Need Help, Speedo Is Broken!

[levizzle]

My speedo broke a few days ago, and I assumed it was because I had fidelled with it a few months ago putting custom faces on. So I took this as an excuse to get a nismo dash. The speedo still doesnt work on the nismo dash either and the tacho also doesnt work on the nismo, but tacho works fine when I put the original back. One difference between them is the original has a little box with two wires on the back, but the nismo doesnt so this may be why the tacho doesnt work when I change it. But why isnt my speedo working anymore, do i need a new speedo cable???? Please help cause I dont know how fast I am going!

[Curtis.Cow]

haha, you might need a new speedo singal sensor... =\ im getting one to see if it fixes my speedo

[battery]

i'd be changing the cable mate.

[levizzle]

Anyone have an explanation why the cable would fail, I dont really know how the mechanism works but I like to learn from my experiences. Do you think I could swap it over myself? and would there be a way to test if that is truly the cause?

[blind_elk]

What usually happens is that the little bit of cable that goes into the back of the speedo breaks. But it could also be that the drive mechanism in the gearbox is broken or seized.

It is replaceable by non-professional - I think you need to remove the instrument cluster to make life easier.

[levizzle]

Ok, anyone know how much a speedo cable is and where I can get one?

[mad082]

ummm, do the speedo's even use a cable? i thought they were an electronic speedo (look analogue but are a digital gauge). when i have taken out my dash in my 33 i never saw a speedo cable. i'm pretty sure they use a small little sender that screws into the gearbox that has a little wheel on it which then sends a signal to the ecu and the dash.

i would try and borrow a consult cable and see if the ecu is getting a speedo signal. this will tell you whether the speedo sender unit is stuffed or if it is just a short in the wiring.

[battery]

r32's use a mechanical drive, mine broke once at the gearbox.

you can get a new one from Nissan about $120 i think.

[heller44]

Easiest way, remove cluster, you will see the end of the cable.. start the car and drive it back and then forward, you should see the end of the cable turn if it is still intact.

mad082 : as battery has pointed out, r32 cable drive.. in the back of the cluster is where the speed signal is generated for the ecu and other stuff, so no mechanical drive means everything doesn't work.

levizzle : do you have any other weird stuff working or not working on the other dash when you plug it in? you might have a different series cluster, some of the pinouts on the connectors were changed.

[levizzle]

Easiest way, remove cluster, you will see the end of the cable.. start the car and drive it back and then forward, you should see the end of the cable turn if it is still intact.

mad082 : as battery has pointed out, r32 cable drive.. in the back of the cluster is where the speed signal is generated for the ecu and other stuff, so no mechanical drive means everything doesn't work.

levizzle : do you have any other weird stuff working or not working on the other dash when you plug it in? you might have a different series cluster, some of the pinouts on the connectors were changed.

Havent had time to check cable yet, but yeah when i plug the nismo one all other gauges work fine, except speedo and tacho have no movement. Do all the other gauges run off electric signal and speedo is off cable? What does the tacho run off? My car is a '89 R32 so it could be a different series issue.

[heller44]

'all the other gauges run off electric signal and speedo is off cable' yep. My cable snapped where the square drive on the end of the cable, behind the cluster, mates onto the cable itself.. bit of devcon and it has been going fine for about 2 years now.. dodgy but works.

tacho is from the ecu.

Check on the back of the nismo one where the contacts are for the tacho, there are little labels that are sort of sensible that will help you.. make sure they are clean and making a good contact.. otherwise I would have to assume the tacho is faulty, try in another car though if possible.

If it was a series issue you would have other issues.

[levizzle]

Awesome thanks for the help guys, I will try and figure it out tomorrow.

[levizzle]

BTW i got around to changing the cable and speedo works fine now, just have to work out issues with nismo dash, so have standard one in for now.

Also for anyone who needs to replace to their cable in the future and reads this thread, I was doing some forum searching for tips on changing the cable and then found out a place in SA called Gaugeworks can fix the old speedo cable and put metal ends on instead of those crap plastic ones so it wont break again, plus its cheaper than buying a new cable, about $70. If only I found this out before I bought a whole new one!