In a message dated 5/28/03 9:15:32 PM, gilles.turmel@SYMPATICO.CA writes:

<< Is the speed sensor signal to the ECU absolutely needed? >>

gilles, my man, over the years I've known engineers of varying abilities,
yet, even the worst of them would never knowingly add a superfluous component to
a system.  After all, they don't pay their dues in a law school.  Ask yourself
this: does the distributor have a vacuum advance unit slung to its side?
Does the engine even have a distributor?  Now, if the answer to either of those
questions is "No", then how will the timing be optimized to ride along the
load/speed curve if the speed sensor is not connected?

Is the speed sensor absolutely needed?  No.  Could the car be absolutely
horrid to drive without one?  Yes.

George