Speedo stopped working

[notny41]

It seems like when temps drop around here my car's speedo quits working. It quit working on me a couple weeks ago and then the next time I had it out (and it was warmer out) the speedo was working again.

Yesterday it got cooler out and again the speedo stopped working. At mid-day after the temps came back up I got in it again and it blipped one time and then continued to not work for the rest of the day. Again today (and much colder out) it is not working.

Last night I felt both of the connecters (speedo side and tranny side) and both seem to be screwed in tightly. I thought I might find that one side wasn't screwed in and had backed out of the mount or something.

Anyone else encountered this phenomenon?

Did a little bit of searching and found some speedo stuff (actually answered another one of my questions, but didn't find anything on the dial actually quitting).

Thanks!

 

[DAZ]

It seems like when temps drop around here my car's speedo quits working. It quit working on me a couple weeks ago and then the next time I had it out (and it was warmer out) the speedo was working again.

Yesterday it got cooler out and again the speedo stopped working. At mid-day after the temps came back up I got in it again and it blipped one time and then continued to not work for the rest of the day. Again today (and much colder out) it is not working.

Last night I felt both of the connecters (speedo side and tranny side) and both seem to be screwed in tightly. I thought I might find that one side wasn't screwed in and had backed out of the mount or something.

Anyone else encountered this phenomenon?

Did a little bit of searching and found some speedo stuff (actually answered another one of my questions, but didn't find anything on the dial actually quitting).

Thanks!

I am going to take a guess at this and by no means do I know the answer.
I have a C4 and the car was pretty butchered up when I started the restoration. The speedo cable had an extreme angle imposed on it from the trans forward. Check this on your car. When it gets cold and you have a 90 degree angle in the cable, it might be causing enough restriction tto stop the
inner cable from spinning. Just a guess

 

[notny41]

Well, I don't know about a 90 degree angle, but it does have a pretty tight curve just after it leaves the trans.

I'm sure it is probably a cable problem.

 

[rbohm]

two things;
1: try to eliminate the tight curve in the cable housing near the trans,
2: pull the cable and clean and relube it.

often times the lube doesnt work like it should in cold weather.

 

[DAZ]

Well, I don't know about a 90 degree angle, but it does have a pretty tight curve just after it leaves the trans.

I'm sure it is probably a cable problem.

My cable had actually been re-roouted to the channel where the E-Brake should have been run, causing the tight crimping of the cable. Not a mechanic, but logic tells me this right agle should not be there. I installing E-Brake and cable this weekend.

 

[notny41]

Wow, lots of server busy messages lately. That's ok though.

I think I have this figured out. I think the cable slid up in the sheath. To the point of not making good contact with the gear in the trans. I have temporarily fixed it by wrapping a small amount of masking tape around the end of the cable that goes into the speedo. Speedo works fine now even in cold weather. But I might see if I can fabricate some tiny shims to go over the cable end and in right behind the speedo inlet. That would prevent the cable from sliding up out of the trans gear.

 

[DAZ]

I'm not to much for cobbing things together. I bought a new cable for 11.99 +
tax. Took 1/2 hour to route and hook up.