Speedo spun all the way around!! How to fix it?

[94GTPilot]

Ok, now as weird as this sounds, I am hoping someone out there can wipe the snot off the screen from laughing and give a little input. Anyways, I have been having problem with the speedo for a while now; at speeds <35, the speedo said I was doing 10-15; 35-55 was generally good, and highway speeds said I was doing 100+.... Now every so often it would work and read correctly, but usually this was the norm. (The odometer worked fine the whole time, I think)

Then last night, I was driving home and the needle went past 150, all the way around, and is now stuck below the peg?!?!? My question is is it ok for me to take out the instrument cluster, and just spin the needle back to its original position??? I am completely stumped, want my speedo to work again, but dont want to break it at the same time..

Im thinking the VSS is the culprit in the first place?

 

[ProKiller]

you can just take it apart. not too hard to do, but i would get some white face guages while your at it.

 

[94GTPilot]

Just take it apart? And I have white face gauges already, but the color doesn't seem to want to stay bright...

 

[gcomfx.com]

Duh.... use the brakes and slow your arse down!

Kinda funny, my stock tach does that wrap around thing. Usually it'll come back on it's own though. It wasn't TOTALLY out when I added new tach. So I spliced into it. Next time I'm in there, I plan to unhook the stock tach.

BTW - COMPLETELY impressed you can post on your laptop while doing 235+ mph!

 

[blksn955.o]

I have a sim. issue with my 3.73's and the speedo not being correct. The shop put in a gear on the cable for 3.27's (better than for the 2.73's I changed out) that did the install. The speedo always did some funky stuff after that...like pacin' my GF (now wife) at 60mph I was showing 90mph and it would "hang" at diff. rpm's even when I was stopped sometimes.

I think the gear in the trans is getting tore up and/or maybe the cable is binding/broke or something on the inside of its outer shell.

Someone told me that the speedo would not effect the odo. But mine is REALLY messed up. I have a 28-33 mile one way loop from the in-laws/work (within 4miles of each other) and one round trip put 125miles on my odo now times that by 5 a week and you get how I am...thank God it is no longer a daily and has not been for 3-4 yrs. I still put an extra 20-25k on it though.

I would inspect the speedo cable and pull the gear out of the trans and inspect it to make sure its not that along with the parts at the dash like said above.

 

[urban96]

50resto.com has the VSS sensor for ~20

one bolt holds it in and you can also inspect your little drive gear when you have it out


do you have 3.73's in the car or stock gearing still?

 

[94GTPilot]

Brakes?? What are those? My car only knows 2 speeds: parked at home in the parking garage, and WOT .. (while obeying all traffic laws at the same time, mind you)

No, I have the stock gears in.... for now.

I was thinking of just getting a new vss, since it's only ~20.. Would that be my best bet? And while installing it, would I be able to get to/inspect the gear in the trans without dropping the trans? and I'm also guessing the cable attaches to the vss??

One more thing, can I still take my instrument cluster out and manually push the needle counterclockwise to its original place without breaking anything??

 

[94GTPilot]

bump

 

[94GTPilot]

Nobody knows if that will break the needle, or anything else internally??

 

[Jinx]

Don't know about the breakage portion of your question, but FWIW here are some pictures of what the assembly looks like (front and back).
Click here for pictures

 

[urban96]

you should be able to just twist the needle around slowly, dont force it tho

and yes the VSS is a quick simple thing to swap out, no need to drop the trans or anything, jack up the car and you can see it right on the drivers side of the tailshaft