in olde timey speedos the cable spun a magnetised disk and a spring loaded other magnetised disk holding the pointer would be dragged around the face. The faster the spin, the more it was dragged. My guess is that your spring is toast.

the FSM says if the cable turns easily by hand, then to replace the speedometer. :)

the digital singal I spoke of only appears to be sent back out to the A/T module.

Mine barfed gear oil on my legs in the turbo car.

"if the cable easily by hand" What?

turns.


the FSM pretty much says, if the speedo is off and the cable appears to be in good shape, replace the speedometer itself in the cluster.

i tried to spin the peg it doesnt so i dont think its the cable. ya my cable barfed in my face and on my camera. I'm starting to think the gauge cluster is fubar because i noticed the steering column had once been removed and the cluster hood cover is cracked and glued as if it was removed once before too. It still was never connected all the way and yet to test drive since i cleaned the goop and secured it tightly, i have to register the car today so i will let you know if the problem is fixed if not I leaning torwards having to buy a new gauge cluster.

nice pic by the way, very helpful on these work

and by new you mean used for like $10, right?

It's connected by a gear in the transmission, so you won't be able to turn it if that end is still connected.

that makes a bit of sense :)

i knew that, but trying to turn it and it proving to not rotate would clearly prove that it was still connected at the tranny and that the cable wasn't internally broke or barely intact inside the cable sleeve plastic thingy...lol whatever its called. I am convinced its the gauge cluster for sure

I'll trade your cluster. I think I have one laying around (from a 91).

140 @ 70 sounds good to me.

sure up for trades, odometer only reads 73k miles too! :)

you can (and should) take out the odometer...

Just to be thorough, disconnect the cable at both ends and make sure the cable turns smoothly. I think you'll find it does. I know in years past (yeah, I'm an old fart) with Mercedes cable driven speedos, I had seen several that went wild like this and it was indeed in the speed head.

ooops, I meant to say speedo head. Not awake yet.

well the odometer registers accurately every time when the speedometer is working and when its not. so it has to be the gauge magnetic/spring. I think you guys helped out a lot with this topic. I will be changing out both the cable and gauge cluster just because it is a old car now and could use both newer or low mileage parts.

Please take video.

its really not worth taking a video IMO.