ok... I'm confused again (been happening to me alot lately)

Today I replaced my broken speedometer cable. The cable was damaged when someone at the body shop was welding the new floor pieces in place.

The speedo was not working at all before (hence the broken cable) now, with a new cable, it is accurate from 0 to 35 or 40 mph... then it just slows to a stop. I can be driving 50 and the needle shows 40... I can drive 60, 70, 80 mph and that needle acts like it has hit a brick wall at 40. (I checked the speed with GPS). When I slow down to 35 mph or below, the needle shows the accurate speed again.

Anyone run into something like this before? The new cable is not kinked and is properly lubricated.

Hi 73Delta88, hello everyone,


80 MPH? Shame on you.

Erratic movement of the needle, would indicate a problem with the cable/housing.

Your "brick wall" says there is an obstuction, inside the head, that's blocking the movement of the needle.

Norm

just for a couple seconds on the highway...


hmm, odd how it worked fine before the cable was damaged and now there is some sort of obstruction, guess I'll have to take the instrument cluster out and see what I can see.

Thanks

If it was on the shakey side already, just the insertion of the new cable could be enough to cause the problem.

As soon as you have it apart, you'll understand as much about it as I do. It's that simple.

Now, if you need parts, it's a different story.

Norm

That's been one of my biggest concerns right along... can't just go down to Advance Auto parts or a GM dealer and order something like that, though I'm sure they are around if I were to look hard enough.

Removing the instrument cluster wasn't going to be a real easy task, not that it's complicated, but a little tough to get at some of the screws that hold the assembly in place (I actually tried to think of a friend who might have smaller hands than mine ) I realized that by removing a couple screws that were accessible from the outside of the dash, I was able to pull back the clear plastic that covers the speedometer. I snuck some steel wire in there and manually moved the needle all the way from peg to peg a few times... I didn't notice any resistance at the 40 mph "brick wall."

Doubting that what I had done made any difference, I took a ride down the road just for the heck of it and to my suprise the "brick wall" is gone! The needle moves freely again.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, maybe I got lucky and knocked something back into place, maybe it'll get stuck again a week from now... but right now it seems to be working just fine. If it happens again I'll have to dig deeper, but for now I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed