Like some of you in colder states, I drive my car year round regardless of the weather. This past winter I noticed that the speedometer would bounce a little bit when it was below 10 degrees but would eventually behave normally after driving for a few minutes. On one exceptionally cold morning I heard some whining and grinding sounds from under the dash and then the speedometer stopped working but the odometer is still working. I've pulled the speedometer to make sure that the cable and receptor in the back of the speedometer was not damaged and it all looks good so I've got to assume that a gear was snapped within the speedo. At this point I need to make a decision about whether it makes sense to either attempt a repair or replace it with a salvaged/new speedometer. Just curious if any of you have encountered this and what solution worked out best for you.
The odometer is driven off the speedometer by some gears, and that works still, so it's not a gear problem. The speedometer itself is probably bad, there are some bushings in there that wear out. I try to keep a few spare speedos from other vehicles similar to mine, so I have a spare on hand....so when I find a gage cluster at the swap meet cheap I buy it
Hey, Squirrel. As long as you are here, what do you recommend for lubing a speedo cable? I know they used to sell a special cable lube, but in the advent of electronics, you now get the "does it have air conditioning" reaction.-MIKE
Squirrel, thanks so much for the help. I've never cracked a speedometer open but it sounds like I'll have one to experiment with once I find a replacement. I like your idea of keeping some used spares on hand just like one would for other more common parts. Thanks again.
I've broken both an original (with original cable), and rebuilt (with new cable) speedometers in my '62 Chevy during the winter. The odometer still works fine, but the speedo needle bounces all the time now and makes a horrible grinding sound when sub-freezing. Has to be something in the gearing that breaks.
Might try squirting some graphite down the cable, either powdered from a small tube or liquid "lock ez" from a small can. Used for locks, should be able to find in a hardware section. Had far more problems with the cables than speedo heads on my rigs back in the day, usually in cold weather. Ed
The speedo cable sounds like it's binding. They are lubricated with grease and after so many years, the grease gets hard. Pulled the cable and regrease the inner portion of the cable. Some can be removed which makes things easier. Or get a new cable. With the speedo smoothing out once it get warm, that's my guess.
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