Car started normally this morning despite cold temperature. Normally would let her warm up a good bit but had to collect someone. About three minutes into the drive the speedo starts making an odd noise and the dial arm is jittering in place as though stuck. Pulled over, checked all other instruments, everything good; even the clock is working No engine issues.

Within about 15 seconds all is back to normal. Drove the car for 30 mins with no repeat of the phenomenon.

Is my speedo cable on its way out? Just needs grease? Something else?

Anyone else experienced this?

Help please!!

Thanks in advance as always.

 

The speedo cable has a inner cable that connect the head to the trans. It needs to be pulled out (from the top by disconnecting at the speedo) then
clean off the old grease and re-grease it. Put a tip of grease on the speedo head end.

If it still makes noises, jack up the car and remove the speedo cable from the 90 degree adapter on the trans... take it apart and re-grease and re-install.

 

Thank you, Roger. That makes sense. I'll try that tomorrow and give a shout for help if I get confused somehow. I'll report back in any case.

Cheers,

Graham

 

Yup, I remember those!!!


In my day, a graphite laden lube worked best.


Trivia: the "drive shaft' in my gas Weed Whacker" is a similar cable!!


Carl

 

Hi Carl and Roger, finally completed this job successfully, read here: first few efforts failed.

Took Carl's advice and used graphite: found it easily, but it's very weird to the touch.

First effort just worked behind the dash. Access is terrible. Unhooked, cleaned, graphite, reattached cable: worse than ever

Second effort, repeat: still bad result.

Third effort, did what Roger said might be necessary: jacked car up, with a mate to help. Access below isn't bad but we discovered getting the cable behind the dash seated correctly AND tightened back up isn't easy.

We found best to have one person under the car making sure the cable would turn in its sleeve while other person at the dash kept trying to seat the cable and tighten. If you don't do this right the cable won't turn 360 in its sleeve.

It's a case of trial and error... and it took me and my mate loads of tries before we got it right.

We did not change the cable, merely cleaned old lube out at both ends, added new graphite, and re-seated at the dashboard end. Now it works very well. Little bit of noise still but only if you really listen for it.

Just passing on my experience and hope one or two tips helps others. I imagine back in the day this job was given to the apprentices just to mess with them. It takes a lot of patience and is bad on the back trying to work with poor access behind the dash. The joys of ownership

Happy New Year to all!

 

It might straighten up when warm weather arrives at your house.

My work truck (74 Dodge) made a Terrible noise in the speedo cable on frosty winter mornings, until a) winter passed and b) I took it apart and cleaned and greased it like you just did.
(';')

 

Having had all these problems, I am sorry for your pain. It is tough to get the cable off at the trans/90 degree adapter.. no room under the dash either.

 

Apprentice, yup, that is what I was when I learned to do that.
But, my boss usually had a less endearing term!!! Good guy, though,
just a gruff exterior.


No just graphite powder as used in locks, but a light grease with a heavy dose of the powder. Found mixed in the day. In today's electro speedo's probably not as easily found.


But, if your application worked, it can't get any better.


Carl

 

I took Nix's cable out while I had the whole entire dash area apart anyway, replacing heater blowers. it's not too hard to get to the back of the speedo from above, after you take off the crash roll and heater/demister vents/tubing.

My 90 degree adapter is broken though, probably for Decades, (well, actually the sheath is broken off right at the adapter) which I discovered while cleaning and greasing (it seemed prudent to do while everything was apart anyway) so I hay wired it together until I can do a *Proper* fix. For now it works just fine.
(';')

 

Baling wire, oh yeah, extremely useful stuff. right along with coat hanger wire!!!


Or duck tape!!!


Carl