Cold weather and slow speedometer

[wyosub]

I did some searching but could not find anything exactly like the problem my 92, 5 speed, Loyale Wagon is having. The speedometer reads slower the colder the weather.

 

In temps above 25-30*F second gear, 3000 rpms is about 25 mph.

 

10-20*F, second gear, 3000 rpm, speedo reads 15 mph.

 

This morning -17*F and the speedo never budged.

 

Drove it at lunch time 10*F and it read 15 mph at 3000 rpm's, again in second gear.

 

So the cable has not snapped. At no time does the needle bounce as is the case when a cable is headed south, always nice and steady.

 

Whats going on? I can live with it but it is irritating.

 

92 Loyale Wagon

[nipper]

the cable drives a magnet. the magnet is in a bell, and thats attached to the spedo needle. Inspect your cable at both ends. if you are 100% sure the cable is not broken, my guess would be wear at the spedo needle. If you can see your odometer change while the bneedles is dead, then it is defanitly the needle bushing thats shot. replace the spedo.

 

 

nipper

[Legacy777]

The grease in the speedo cable housing gets thicker as it gets cold. That may be a cause. I know when I lived in PA, the cable made noise until it warmed up when it got cold out

[fnlyfnd]

I dont know.

 

 

I noticed today when I went by a radar read out speed sign thing, my speedo was at 37 and it read 34.

[zyewdall]

The grease in the speedo cable housing gets thicker as it gets cold. That may be a cause. I know when I lived in PA, the cable made noise until it warmed up when it got cold out

 

My '89 GL does this when it's really cold. Speedometer will appear to almost stick sometimes -- not move when you accellerate, then 10 seconds later, finally catch up. And you can come to a dead stop, and it'll read 15mph for a few seconds. Sounds like cold grease to me.

[nipper]

all the classic symptons of a bad spedo head ... you need to do a measured mile. 1t 60mph you should cover 1 mile in 1 minute. if the needle is flaky, the odometer should be on the money. The are two seperat mechanisims driven off the same cable.

 

 

 

nipper

[wyosub]

Thanks, I will take it for a romp out on the highway and check the odometer.

[Dr.Outback]

After installing indiglo gauges, I ran into the sticking speedo issue. I checked with a Suby tech. He said that grease probably got into the speedo head. He recommended spraying a little brake cleaner to clear the grease out.

 

I haven't got around to fixing it yet. Who needs a speedo anyway?