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Troubleshooting Speedo Gauge/Cable?

674 views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  CJMONEYPIT 
#1 ·
Ok, so got the Jeep in sunny Hawaii (Yes I know finally). Got a few small things that need addressed and I could use some help from you smart people here.

So the Speedo doesn't work worth a damn. The needle bounces left and right (non-stop) and isn't even close to being close the correct MPH (30mph off, with consistant bouncing left and right). The mechanic in Florida mentioned something about the cable possibly being over stretched which would cause this but I'm reaching out to you guys for assistance.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.
 
#4 ·
I checked the speedo cable for tension and it's got plenty of slack. Do you think it's still worth it to try out a new speedo cable, or could it possibly be the actual speedometer gauge cluster?
 
#5 ·
Sometimes the metal core of the cable unwinds and it's not accurate anymore. You can pull the cable off of your transfer case and spin the core and have a buddy check the speedo cluster to see if it moves 3-4 mph.

If it doesn't move, or bounces around, I'd try a new cable...the speedo clusters are close to a $100
 
#6 ·
It could also be the speedo cable output gear in your Xfer case. I just had to replace one in a Dana20 for this very thing. His speedo needle wobbled a lot, but it was also intermittent, indicating something besides the cable (making it easier for us to diagnose actually). As Jadams suggested, check the gauge response itself. I would disconnect the speedo cable from the speedo housing and manually spin the input counterclockwise to see what kind of response there is from the gauge itself. If it's consistent, then look downstream at the cable and then finally the transfer output housing. I yanked the cable off that guy's jeep and the torque response was even and consistent from either end -- nothing to indicate that the cable core had spun out or was otherwise f'd up. After that, the output housing was a no brainer.

What year/powertrain do you have?
 
#7 ·
Aloha! I recently tackled my bouncing, sticking speedo. What I discovered was that the aftermarket cable that I installed a couple of years ago was either too tight or a hair too long. When excessive inward pressure was applied to the speedo shaft by the cable, it would stick. I loosened the cable fitting on the back of the speedo just a bit and snipped about 1/8 in off of the cable itself (dremel) on the Tcase side(there was a considerable length of it sticking into the tcase). Maybe it's just a temporary fix to a worn cable or speedo problem, but it seems to work ok for now.
 
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