Jumpy Speedo

[htc]

I've got a jumpy speedometer needle and I'm wondering how involved it is to "just pull the cable" and grease it up. Everything comes apart easy enough...I'm worried about disconnecting/misaligning pieces on the install.

It's hard for me to delve into a project blindly, should I just man up and dive in?

[skimsucka]

Dive in you have the right idea just unscrew the speedo cable from tranny first and push a tiny bit into cabin then
Proceed to take out cluster and lube then put it all back

[FestYboy]

start with just unscrewing the bottom of the cable from the gear assm. then slide the center wire out and clean and grease that. you should see a big improovement there and you dont have to pull the cluster.

[htc]

Thanks guys. I'm on it.

[Bert]

I had a jumpy speedo up until last summer. The jump was particularly bad and even noisy in 0 to -10F temperatures. Lubed the cable and replaced the gear in the transmission (it was cracked) etc etc but ultimately the problem turned out to be from within the speedometer. Replacing the instrument cluster cured the problem in my situation. However, as FestYboy suggests, start by lubing the cable.

[Pgh5spd]

If it's just started now, and it's particularly bad when it's been sitting out in the cold, it's probably the bearing in the speedometer head. You can lube it with a drop or two of something light. It won't make it like new, but it will help a lot. Lubing some graphite into it would probably be an even better idea. For lubing the cable, use dry graphite powder like for locks.

[perucho]

start with just unscrewing the bottom of the cable from the gear assm. then slide the center wire out and clean and grease that. you should see a big improovement there and you dont have to pull the cluster.

What he said. Also make sure the cable itself is not kinked and that the housing turns/bends are not excessively sharp.

[perucho]

If it's just started now, and it's particularly bad when it's been sitting out in the cold, it's probably the bearing in the speedometer head.

What he said too

[zoom zoom]

Mine was my speedometer (in my aspire) when my needle was jumping. I replaced one of the cable sections and it didn't help anything, a new speedometer fixed it tho.

[ionfuel]

Hi - mine is a 92 L 5-speed. The speedometer just within the past couple of weeks now makes a racket like a chirping bird behind the cluster.

Tried to pull the cluster, but was not sure what and how things were connected, so did not remove. Do I have to reach under the dash from behind cluster and disconnect anything first? I'm a novice at this but want to try to alleviate the noise. Thought about graphite powder in the cable.

Other posts here mention the speedometer head bearing. Can it be lubed/oiled?

Thanks.

[Movin]

You have to shove the speedocable through the firewall from under the hood after unscrewing the cluster, it will shove the cluster out where you can unplug the wires.
disassemble and lube.
The cable, just read above, I like light synthetic grease but use what you like or
can get. For the speedohead 3m sowing machine oil or something light designed
to last. Do not get the disk oiled!!!

If you lose the engine - battery ground and the speedo turns into
the next easiest ground for the electrics...send pics we like carnage!!

[David88]

If you take the cabe out to lube it, don't use grease. Use graphite "dry" lube or lock ease spray. These wont gum up. My speedo was literally squalling, I mean really screeching. I took it out and used white lithium grease on it. It didn't make it any better. I took it back out and cleaned it with solvent. Then lubed it with a graphite based aerosol spray lube called Lock Ease. Perfectly smooth and quiet now over two years later.

[Movin]

^^ graphite is "synthetic" work fine, Lokease is non staining like
light synthetic grease and cleans up fine when done.
Like David88 says, petroleum grease will need cleaned and redone
quite often. Extreme cold rated synthetic should work, I use marine grade.
White lithium will turn to concrete as it is petroleum.

[ionfuel]

OK. Great and thanks. Another related question: My cluster is the one w/o the tach; are the tach clusters interchangeable? Both plug in w/same connection? Will a tach cluster work in a festi that had an original non/tach cluster? Just wondered.

[1988festivazoom]

You have to shove the speedocable through the firewall from under the hood after unscrewing the cluster, it will shove the cluster out where you can unplug the wires.
disassemble and lube.
The cable, just read above, I like light synthetic grease but use what you like or
can get. For the speedohead 3m sowing machine oil or something light designed
to last. Do not get the disk oiled!!!

If you lose the engine - battery ground and the speedo turns into
the next easiest ground for the electrics...send pics we like carnage!!

I had a bad ground on my engine and I four the clutch cable to be a verry good ground lol then pop! No clutch!