometer works fine. I have a 97 Plymouth neon.