Easy to forget, had it happen to me before and the car did some strange shit!

 

checking for codes from an obd1 car is easy as pie.
use a wire/paper clip to jump between the two wires of your diagnostic plug.
turn the ignition most of the way, before it cranks.
look for the flashing cel light and count the long and short pulses.

good luck.

 

Tranny ground, damn a 10 second fix, car runs great!!!!!! thanks for all the input!!!!!!!!

UPDATE NOT FIXED!!! everything is perfect except right when you turn the headlights on the speedometer stops working, when you turn the headlights off the speedometer works.
any input!?!?!?!?!?!?

 

okay update, when the headlights are off everything is great. when you turn the headlights on everything is great. but left headlight randomly turns off by itself and when that left headlight turns off the speedometer will stop working. then as soon as the headlight comes back on, speedometer comes back on. well???????

example: wifes driving with the headlights on, so lights are on and left and right light are working and speedo are working, then she hits a bump and the left light and speedo turn off. so shes driving and if she turns off the lights the speedo works if she turns them back on and only the right light is working then the speedo isnt working. then she hits another bump, bam left light turns back on and speedo turns back on.

speed sensor?!?! wiring?!?! possessed?!?!

 

possessed! gonna guess at maybe a multi function (turn signal) switch or wiring to it. do the gage cluster lights go out when the speedo does? also if you can catch it at the right moment, see if the bottom two brake lights are out. If they are, probably a turn signal switch, if not, check to see if the headlight relay is good (swap with another relay and see if your problem moves). also, check to see if there is a firewall grommett where the harness from the speed sensor goes through, and check the wires for cuts in the sheathing there. also try the "wiggle test". wiggle the wires under the steering column, and even at the pcm when the headlight is shorted(off) to see if they make it come back on. good luck

 

heres the update.....after wiggling the headlight wire underneath the hood the left headlight came on then off then on again, so the headlight wire is shorting out, well i got the headlight working. so i drove it today for a while and the speedometer and the headlight were both working then all the sudden my speedometer went out again and my check engine light came on, turned the car off then on, speedo dont work and check engine light is off. i think i have 3 seperate problems here.

1. the headlight wire is loose and it keeps shorting out (no big deal)
2. speedometer goes out at random times of the day but has nothing to do with the headlight, it was just a coincidence that it kept going out at the same time
3. every once in a while when i downshift to 2nd or 3rd the cel comes on but if i turn the car off then back on it turns off and im not quite sure if it has anything to do with downshifting.

any help?

 

have you replaced the speed sensor yet? That will cause a check engine light

 

i took it out and cleaned it but i havent changed it yet or drove it since i cleaned it, ill drive it tomorrow

 

i drove the car all day no problems, i guess i fixed it