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Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 7:02 pm
by Adam
So other than taking apart the dash is there something I should check to see why the speedometer stopped working today? It might be due to some rough 4x4ing, nothing too major, just a lot of shaking. Any suggestions?

Re: Speedometer, pdometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:02 pm
by mararmeisto
That whole gauge runs off the speedometer cable, which comes from the transmission (?). Either your cable has broken (possible), come loose or been pulled loose from the transmission (possible, but not as much), or it has come loose from the back of the instrument cluster (less likely, unless someone has been in there and didn't re-attach it correctly).

I don't know where to look on the transmission... "Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?"

Re: Speedometer, pdometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:04 am
by Adam
The speedo stop working in a parking lot, maybe after a speed bump. I guess I'll get under there tomorrow when it is dry and look for a loose cable, sounds easier than talking apart the dash, thanks for the advice.

Re: Speedometer, pdometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:26 am
by Luna-Sea
Hey Adam,
On the bright side your resale value with stay locked until you fix it. :-D

There in a connection at the dash and at the tranny, one of them could be hooped.
That has been my experience ,I have seen less often the gears in the dash crap out.
Not that hard to get the dash cluster out.

I can help you figure it out if you want, if your in the neighbourhood and my Deli is there
give a holler.

Right on! 8-)

Re: Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 5:04 pm
by Adam
Finally got arround to fixing this issue, I'm out there right now trying to find a cable coming out of my transmission. Let me know if anyone has any pictures, pictures help so much :-)

Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 10:39 am
by sealica
My speedometer has stopped working (reads 0 km/h no matter how fast I'm travelling) after pressing the tripometer whilst driving. Both the speedo and tripometer failed instantly after resetting to zero (tripometer is off kilter zero).

-My odometer has been stuck at 129,999 for as long as I've had the van (~3 years).
-RPM & Speedometer have intermittently read zero before, but never long-term and never in the middle of driving while warm. It seemed to be a cold-start / humidity related error.

So I'm looking for the speedo cable entering the trans..fer...case..mission? I recall this cable I noticed damaged some time ago (forgot to figure out what cable it is) while inspecting the rear u-joint where the driveshaft enters the differential(?). I think this *may* be the speedo cable? I looked through the manuals, but since the cable goes through so many parts of the van ... category is a bit elusive ...
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It had been rubbing on some rusted tie-wire holding various electricks in-place. It's hard to see in the photo, but I filed the rusted wire and replaced it with white zap-ties where there is a sizeable gouge from the wire.
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Wondering if someone could help ID this wire?

Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2018 2:59 pm
by Growlerbearnz
Yup, that's your speedo cable. It's not an electrical cable though, it's a length of tightly-coiled steel wire that spins as the driveshaft spins.

For a quick diagnosis I would remove the instrument cluster, and then roll the van backwards while watching the end of the cable in the dashboard- if it turns then all is well, and the fault lies in the instrument cluster. If the cable doesn't turn there's a break in the cable.

Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:11 pm
by sealica
The strange part about the cable is it feels solid rather than having anything inside, nothing visible inside the gouge. but i understand the concept of cable inside cable housing.

Sounds like a good test. To be clear - roll van in Neutral. Or engine running; drive/reverse?

Thanks!

Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 2:16 pm
by Growlerbearnz
Either way. As long as the driveshaft is turning, the inner speedo cable should be turning.

The best part of the test is that if the cable doesn't turn, you extract it from the outer cable from inside the van. Just grab the squared-off end that goes into the speedo and pull. Have rags handy though, it's usually disgusting with 25 years of grease and metal dust.
sealica wrote:it feels solid rather than having anything inside
It's a spring tube- tightly coiled spring steel, covered in plastic. You're not going to be able to squish it to feel the cable inside.

Speedometer, odometer & tripometer offline, any suggestions?

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 10:37 am
by sealica
Thanks for the tip; took me a while to actually perform the test - coincidentally I can kinda judge speed by rpms ... highway at least 🤫

So this bit ...
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Not turning! Does this also effect odometer(s)?