Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS)
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 35 other vehicles, including the 2007 Mercury Mountaineer, 2007 Mercury Monterey, 2007 Mercury Montego, 2007 Mercury Milan, and 2007 Mercury Mariner. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The VSS is a variable reluctance or hall-effect sensor that generates a waveform with a frequency that is proportional to the speed of the vehicle. If the vehicle is moving at a relatively low velocity, the sensor produces a signal with a low frequency. As the vehicle velocity increases, the sensor generates a signal with a higher frequency. The PCM uses the frequency signal generated by the VSS (and other inputs) to control such parameters as fuel injection, ignition control, transmission/transaxle shift scheduling, and torque converter clutch scheduling.