Dead speedo

[cjay]

My speedo needle has been dancing all over the place and is not working most of the time. It also trips the engine warning light, the poor ecu does not know how fast the car is going... Is this an easy fix or do I need the big hammer?

cjay

[techlectic]

That the check engine light comes on, most likely indicating a vehicle speed sensor fault if you were to retrieve the fault code from the ECU, means that the problem is not likely your speedometer. It means that the problem is that the speedometer cable is not turning properly.

The first thing to check would be that the cable is properly seated at the back of the speedometer by removing the panel on the dash. If the cable is not in fact turning, then the problem is either that the cable itself is bad, or the problem is at the other end, where the cable is driven by gears in the transmission. That end is very tough to get to - you really need to remove the air intake hose and the coolant expasion tank.

The cable screws onto the fitting that goes into the transmission, so check that first for tightness. Then you need to loosen the bolt holding the plate that covers part of the speedometer cable fitting and swing the plate out of the way. The fitting has an o-ring on it, so it may not come out easily and you may need to give it a good yank. With it loose, you should be able to tell if the gear looks okay, and with the help of someone else, if turning the gear results in the speedometer end turning.

[cjay]

Thanks for the advice!

Looks like I now have something else to play with after I do an oil change this weekend. I checked the codes and it was a speed sensor fault...

cjay.

[clemo]

this is quite an easy job to do..
remove the binical cover and the sensor can been seen ..
get a very small screwdriver (i use just the small head part) as shown .
then unscrew it and pop the 3 prong metal clip off .. job done..

it is a delco GM part that is used on a mk3 vauxhall astra ...
had to change mine a while ago..
hense the photo .. thought it may come in usefull 1 day..



(ASW NOT LETTING ME UPLOAD)

sent them to you direct,

[clemo]

HTTP 404 Error

Unfortunatley the page, image, or file you were looking for has either moved or is missing.

To Report a broken link please contact us on 'brokenlink @ awsnet.co.uk' (remove spaces)
Be sure to include the URL of the linking page, and which link is broken.

clicking on submit your picture..

[cjay]

Thanks clemo I got the pics you emailed

For some reason I can't upload pics here either... That model Astra was not sold here so I hope that part is OK

cjay

[Monty]

You can`t upload photo`s on the ASWNET, u can upload photo`s direct from u`r comp when u`r posting u`r reply where it says add an attachment.

[techlectic]

How does a speedo cable break? Does the drive cable inside actually break?

[Doug]

well if the cable broke (could happen) it should give a zero reading at the speedo, so that is unlikely cjay's problem

worth checking for a loose connection at both ends, first; then do the clemo fix if needed.

[cjay]

The funny part is it does not work when I drive to work but is fine when I drive home...

It's a bit like me, does not want to go to work most days.

[Doug]

so don't go to work and it will be fine . . . .

[clemo]

i have fixed 2 speedo cables that have broken .. they just snap....
it is a bit of a job ..
getting it into the tranny side was difficult enough.
but getting the cable to sit nicely behind the speedo was difficult.
getting the speedo out is very fiddly COVER THE FRONT of the speedo with a cloth.. there are very sharp edges under the front cover..
and the 4 front screws must go back in the right place .

just from memory..
if you do need to replace the cable i can give a better in depth write up.

[ESM]

I had a similar problem. The speedo initially seemed to get stuck, a sharp rap on the dash usually got it moving. Then it got worse and started jumping about and underreading (when it worked at all). The VSS error set during the later stages. I had the speedo sent off for repair (I thought that since bashing it helped it was a problem with it and not the cable). It came back with a clean bill of health, they said it worked perfectly. So I had the cable replaced when the LSD was fitted. Still had the problem though, this time I KNEW it was the bloody speedo so I got a new one in the Lotus sale and that sorted it.

It would be surprised if the VSS was the problem, I say speedo or cable. If the speedo still worked and the VSS code set then I'd say it was the VSS.

[timmo]

How does a speedo cable break? Does the drive cable inside actually break?

techlectic - in my case the drive gears siezed. dont know why, they just did , buggered the final drive and the cable. luckily Mr Vickers helped me out by supplying a cable with the final drive still attached!!

Cheers Sy.

TImmo