FE-FC Holden Discussion Forum

went for a drive yesterday and noticed a light noise coming from dashboard and speedo was waving around a bit      + - 10mph
came good after a minute or two. then happened again on return journey
hasn't happened before

original speedo, 202 motor, trimatic auto
mechanic had been trying to fix tacho the day before, could this affect speedo

whats wrong
can I fix it ( with my lack of knowledge and tools)


 8) 8) 8)

Many years ago I had the same issues . I was breaking many cables and swapping speedo's and still have a few broken speedo cables hanging in the shed . I would take them into Flexidrive and a guy would shorten the broken cable outer and re-square the cable inner for just a few dollars . A local farmer who was famous locally for not buying anything overheard me complaining to a friend and offered to help . I showed him a speedo and he said "how does the bush get lubricated ?" He took the speedo into his workshop and when he returned he had drilled a 1/8 hole through the alloy thread where the cable nut screws on . Just in far enough to reach the brass boss inside ."Just wipe some grease in the hole before screwing the cable on ". I haven't broken a speedo or cable in 30 years .Cheers Haydn. 

Little-known fact: Holden speedos have a lubrication wick.  It's on the diecast housing about where the pressed steel case and rubber gasket attach, and is covered by a little expansion plug.

Remove plug, a drop or two of light machine oil, and you're in business.  No need to drill a hole.

Rob

- and I know this because my speedo seized up on the way from Leonora to Kalgoorlie after the WA Nats . . .

My speedo has been doing this for years on and off.  It is worse in cold weather and so I thought it may be temperature related.  Looks like I need to lubricate the wick.  I'll give a go and see if my flighty speedo settles down.


Cheers
David

me 3 plays up in the cold like its sticking ;D

Just be aware that too much lubricant inside can ruin the speedo operation . This is why I prefer the fresh hole and grease [also can be regreased simply] .

 (http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a589/hsv-001/SAM_0185-Copy_zps64693521.jpg) ($2)

Maybe the cold weather shrinks the alloy quicker than the brass and this might be an issue with speedos that have not been lubed regularly.Haydn

i thought maybe the oil/grease gets thicker when its cold could be the cold/alloy .

 grease it and get another 50yrs

This is a pretty common problem with FE FC
There are a couple of issues
The speedo shafts and gears all dry out over the years and when an opportunity arises, give the internal gears a light coating of grease and work a little oil into the main shaft.
Secondly read p 307 of the manual re speedometer cable lubrication. The bottom 2/3 of the cable should be relubricated every 5000 miles with wheel bearing grease. Note that it says "do not over grease"
Most cars would not have had the cable lubricated properly for way more than 5000 miles ::).
Fact - a speedo which has a flicking needle will break the cable eventually. Lubrication should give you a needle which will sit very steadily on the speed.
Ken

Thanks for that Ken.  Good things to bear in mind.

Cheers
David

(http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/03/04/yby2e7az.jpg)

So I need to remove tacho and new gauge panel.
Undo 2 screws to remove gauge cluster
Then  ......?

Do I need to remove cable from back of speedo ?
Or just put a couple of drops of oil somewhere ?
Any oil or something special
And where exactly

Is removing cable self explanatory ?

This DIY stuff is ALL new to me



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Yes ,drop [lower] the gauge cluster and cover the steering column so you don't scratch it and remove the two screws to get to the back of the instrument cluster and unscrew the speedo cable nut . Now you decide whether to climb under the car and undo the speedo cable off the gearbox to check and lube the cable or remove the speedo from the cluster by removing the two screws[and the bulbs] .I suggest you do both .I like to drill a 1/8 hole in the speedo thread as I said, because once this is done, lubricating the speedo is simple a matter of sticking your hand under the dash and unscrewing the cable , putting some grease on your finger tip and feeling your way around under the dash and wiping your finger over the hole then pouring some gear oil down the cable and putting the cable back on and your done. You don't have to take your dash out to maintain the speedo and cable once you have done this .Or you could try following the instructions in the manual[over forty years playing with these cars sometimes doesn't count for much].Haydn

And don't forget to disconnect the battery before you remove the instrument cluster.

Keith

STEP 1      is now    DISCONNECT BATTERY   ?

Then pull it all apart
grease AND oil bits
and then try and put it back together  :o (before we leave for the Nats)

It's getting to that stage where I decide to work overtime

print these Forum posts, put them in the workshop manual

and drop the wagon at the mechanics workshop
 ::)

 8) 8) 8)

Bugger...   it still doesn't work

Seemed to be working OK before driving to the Nats so I ignored it  ::), with the intention of looking at it when I got home

It stopped 300km into the trip  ::)

Long story short
Mechanic pulled dash apart
seemed speedo was not turning
replaced cable
got speedo moving
test drive and speedo seemed to be showing faster speed (60mph when doing 40kmh)

Now the needle swings up to 50/60mph then shoots to 120mph with a horrible grinding noise !
when driving in suburban traffic

I have 4 speedos and none seem to work

Can they be fixed or does anyone have a working speedo they don't need  ;D

 8) 8) 8)

My speedo has been doing this on and off for years.  It is worse in cold weather and settles down after 10 minutes or so, but is sometimes quite random in doing it.

Until it actually stops working it is tolerable and I don't plan to try to fix it.

Good luck getting a speedo that just works normally.

Cheers
David

If you remove your dash you can test the speedo itself with a battery drill, using a small drill bit with some elec tape on it.. Be careful to start at low rpm and watch for needle fluctuation. This is how we test speedo faults as auto-elecs. Repeat the same test from the drive end (again slow speed) and listen for cable slap or binding. Its not uncommon for strands of the inner cable to pick up on the outer causing large fluctuations in a whip lash type effect.. With this cable failure is imminent. And if some one else has been doing some work in the general area, it could be as simple as the angle of the cable being to acute on an area..


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