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Red Ryder Samba Member
Joined: June 26, 2021 Posts: 942 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 3:53 pm Post subject: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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Any idea how to get the needle steady? _________________ “Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red |
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djkeev Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007 Posts: 32432 Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Jennybenny Samba Member
Joined: May 12, 2019 Posts: 54 Location: NYC
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 5:06 pm Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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Do a search here. Long threads that lay out different scenarios.
Blasphemy for some, but I lean towards replacing parts vs troubleshooting. partially because I am working on my van laying in the street in NYC and partially because I value my time, so I did a search and picked the most likely fix. Usually works, sometimes a 3-5 day delay waiting on another part. Dig through the threads, there are real informed posts.
A new cable that bypasses the o2 sensor with careful routing worked for me. Most parts are cheap if your time has value or you can’t get to work.
Jason. |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16473 Location: Brookeville, MD
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:58 pm Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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You can try this. Remove the instrument cluster cover and plastic shield so you can access the speedo cable behind the instrument. Go for a drive on a safe empty road at a speed that causes the needle to bounce. Carefully reach behind the speedo and gently move the cable to alter the arc and orientation to see if there is a happy place where the needle does not bounce. BTDT. The cable can slightly bind internally and the happy spot allows it to turn smoothly. _________________ Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD
"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson
MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646
Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371
The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794 |
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calo1956 Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2011 Posts: 683 Location: long Island new york
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 7:26 pm Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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I have the same issue under 30 mph, The person who rebuilt my speed told me that that comes from a bend in the speed cable, not the speed itself. _________________ Enjoy the ride....
72 bug
80 westfalia |
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vegpedlr Samba Member
Joined: June 07, 2014 Posts: 774 Location: TBD
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Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 8:18 pm Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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Mine was the grease/dust cap rounding off and allowing the cable end to slip. Cheap part, PITA to replace. Mine still doesn’t work completely right, sorta does but for the wrong reason. I’ll get to it later. I still have my tach . . _________________ 1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope” |
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dobryan Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006 Posts: 16473 Location: Brookeville, MD
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wbailey2112 Samba Member
Joined: October 02, 2015 Posts: 482 Location: Grove City, OH
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:34 am Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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By unsteady do you mean that the needle is "bouncing" at low speeds? If this is the case you probably just need to run some oil down the inside of the speedometer cable. Disconnect the cable at both ends and squirt a liberal amount of oil inside both ends, reassemble and see if that cures the issue.
I've done this with both my Westy and my Thing when I experienced this "bouncing" and oiling the cable inside of the speedometer cable sheath fixed the issue in both cases. _________________ '74 Thing
'83 Westfalia |
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dabaron Samba Member
Joined: June 21, 2018 Posts: 2558 Location: Philly, mang
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 7:18 am Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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i replaced my speedo cable and had it in the sweet spot of smooth needle action. then i removed the cluster to fix an issue and now i can either get it to play nice below or above 45 mph. at 45 mph is bounces like mad.
it's a fun game to move the cable to find the sweet spot, wait, not it's not. _________________ 1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo
BiWerks Design, LLC |
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mikemtnbike Samba Member
Joined: March 26, 2015 Posts: 2780 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 7:54 am Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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wbailey2112 wrote: |
By unsteady do you mean that the needle is "bouncing" at low speeds? If this is the case you probably just need to run some oil down the inside of the speedometer cable. Disconnect the cable at both ends and squirt a liberal amount of oil inside both ends, reassemble and see if that cures the issue.
I've done this with both my Westy and my Thing when I experienced this "bouncing" and oiling the cable inside of the speedometer cable sheath fixed the issue in both cases. |
+1. The low speed bounce went away for me with a generous application of triflow to both ends of the cable. _________________ 1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual |
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Red Ryder Samba Member
Joined: June 26, 2021 Posts: 942 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 9:12 am Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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mikemtnbike wrote: |
wbailey2112 wrote: |
By unsteady do you mean that the needle is "bouncing" at low speeds? If this is the case you probably just need to run some oil down the inside of the speedometer cable. Disconnect the cable at both ends and squirt a liberal amount of oil inside both ends, reassemble and see if that cures the issue.
I've done this with both my Westy and my Thing when I experienced this "bouncing" and oiling the cable inside of the speedometer cable sheath fixed the issue in both cases. |
+1. The low speed bounce went away for me with a generous application of triflow to both ends of the cable. |
Heading to the garage now!😉👍 _________________ “Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red |
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Red Ryder Samba Member
Joined: June 26, 2021 Posts: 942 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 11:20 am Post subject: Re: Unsteady speedometer needle |
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mikemtnbike wrote: |
wbailey2112 wrote: |
By unsteady do you mean that the needle is "bouncing" at low speeds? If this is the case you probably just need to run some oil down the inside of the speedometer cable. Disconnect the cable at both ends and squirt a liberal amount of oil inside both ends, reassemble and see if that cures the issue.
I've done this with both my Westy and my Thing when I experienced this "bouncing" and oiling the cable inside of the speedometer cable sheath fixed the issue in both cases. |
+1. The low speed bounce went away for me with a generous application of triflow to both ends of the cable. |
Tried the Triflo — no joy. _________________ “Most everyone’s mad here. You may have noticed I am not quite all there myself.” — Cheshire Cat, Adventures of Alice in Wonderland
“Scarlett” — 1990 Vanagon Carat Wolfsburg Edition
Tornado Red |
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