speedo problem

So I'm driving along today doing a nice steady zero mph. Eh? A bit later it started working again but then dropped back to zero. Hasn't come back.

I've had a look underneath and the speedo outer cable is very shiny and new (I've only had the car two weeks so I guess Liveridge replaced it). Of course thats no indication of the state of the inner... Its still under warranty but I'm not driving back to Birmingham with no speedo for this!

Is there a way of telling where the problem lies before blindly replacing the cable?

And how does the cable "engage the drive slot at the gearbox" as the repair manual puts it? Does it just pull out and push in? Are there special ends on the ends of the cable?

I read on another post here that its a 20min job - it used to take me longer than that to change the gear cable on my bike

Fun fun fun.

Barry

mine does that i replaced the cable and it worked for about 2 weeks then nothing so i can no longer be bothered to do it so i use road craft to judge my speed

G-man said:

so i use road craft to judge my speed

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Translation please.

spacedman said:

Is there a way of telling where the problem lies before blindly replacing the cable?

And how does the cable "engage the drive slot at the gearbox" as the repair manual puts it? Does it just pull out and push in? Are there special ends on the ends of the cable?

I read on another post here that its a 20min job - it used to take me longer than that to change the gear cable on my bike

Fun fun fun.

Barry

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Search Speedo cable here and follow the threads, a few pointers are given to help identify problem.

i am very good at judging the speed of a vehicle

G-man said:

i am very good at judging the speed of a vehicle

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But will that get you through the MOT?

I found something in the Defender forum (I'd only searched the Series) from Slob suggesting to take the cable out the back of the speedo and see if it turns. I'll do that.

The first instruction in speedo removal is 'remove the two screws securing the instrument panel to the fascia'. They have a funny concept of the word 'securing'

Barry

G-man said:

i am very good at judging the speed of a vehicle

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So how do you do it, rapid mental arithmetic, counting seconds over distance covered, acute spatial awarness?
Seriously i'm interested, because 50mph in one of my Series vehicles feels totally different to 50 in my Audi A8, so it can't be calculated from the noise and vibration. Can it?

gramor said:

So how do you do it, rapid mental arithmetic, counting seconds over distance covered, acute spatial awarness?
Seriously i'm interested, because 50mph in one of my Series vehicles feels totally different to 50 in my Audi A8, so it can't be calculated from the noise and vibration. Can it?

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It's called 'guessing'.

Marcus said:

It's called 'guessing'.

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So I am guessing it's not very accurate.

I've got the instrument panel off, but can't detach the speedo cable. There's a plastic clip thingy on it. Its like this one on eeee-bay:

LANDROVER SPEEDO CABLE SERIES 3 on eBay, Land Rover, Car Parts, Cars, Parts Vehicles (item 230166600967 end time 31-Aug-07 09:42:58 BST)

But I can't get it off. Squeeze it, turn it, jiggle it, nothing. Not that I can squeeze if very hard cos its a bit cramped for space... Any ideas?

And I managed to drop one of the knurled nuts holding the speedo on the front - and its rolled down somewhere deep I'll never find it. Can't do any damage can it?

Barry

i've got the same problem, speedo was a bit off so i had a swatch behind the dash and pulled the inside of the cable too far out, its now zero all the time so i'm guessin i've snapped it somewhere! dobber.....

anyhoo's if you throw a weighted object off the front of yer landy and time how long it takes for to pass to the rear of vehicle. devide the time by the length (88" or 109") and you will have your speed (in inches per second if yer watch has a wee fast hand). if yer good at maths you could work out the length o yer landy in miles then work the seconds out in hours and you've got miles per hour. also remenber to tie the weighted object to a peice of string so you can pull it back onboard and use it again. fool proof!

doobie said:

i
anyhoo's if you throw a weighted object off the front of yer landy and time how long it takes for to pass to the rear of vehicle. devide the time by the length (88" or 109") and you will have your speed (in inches per second if yer watch has a wee fast hand). if yer good at maths you could work out the length o yer landy in miles then work the seconds out in hours and you've got miles per hour. also remenber to tie the weighted object to a peice of string so you can pull it back onboard and use it again. fool proof!

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Or just measure the distance between oil drops coming out the back...

I think I'll wait until I can get a friend round to help, will try disconnecting the gearbox end and try the driller method to see where the problem may be...

Barry

spacedman said:

will try disconnecting the gearbox end and try the driller method

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try long nose pliers, it looks like the bayonet type clip, but ca canny, or ye'll have some ither broken bits in wi the dropped thingy

gramor said:

try long nose pliers, it looks like the bayonet type clip, but ca canny, or ye'll have some ither broken bits in wi the dropped thingy

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I've just remembered I got full-on RAC cover last week. If I rang them with a dodgy speedo, what would they do?

spacedman said:

I've just remembered I got full-on RAC cover last week. If I rang them with a dodgy speedo, what would they do?

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Probably laugh........better call a friend, then when he breaks it totally he can pay to fix it.

doobie said:

i've got the same problem, speedo was a bit off so i had a swatch behind the dash and pulled the inside of the cable too far out, its now zero all the time so i'm guessin i've snapped it somewhere! dobber.....

anyhoo's if you throw a weighted object off the front of yer landy and time how long it takes for to pass to the rear of vehicle. devide the time by the length (88" or 109") and you will have your speed (in inches per second if yer watch has a wee fast hand). if yer good at maths you could work out the length o yer landy in miles then work the seconds out in hours and you've got miles per hour. also remenber to tie the weighted object to a peice of string so you can pull it back onboard and use it again. fool proof!

Click to expand...

****ley yad have to utilise the full vehiclular length and not just the wheelabse?

spacedman said:

I've got the instrument panel off, but can't detach the speedo cable. There's a plastic clip thingy on it. Its like this one on eeee-bay:

LANDROVER SPEEDO CABLE SERIES 3 on eBay, Land Rover, Car Parts, Cars, Parts Vehicles (item 230166600967 end time 31-Aug-07 09:42:58 BST)

But I can't get it off. Squeeze it, turn it, jiggle it, nothing. Not that I can squeeze if very hard cos its a bit cramped for space... Any ideas?

And I managed to drop one of the knurled nuts holding the speedo on the front - and its rolled down somewhere deep I'll never find it. Can't do any damage can it?

Barry

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squeeze it and pull, sometimes there a bit sticky so what yer have to do is pull HARDER

slob said:

****ley yad have to utilise the full vehiclular length and not just the wheelabse?

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a think you drive over the heavy lump , and when you feel the bumps you know yer past it.............so it would be the wheelbase.

slob said:

squeeze it and pull, sometimes there a bit sticky so what yer have to do is pull HARDER

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Right. Where's my molegrips....

its gotta be spacial awairness or experiance or esp