mooseboy84

I am trying to install a new Vehicle Speed Sensor on my 96 es300. I purchased a new one, pulled the old one out, transferred the little fin/rotor with the gear on it and tried to drop it back in.

IT WILL NOT GO BACK IN!

It came out relatively easily, but will not drop back down flush into the transmission.

I even went so far as to transfer the new electrical parts/rotor over to the old body of the VSS, and it will still not drop in so it can be bolted. I have been messing around for an hour trying to get that thing to drop in all the way so it will be flush, but it will not get any lower than about 1/3" from being flush. I have tried rotating it slowly, doing it backwards and at different angles etc, IT WILL NOT GO IN. I accidentally broke 1 of the little plastic gear teeth in half pulling it out, so I will probably have to go to the junkyard to find another one, but in the mean time I need to get this one in.

Are there any special tips or techniques? I have tried searching online and do not see anyone with this problem. It is the original body I am using so I am stumped why it will not go in? Does it require you drop it in, then with the little 1/4 inch gap you use bolt to drive it down in? I don't want to break anything so I haven't tried forcing it. I am clueless as what could be going on, I havent moved car or turned engine over etc... arrrggghhhh!

PFB

Does your old VSS go back in properly ?

mooseboy84

So, the eternal noob in me was not even paying attention to what I was doing properly.Yes the old one goes in.

The issue is solved.

Because I had cleaned the area around where the VSS goes in, for whatever reason I thought it would go always to the flat portion of the base of the VSS. Well, after posting earlier I went back down and did a slight measurement. It doesn't sit flat the way I was wrongly assuming, because the area the bolt goes through is a little tube that is the "gap" I was referring to. This is why its good to use a flashlight or drop light, lol. It was flush but I kept assuming it would go further because the area was clean and I could feel 1/2" so kept assuming it would go in and got frustrated. I used my phone light to see it was ok and felt it with my fingernail that it was flush and correct the first time.

So, egg on the face ! Now I just need to replace the little rotor one of these days that I broke.

Every time I mess up something so simple I am reminded of what Einstein once said, "the only source of knowledge is experience."