Ford's speedometer is stuck at 160 MPH and tachometer is stuck at 6,000 RPM | Car Doctor
Q: My Ford had a dead battery. When I jumped it, the speedometer stuck at 160 miles per hour and the tachometer is stuck at 6,000 RPMs. What can I do?
A: I would start by properly charging the battery with a battery charger (with the battery disconnected from the car). At the same time, connect the positive and negative battery cables together to completely reboot the car’s computer system. When the battery is hooked up, the gauges should reset to normal.
If this does not work, try resetting the gauges. Hold the trip reset button and then turn the key to on (or sometimes accessory) and now you will enter a new menu. As you scroll through the menu, you should see a sweep gauge command, and that should reset the gauges.
You should also find out why the car’s battery failed.
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Recommended vehicles with higher ground clearance for someone with mobility issues
Q: I have a 2015 Toyota Camry. I like everything about it except the ground clearance. I now have a mobility issue affecting both of my legs, which makes getting in and out of the Camry difficult. I am not interested in a truck because that would be too high a clearance. Can you suggest a car with a higher clearance?
A: I would look at the Subaru Outback, which has higher ground clearance, but not as high as a truck's.
Also, go to a large used car lot — such as CarMax — that has hundreds of different types of cars. Although you may not be interested in buying a used car, at least you can try different models to see how they compare.
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Would Subaru problems qualify under the lemon law?
Q: I took my 2018 Subaru Legacy to the dealer for an inspection and normal maintenance. Due to an equipment issue on their side, they were not able to complete the work on a Saturday and had to keep the car until Monday. At that point, the battery was dead, and they finally acknowledged there was a problem (years later), which I had originally written about to you.
After a couple of days of analysis, they determined the issue to be a short in the radio unit and indicated to me that this is a known issue. I was lucky enough to have brought the car in days before the extended warranty on the radio expired, so it is covered.
My issue is that it has now been a month and they are unable to get a replacement unit. What recourse do I have? Would this be a lemon law candidate, as the issue goes back multiple years?
A: The car could qualify under the lemon law if the issues were documented in the first year of ownership. the lemon law, as a general rule, covers use, value and safety.
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The issue is that you would also be charged for the time you had the car (a certain charge per mile). Even if it does qualify, it could be expensive to return the car, depending on how you have driven it.
Like so many things today, the lack of semiconductors and supply chain issues are a real problem and are causing some of these delays.
I would also ask the dealer about the battery and a fairly new class action lawsuit that covers battery replacement.
Are aftermarket safety systems as good as factory units?
Q: What do you think of aftermarket safety devices? My car does not have cross traffic alert or collision warning, and I would like to add this technology to my car.
A: It has been a few years since I tried some of the aftermarket systems and, as with all electronics, I am sure they have improved.
In the past I have tried a couple and found the results mixed at best, especially the type that connects to a cellphone. I currently have a dash-cam with lane departure warning and a few other features. It's OK, but not as good as the factory units.
I would go to a good auto stereo store and see what they are recommending, then do a little research. Garmin, the GPS company that makes my aftermarket GPS and dash-cams, seems to be one of the leaders in this category of products.
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Can the auto-stop feature be disabled?
Q: We have a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu with the auto-stop feature. Is it possible to disable this feature? What happens if this auto-stop should stop working at a light or other incident that would cause you to stop?
A: Except for some aftermarket reprogramming, the automatic start/stop cannot be defeated.
I have not tried the aftermarket defeat devices that I have seen on Amazon and other online sites for as little as $30.
Technically, permanently defeating the auto-start/stop feature is tampering with emissions controls. The reason is that auto-stop can improve fuel economy.
If the auto-stop feature failed to restart the car, it would be just like any car that stalled. You would need to put the car back in park and restart the car.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Ford's speedometer and tachometer are stuck | Car Doctor
