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Speedo bounce

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Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598270
Any thoughts on why the speedo needle would be bouncing?

Up to 50mph it just shudders around the mark. Over that and it bounces up to 5mph so I really have no idea what speed I'm doing.
There is a defined clicking sound coming from the speedo.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

56astro Custom Title Time!

1,772 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598271
I've been told it's an indication the cable is about to break.

VW car, VW engine ...... keepin it "real"
35MPG on 101.3kPa

Special Air Service Chief "Gunna"

1,769 posts · joined Oct 2004 ·

#598274
56astro wrote:I've been told it's an indication the cable is about to break.
I would have to agree with this, on the 2 occasions I have broken speedo cables there has been a distinct clicking & needle bounce/vibration. Probably a couple of strands have broken already.
Cheers
Brendan
Calling all NSW Mid North Coast Veedubbers

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Mid North Coast VW

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598276
I was going to pull the cable out & grease it at the weekend. But if it's possible it may have lose strands, that may not be a good move.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

vwrallycar Insano Dub Head

721 posts · joined Sep 2002 ·

#598281
try giving the speedo end of the cable a good dob of grease, fixes mine when it does this

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598285
Is this on the T3??

I have had some trouble with this on mine.

Firstly check that the square hole on the wheel hub isnt rounding out.

Otherwise (and what happened to me) is "i think" the female inside the T3 speedo rounds out.

I have had to change mine for the same reason.

What sort do you have?
A "deluxe" with trip meter or the povo pack with out.

I have a deluxe that bounces and a povo that doesnt it it is any help

I havent tried wrapping the end in plumbers tape to try and improve the fit.
I was wondering if this would help
Futue te ipsum!!!

RISKY_VW Commited Dubber

56 posts · joined Jun 2007 ·

#598287
yeah i had the same thing and it was the cable tryed grease but didn't help much just get a new cable they are cheap and if that don't work it's your speedo

crewcabconnection Being Sid James

1,922 posts · joined Apr 2003 ·

#598305
piss it off and get a GPS
Loves a lolcat

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,787 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598307
Any chance you can borrow a speedo / console??
Futue te ipsum!!!

jo_tas Custom Title Time!

1,547 posts · joined Aug 2004 ·

#598315
I've got a similar problem with mine. It was making a horrible grinding noise of a morning (only when its cold lol) so i replaced the cable. The noise stopped for a month or so and now its back!

lauzboy Seriously Crusin Dubber

177 posts · joined Mar 2005 ·

#598326
Spook wrote:Any thoughts on why the speedo needle would be bouncing?

Up to 50mph it just shudders around the mark. Over that and it bounces up to 5mph so I really have no idea what speed I'm doing.
There is a defined clicking sound coming from the speedo.
had it on one speedo, changed it and the new one works fine so it wasnt a speedo cable problem

i talked to a speedo repair place who reckoned it was the magnetic spindle pick needs servicing. the spindle is spun by the cable which in turn creates a rotating magnetic field which then turns the needle. if its weak then the needle bounces around and goes "tick tick tick"

so the option is new speedo or get it serviced

Spook Driving the 64 wheeler

1,168 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598330
This is a 70 beetle.

The t3 does do it but only at a certain speed, usually between 50 & 65, then comes good. And of course I've got the deluxe.. :P

This one does it all the time & the quicker you go, the more erratic it gets.
Well my friends are gone & my hair is grey, I ache in the places where I used to play.

rob53 Officially Full-On Dubber

385 posts · joined Jan 2007 ·

#598346
I had the same thing on my 70 beetle. I changed the cable and it also stopped for about a month, then back again with vengeance!
It turned out to be the speedo, it was a bit worn out. Same problem as lauzboy's. Cost about $80 to fix from memory. Ahh the peace and quiet now!
Thats not rust, it's ah ... orange primer ... yep that's what it is ...

ancientbugger Custom Title Time!

1,986 posts · joined Mar 2004 ·

#598349
It could just need tightening up at the clock. My cab has been like that for years and is still working (it only happens on mine at very low speeds) but on previous VWs I've bought a new cable only to find the original was loose!

Purple Martin Fahrvergnugen

913 posts · joined Feb 2003 ·

#598353
This is often caused by stiffness in the mechanism inside the speedo itself. The 30-year-old grease in your speedo mechanism is probably dry, dirty & stiff. VW speedos are surprisingly easy to pull apart, clean, and re-pack with fresh grease. If you don't service the speedo then it can stick, resulting in a series of broken cables.
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper

BUGBOY Moderator Chief Toy Dude / Head Cruiser

2,147 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#598851
A common problem is people use grease on the speedo cable.
It can also come from the wheel bearing cap on the hub.
If you look at the speedo cable the winding wind up towards the speedo.
Over time it will move grease up the speedo cable tube and into the small spindle at the rear of the speedo.
Grease is to heavy for the speedo and does cause problems especially when is cold.
WD 40 is all you need.
Everything 36HP !
Change over king and link spindles
6-12volt semaphores

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