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Vibrating speedometer needle

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  • Vibrating speedometer needle

    I am wondering if putting some oil down the speedometer cable housing would calm to needle.
    Has anyone done this? Does the lower end have to come out of the transmission?
    Or does the vibration perhaps have another cause?
    Thanks.
    Original owner of silver grey carburetted 1989 Festiva. 105k km as of June 2006. 140k km as of June 2021.

  • #2
    Mine dose the same thing and is getting worse .
    I have calmed mine down some by taking the cluster apart and oiling the clutch like thing on the back side of the needle.
    Is your noisiy when driving ? Mine is
    i know this isn't much help but I'm looking for answers as well lol.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by WmWatt View Post
      I am wondering if putting some oil down the speedometer cable housing would calm to needle.
      Has anyone done this? Does the lower end have to come out of the transmission?
      Or does the vibration perhaps have another cause?
      Thanks.
      oiling or putting grease on the speedo cable will definitely help. The lower end does not have to come out , if your able to get oil or grease down in from the dash side.
      If you take the trans side out, the inner cable portion will slide all the way out which allows you to clean, grease, and reinstall. It's the better way, but it can be hard to get to the tans end. You don't have to take it out of the trans, just unscrew the cable portion.

      New ones were still available about a year ago, idk if they still are?
      -Greg
      Euro-bprt...WORLDS FASTEST FESTIVA !!! 11.78@115.9
      BP, G trans, Megasquirt/ 550cc inj. t3/t3 (tbird) Garrett, REAR TURBO!!!! AND AC!!!!
      Redneck Engineer
      FOTY - '09
      5x Festiva Madness Attendee...FM 3,4,5,6,8
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpCZ7...9Pwqw-oe8s2OYQ
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU_eX...9Pwqw-oe8s2OYQ

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      • #4
        I had the same issue with mine when the weather would turn cold. I took the cable out of the car and I then removed the cable from the sheath, cleaned the cable and inside of the sheath with carb cleaner, and then coated the cable with a layer of lithium grease (the kind that comes in a can like bearing grease, not the white grease that comes in a spray can). Reassembled and reinstalled and it's performed flawlessly for the last 4 years.
        If a hammer doesn't fix it you have an electrical problem




        WWZD
        Zulu Ministries

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        • #5
          I had a vibrating speedo (jittery needle) for quite awhile and neither grease nor oil nor replacement cable cured it. However install of a another dash cluster did fix the problem. I have a bunch of spares if you want to try test swapping. It's not a big ordeal to do this.

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          • #6
            My last aspire had that problem.
            It got real bad and then the speedometer stopped working period.
            Those were the beginning symptoms of my failing cluster.
            But I haven't cleaned and greased the cable yet.

            My current aspire has just started to experience the same problem.
            Right now it just makes noise.
            But it may be on its way out.
            I may try cleaning and greasing first.
            Running 40psi.....in my tires.



            http://aspire.b1.jcink.com/index.php?showtopic=611&st=0

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            • #7
              I've had a couple go bad and it's always the cluster... For me. It's usually if the car sits for a period of time. I had one jumpy needle and the car sat for...2 years? After a couple weeks of driving it started working fine again, but the other 2 just needed replaced, 1 festy 1 aspire...the festy one hasn't been swapped yet.
              Last edited by zoom zoom; 10-20-2013, 04:20 PM.
              2008 Kia Rio- new beater
              1987 F-150- revived and CLEAN!!!
              1987 Suzuki Dual Sport- fun beater bike
              1993 Festiva- Fiona, DD
              1997 Aspire- Peaspire, Refurb'd, sold
              1997 Aspire- Babyspire, DD
              1994 Aspire - Project Kiazord
              1994 Aspire- Crustyspire, RIP



              "If it moves, grease it, if it don't, paint it, and if it ain't broke don't fix it!"

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              • #8
                Took the advice of pulling the cable out of the housing, wiping clean, and putting on a light coat of white grease. Now rock steady. Thanks a bunch.

                Did it early this week when the front end was up on stands for annual underspray of used motor oil in preparation for winter.
                Original owner of silver grey carburetted 1989 Festiva. 105k km as of June 2006. 140k km as of June 2021.

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