speedometer stopped working

[lagwagon]

After driving on a washboarded dirt road my speedometer stoped working. I looked in my Hayes service manual and it said take it to a subaru dealer and, showed no details on the linkage of the cable. Is it the cable that goes into the passangers side of the manual transmition? I just wanted some input before I rip my dash apart.Thanks

 

 

 

my web site

 

http://www.freewebs.com/subaruloyale/

[HillbillyLes]

I don't know if my problem is related but... while on the subject of speedometers, another question for those who might have had probs.

 

My car sat on a Sheriffs impound lot for a couple of years in Texas before I bought it. When I got it, the speedometer needle would jump at speeds up to about 50 or so then over that would smooth out and read steady. After a while it started doing what it continues to do which is at about 25 it reads way high, maybe 60MPH and is pegged out by about 30 or 40 MPH actual speed, therefore, without the tach I have no idea of my speed as it shows 85+ MPH at anything over 30 or 40.

 

I am wary to tear into it without having a suggestion from some who might have run into this before. It seemed to act like the needle (speedometer head) needed to be lubed before it started pegging out at low speeds but there aren't many (soobs w/ good speedometers) left in the yards around here so didn't want to entirely ruin what I had by ripping it apart to troubleshoot if I could find a possible solution to prevent troubleshooting and experimentation.

 

Any ideas? :-\

 

HbL

[archemitis]

second post, lube your cable, or pull it, out clean it, and lube it, worked for me.

 

first post, you just gotta reach up behind the speedo, and shove the cable back in. if you lay in the floorboard and look up, you should see a cable hanging down, that pushes up into the back of the speedo, easy fix

[HillbillyLes]

Thank you for the input. I'm sure that the issue is in the speedometer, itself.

The cable is new. Has been replaced without effect on the speedometer issue.

The speedometer pegs out past 85 MPH by the time the car is travelling 40 MPH or so. That would indicate to me that the head or needle/indicator movement is dry, sticking, or other issue that causes it to turn close to 1:1 with the cable which it shouldn't do since it is turned indirectly by the cable using a magnetic field rather than cable directly turning the speedometer needle. I haven't had it apart, yet, so am no expert, but have had speedometers apart from other vehicles and am familiar with their operation...just would like input so I don't have to go into it blind (since I don't have a replacement should something come apart that is irrepairable).

Any other ideas? Any and all input accepted and appreciated.

HbL

[GeneralDisorder]

The seal on the tranny side of the cable went bad, and it sucked oil into the speedo. Doubtful you could fix it. Replace the speedo.

 

GD

[edrach]

I'm with GD; bad seal in the tranny is a very common problem. Problem is you have to open the tranny to replace the seal. Replace the speedometer and put in a new cable; it'll be a while before the transmission oil with migrate up the new cable and murph your speedo.

[HillbillyLes]

Thanks for the input...

 

The speedo head is dry (no oil drips) at the cable input.

I checked out the same type Q&A on the 'New Gen' section and it appeared to matter whether it was an AT or MT. I have the 5 speed D/R tranny. Will that matter in the seal leak issue?

Thanks...

HbL

[HillbillyLes]

***Bump***