# speedometer problem



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

I noticed today that my speedometer is acting strange. It works but it moves very slowly now. The car is accelerating much faster than the speedometer is rising and when I come to a stop the speedometer doesn't quickly drop back to zero. It takes several seconds to slowly drop back down. So basically I can be sitting still at a stop light and my speedometer will still say 35mph but after a bit it it finally makes it's way back to zero. What's wrong with it?


----------



## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

Something in the speedo cluster got stuck in the mechanism or your speedo lube thickened up. Sounds like time to break out the WD-40...


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

Where exactly do I spray the WD40 at? I've never done any work on the speedometer or anything in the instrument cluster before. I have a Pulsar book but it says absolutely nothing about the speedometer.


----------



## Crazy-Mart (Jul 14, 2002)

IMO youd be better by changing the speedo completely ... or if you work good, get the cluster off and disassemble it, put a little bit of wd40 behind the speedo (but inside the casing were the springs are...


----------



## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

i'm gonna say it has something to do with the springs...or the cable twisting maybe...but doubtful. Soundsl ike you need a new speedo.


----------



## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

If you can get the instrument cluster out, you can snap off the clear faceplate, get the gauge face back just enough to get a WD-40 tube in there, and squirt some of that wonderjuice on those bronze bushings that support the speedo needle shaft. I have done this with countless motorcycle speedos...it winds up being thickened lube. You don't have to lube the speedo cable connection on back; It's unrelated to the symptoms.

Hey, Gsolo: How ya like Phoenix? I LOVE it! I might be down there before the winter's over...I'll keep ya posted.


----------



## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

recycled_toddler said:


> Hey, Gsolo: How ya like Phoenix? I LOVE it! I might be down there before the winter's over...I'll keep ya posted.


i'm not a big fan of phoenix. To many people, no one can drive, it's hotter than hell in the summer (and me with my a/c'less chevy), to many damn snow birds in the winter, cops are dicks, people are dicks, and ricers that think they're the shit. But there is some good stuff here, i just haven't had the time or money to explore them yet  in all honesty it's ok but not my cup of tea. i'm to use to the clean air back home...as soon as i'm done with school probably try to get to the spokane area. anyhow, sorry for being off topic, it's what i do best :thumbup: :fluffy:


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

OK this reply is off topic as well but since I started this thread anyway...

I just got back from Phoenix myself. I had never been to Arizona before. I loved it. Kansas City is hotter than hell in the summer and insanely cold in the winter. The only time we get nice weather we have to hide from tornados. As you can see Arizona is a nice change! Someday I'd like to move there. My only real complaints about Phoenix were:

1. The traffic is INSANE! There must be 10 billion people trying to drive in Phoenix. What a freakin' nightmare.

2. The cost of living seems much higher there so I'm worried that if I move there I'll have to live in the bad areas. Though the "bad" areas I saw actually look somewhat nice although my friend assured me that even though it looked halfway nice the crime was far worse than Kansas City.

I loved wandering out into the desert and climbing up mountains and taking pictures. Overall I was very impressed with Phoenix and Arizona in general. I want to live around there someday. It's much better than Kansas City that's for sure.


----------



## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

winstonsmith said:


> OK this reply is off topic as well but since I started this thread anyway...
> 
> I just got back from Phoenix myself. I had never been to Arizona before. I loved it. Kansas City is hotter than hell in the summer and insanely cold in the winter. The only time we get nice weather we have to hide from tornados. As you can see Arizona is a nice change! Someday I'd like to move there. My only real complaints about Phoenix were:
> 
> ...



i've never been to kansas city...and yeah phoenix is ok. crime is bad...but theres some ok places to live. Scottsdale if you're rich. otherwise glendale or avondale area isn't to bad if you pick the right block. its like every other block is bad. i live in glendale myself. and the cost of living isn't that bad really.....although i'm from washington. Gas is still expensive though.


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

I haven't had a chance to do anything with my speedometer yet and since I last posted here about it it has gotten considerably worse. Now it typically doesn't even work at all and when it does it will fall back to zero as soon as I take my foot of the gas. You guys still think it just needs to be re-greased? How do I even get at it exactly? Do I have to pull the whole dash out of the car? What exactly does the speedometer hook up to on the other end? Is the problem maybe on that end? I'm lost on this one since I've never done anything with a speedometer before so forgive me if my questions are retarded.


----------



## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

winstonsmith said:


> How do I even get at it exactly? Do I have to pull the whole dash out of the car? What exactly does the speedometer hook up to on the other end? Is the problem maybe on that end? I'm lost on this one since I've never done anything with a speedometer before so forgive me if my questions are retarded.


Remove the cluster. Once you get all the screws out, pull it straight out. It may pop loose so use a torquey pull. Don't just yank. Then remove all the connectors. As you look at the hole in the dash, you'll see the end of the cable staring you in the face. Grab the liitle plastic square end of the cable and give it a little tug. If it pulls out, you have a broken cable. It should be all greasy too. The other end of the cable plugs into the tranny. Should be able to loosen it by hand. ( Oh, you may want to check that end first to make sure it's screwed in all the way.) It's about 1 1/2 round and with grooves on it so you can get a grip. If it's stuck, try a pair of channel locks to get it loose. But that's about it. Biggest PITA is the cluster.


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

I got the cluster out. It was alot easier than I thought it would be. Unfortunately when I carefully tried to remove the speedo needle the thing was so brittle it snapped into 3 pieces. Anyway, I regreased the speedometer inside and it still doesn't work. All I hear is a clicking noise when I'm driving and the needle will just jitter around. It usually will move up as I take off but it only goes to about 30mph and then falls back down. I forgot to check the speedo cable by pulling on like you suggested but if the cable was no good the needle would never move at all right? Anyway, here's my plea...

Does anyone here have a spare early 80's Pulsar speedometer they will sell. Mine is screwed and there are no junkyards near me with Pulsars. Please!


----------



## Crazy-Mart (Jul 14, 2002)

it can work a bit but then just turnfreely without activating the speedo... the cable is shut.


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

So the cable is bad? How exactly does a speedometer work? Is the cable something that's mechanically operated or is it electrical? I see where the cable plugs into the speedometer but I don't understand how it makes the speedometer turn unless it's electrical because the wire inside the speedometer cable has nothing on it that would grab or turn anything. I'm totally new at this stuff so bear with me. I'll take some pictures of what mine currently looks like behind the cluster. Maybe something is missing or broken back there? Even if the problem is the cable I'll probably replace the speedometer as well anyway just in case. Thanks for the help! hopefully this will be fixed soon so I can move on to more fun stuff.

By the way if I have to install a new speedo cable as well can anyone tell me exactly how to put it in? It just screws into the transmission? Is there more to it than that?


----------



## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

The cable is mechanical. Don't over think it. Go to your nearest Auto Zone or Schucks and get a new one. Used ones are old and brittle and prone to breaking. Then re-read my original post and git'r done. Take care when aligning the cluster to the new cable. Be carefull not to break off the cheap little plastic tip.


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

Cool thanks. I have another cluster on the way and I'll go and grab a new speedo cable as well. I may end up posting again later though if I can't figure out how the cable goes into the transmission end.


----------



## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

The problem is most likely the cable. It's easy to spot it . it's on top of the tranny near the firewall. Have someone wiggle it if you dont spot it right off. 

Tip: You may want to tie a string on the end of the old cable before you pull it out.


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

I put a new speedometer on and it works better but it's still kind of goofy. The needle is accurately showing the speed now but instead of smoothly rising up and down it wiggles. I took a picture of the speedometer cable. Does this look normal? To me it looks like this thing was lubed with bearing grease or something. I tried to clean it out a bit but it's hard to get in there. You think this would be the cause of the problem? If so what should I spray in there to make it work better. As far as I can tell the cable itself is still good but since I've never seen one before I don't know if this is what it's supposed to look like.


----------



## winstonsmith (Nov 10, 2004)

I bought a new speedo cable and I noticed something. When I push it all the way in from the transmission side of the cable the rod that sticks out of the gauge end sticks out much farther than the cable I currently have on the car. Kind of hard to explain but basically see the pic above... the small black rod that sticks out that plugs into the back of the speedometer on my current cable doesn't stick out that far but the one on the new cable sticks out real far. Maybe that's normal? Anyway, what exactly is inside the hole in the transmission where I screw the cable in? Is there only one way for it to go in or is there something I need to know about getting it in there? Do I just stick the cable into the transmission and tighten it down or is there something that needs to be done to keep the speedometer accurate? Obviously I've never done this before and I want to cover all the bases before I do it just in case.

Thanks!


----------



## Elbow Greese (Feb 22, 2004)

There's something called a keyway in the place where you put the cable.
THere's a corresponding notch on the end of the cable you put in there.
That assures the cable is in correctly and will read correctly.
you may have to slide the cable casing through the screw-on piece to make sure the cable is going in all the way (what I had to do), then you just slide the screw-on piece back down and tighten it up.
Hope this helps,
Todd


----------

