speedo cable

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 12 Aug 2012, 9:46 am

#916989

I had the speedo serviced by VDO so all is good there, installed a new speedo cable so all good there, 87 k down the track and the speedo stopped working, removed it this morning and the cable has broken off at the point it goes into the speedo, anyone had this happen and can hazard a guess why?
Thanks
Don

I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

vwo60 Veteran Volks Folk

2,036 posts · joined Feb 2007 · 12 Aug 2012, 7:06 pm

#917187

How does the cable run to the speedo, does it have a tight bend near the speedo, this is the only thing that i can think of that would fatiguge the inner cable enough to break. th bigger the bend radius the longer the cable will last.

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 12 Aug 2012, 10:19 pm

#917224

The cable runs almost directly into the speedo, virtualt no bend at all, the thing is that the previous cable lasted long enough to round off the end down at at the wheel grease cap, so it had been in as long as I've had the car, this one broke right at the point where the cable ends and the solid bit that goes into the speedo starts, very strange.

I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

cam070 Custom Title Time!

1,332 posts · joined Jul 2009 · 12 Aug 2012, 11:21 pm

#917228

Might just be a poor quality cable.

Purple Martin Fahrvergnugen

913 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 18 Aug 2012, 4:42 pm

#918115

It's getting twisted off because there is too much resistance somewhere. There are only two places the resistance can be: in the cable or in the speedo. Get a new (good quality) cable, put it in the car, leave it disconnected at both ends and try turning it by hand at the wheel end - does it turn freely or stiffly? Now connect it to the speedo and try turning it by hand at the wheel end again - does it turn freely or stiffly? Now you should know where the problem is. (Don't assume that the speedo must be spinning freely because it's just been serviced, we're all human and mistakes can happen)

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vlad01 Compulsive Aussie Vee Dubber

4,270 posts · joined Jun 2010 · 18 Aug 2012, 5:50 pm

#918125

Sorry for hijacking the thread, where can you buy new quality cables to suit type 3 ? which obviously is RHD

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11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 18 Aug 2012, 7:07 pm

#918137

donn wrote:I had the speedo serviced by VDO so all is good there, installed a new speedo cable so all good there, 87 k down the track and the speedo stopped working, removed it this morning and the cable has broken off at the point it goes into the speedo, anyone had this happen and can hazard a guess why?
Thanks
Don

Odd one..
I can't remember ever breaking one but have replaced them over the years [a long time ago]
but once the needle starts swinging I replace them as usually the strands break one by one
but I cannot ever remember one breaking off at an end..??

there shouldn't be any resistance at the wheel end of the cable..

cheers

LEE

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

donn Wolfsburg Elder

3,515 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 20 Aug 2012, 7:27 am

#918404

thanks once again fellas, the speedo spins nicely by hand and the cable can only enter the speedo in a straight line as there is a hole in the body where it comes into the "cabin" that keeps it lined up, if the cable wasn't turning freely in the outer then surely it would have broken off at the stub axle end. I've replaced it with a longer second hand cable that I had but havn't tried it yet, the length of the cable shouldn't be a problem as once it goes through the panel it can loop around till it enters the rear of the front stub axle, so no tight bends, really wierd situation but as cam070 said I'm leaning towards a faulty cable, I'll take it back to the supplier to see what they reckon.

I dream of a day when a chicken can cross a road without being asked for it's motive!

h fractals - an ever changing lifestyle

7,671 posts · joined Feb 2005 · 20 Aug 2012, 7:35 am

#918406

bummer don
hope u get it sorted mate n get a good qual cable 😉

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