my speedo broke, need your help! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

zkiller · 11-27-2001, 01:56

well, my speedo broke on my way home tonight. everything else still works... just the needle for the speedo doesn't move. not sure why or what broke. any ideas? i have never taking it fully appart, so i really don't know what to expect.

if you know where i could get a new gauge cluster for cheap, i would really appreciate it since this car is my daily driver!

Thanks!!!

Ryanpzz · 11-27-2001, 09:06

For the person who's speedo stopped working... my guess is that the cable probably came off the speedo somewhere... If someone removed the dash before it's possible they broke the retaining clip that holds the cable on the speedo (right behind the gauge cluster).

Otherwise I have heard of the speedo gear in the trans getting messed up, and then there is always the possibility that one of your spider gears in the differential blew up and broke the speedo gear. Not the happiest of possibilities but one non-the-less.

Hope you get it fixed. There are like 3 different screw joints that could've come loose as well, hopefully that's all it is. Just look under the hood.

zkiller · 11-27-2001, 16:04

thanks for the info.... i did take my dash and all appart a few months ago, but i did not break the retaining clip. i have tomorrow of, so i will take everything appart again and hopefully that's all it is.... a loose cable!

sarturo_91plx · 11-27-2001, 16:29

i have had this happen like 4 times to me

first broke didn't get fixed for a month

then had upper speedo cable fixed, worked for a week then stoped again

had the thing fixed, it poped off the lower cable or something

broke again later that day

went a few more weeks went out a speedometer

had teh lower cable replaced

worked for a week and then broke again

and has been broken since it happend which was last week

the thing first broke back in the first week of september

good luck i hope u have better luck than i did

o yea forgot to add that u can only get the cables from ford and they take like 2 weeks to come in after u order them(which is really gay)

Probesport · 11-27-2001, 20:08

Check your VSS also, this has happened to me on many occasion.

zkiller · 11-27-2001, 21:37

thanks for all your replies! i really appreciate all of your help!

probesport ~ what's the VSS?

daprobe · 11-27-2001, 23:45

I'm assuming that he means the vehicle speed sensor=VSS. I would give the cable and gear housing a visual inspection first. Hopefully it's something easy like the cable snapping. If not that, then start pulling the dash apart for that clip. Good luck!

Ryanpzz · 11-28-2001, 06:08

On first gen probes the VSS is mounted in the gauge cluster and internal in the speedometer assembly. That's of course assuming you have the analog gauge assembly, which since you have a GL... you do. The Digital equipt first gens (like my LX) have the VSS, or vehicle speed sensor, mounted on the trans with a two wire connector. All of the analog first gens have cable driven speedos, whereas all of the second gens have the VSS mounted on the trans with a two wire connector because even though they have analog gauges, they are all electronic.

Just FYI... so check the cable...

zkiller · 11-28-2001, 18:11

alright cool!!! i will let you know what i find as i tear into my dash and gauge cluster. i had to work today after all, so i still haven't gotten a chance to take a look at it. i am actually doing pretty well in guessing my speed by the tach!

thanks again for all of your help!

Ryanpzz · 11-28-2001, 22:34

No problem.. that's what we're all here for.