Repeated P0500 code on a 2002 Toyota Camry 4cyl-2A2FE

240

Asked by Firefly76 Jan 06, 2014 at 08:20 PM about the 2002 Toyota Camry LE

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I had a P0500 code read by dealer after check engine light came on.  The vehicle kind of surged and the motor rpm increased and I seem to loose power.  I also told them the tach and speedometer started jumping around.  This only last a minute or so and then runs normal.  They tested the vehicle speed sensor and said it was working fine and reset the light.  After driving it a couple hundred miles the light came on again and they did the same thing.  The next time it came on they decided the signal from the sensor going through the cluster (speedometer and tach) might be  where the problem lies, since the signal went through there before going to the ecm.  They could not guarantee this was the source, but it was their best diagnosis since the car would not repeat the fluctuating power problem.   I went ahead and replaced the cluster and drove it about 1 month and 250 miles before the light came on again.  It is the same code P0500. I forgot to mention that the 3rd time the check engine light came on they said they also pulled a P1730 code.  The car runs fine after the initial check engine light comes on

21 Answers

44,665

P1730 Intermediate shaft speed sensor This will also set the P0500

7 people found this helpful.

okay reset the trouble codes with a fifteen dollar scanner...put a brand NEW battery in that and wirebrush the lug that connects to the main chassis ground...till shiny~ you'll be okay then because "brown power" is confusing the ECM~

2 people found this helpful.
44,665

Near the tail shaft on the left side of the transmission.

4 people found this helpful.
240

Interesting about the "brown power". Wouldn't this affect other electrical components?

3 people found this helpful.

the heated 02 sensor will not give proper readings...(if heated) and relays will begin to drop out and stop making connections if given only 10.5 volts~ the ECU will be seeking various pre-determined voltages from the block temperature sensor, for example....so gone crazy...yes ye be~...if not provided SOLID power the 300 amps needed for the starter and about 750 milliamps ....steady amperage...not wavering with temperature and use~

1 people found this helpful.

without SOLID chassis ground the VSS (Vehicle speed sensor) will cause the needle to bounce....for example...the instrument panel will be dim and the headlights will be dim as well....the main 1/0 cable connection with a FRESH battery is the key~

1 people found this helpful.
6,835

Speed sensor Bottom of sensor has speedo Gear 2 screws weird plug Easy to get to

1 people found this helpful.
240

Thank you. Changed another speed sensor towards the rear and it seemed to solve the problem. There is a part on the bottom that may be a problem later on.

1 people found this helpful.
6,835

Cool did it have a gear on it that what's bad Easy to fix look topside Of the tail shaft Speedo sensor another name for it Good job fix awsu,

2 people found this helpful.
240

It did have a gear on it. I replaced the sensor. The gear looked OK and is working fine. I would of replaced it if I had known it was a separate part.

2 people found this helpful.
85

I'm having similar problems with a 2002 Camry, 4 cyl., automatic. There are two identical sensors on the transmission housing. They are the type that monitors a rotating toothed ring. The car is shifting ok but occassionly the speedometer drops to zero and the check engine light comes on. The code is P0500, Vehicle Speed Sensor. Which of the two sensors is the VSS? I have replaced both sensors with AutoZone Duralast SU4045, but I still get speedo dropping to zero and the eng. light. The code is always Vehicle Speed Sensor, never the Transmission Speed Sensor, so I would like to concentrate on the Vehicle Speed Sensor, if I knew which of the two it was! Any idea's on what the problem might be, since the sensors are new?

8 people found this helpful.
240

It turned out to be the sensor towards the rear of the transmission. It looks different from the front VSS. There was agear on the old one which was pulled off and placed on the new sensor,

3 people found this helpful.
20

Hi Firefly, I have been living with this issue for 11 years. Just curious, how did the replacement of the sensor towards the rear of the trans. finally work out? It's been a few years.

2 people found this helpful.
75

sydmerr, any solution? I'm having same issue with 03 camry. Replaced sensor, but issue recurrs.

20

Thanks Firefly76! Are there any diagrams that exist to show where the sensor is located and the part number? I need to get estimates on the repair and I'm not sure if the cost of repair is worth is. I have 136k miles on my 2002 Camry.

240

I remember looking at diagrams, but I don't remember what site it was. Unfortunately I didn't make any copies. The part I replaced was bought online from directauto.com I believe. The part number was 83181-12040.

10

I have a 2002 camry v6 3.0 and have the dredded p0500 fault. doesn't want to idle and no speedometer. It has a cover where the vss with gear goes, no sensor, now what?

1 people found this helpful.
10

Mi toyota camry v6 2002 tiene el mismo problema le cambié los dos speed sensor y sigue dando el mismo código po500 me pueden ayudar

1 people found this helpful.

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