Help! I need a speedo.

SJW BASIRE · Jan 26, 2005

I don't suppose anyone out there has an SC 160 mph speedo going spare have they? Must be good condition and working.Failing that anyone had any experience of having one rebuilt.
After my car has been off the road for four months having a bare metal respray the speedo decided to seize up-probably the heat and vapour in the spray booth made the 20 year old gunge and cigarette smoke inside it set solid.When I drove the car home from the bodyshop the rubbery plastic gearwheel decided to strip a tooth and now the mileometer doesn't work!

bones · Jan 26, 2005

How apt after months of waiting I finally got my hands on a used speedo and combined it with mine to make it work again. You have a few options, if you are sure the odometer cogs are damaged you can buy repair kits at Rennlist.com. I don't think you will be able to perform a DIY repair on the speedo if that is not working though. You could buy a used one from a breaker and agree with them at the time of purchase that they take it back if it's broken. Finally you could send it to the only VDO repairer in the country that I can find, Speedy Cables, I don't mind saying I have nothing good to say about this company and that is the general view about them. They will repair and make a good job of repairing your speedo but it will be at their leisure and you will pay heavily for the privelege, expect £150.00 for a complete repair.

engleflick · Jan 26, 2005

If you want a second hand replcaement, you could try www.type911.co.uk they have several listed under their used parts section rangeing in price from £80 +vat - £140 +vat depending on exactly what type you want.

Dan.

SJW BASIRE · Jan 30, 2005

Thanks for the replies it has given me some options to follow.Being stuck down in Cornwall there is not much in the way of second hand SC bits around here.I know the plastic cog has broken because I took the case off of the gauge last weekend.I also found that someone had put an on-off switch on the mileometer cable!! I've had the car since '93 and the two previous owners were running it on their company so it must have been fitted in the late '80s sometime.

bones · Jan 30, 2005

An on-off switch on the mileometer send, wow does that mean your car has travelled a squillion miles then?

SJW BASIRE · Feb 3, 2005

I can't understand it either! The service book is fully stamped up and I have a good history file.All I can think is that a boy racer type had the car for a few months and got the cheapest insurance they could get for it.My speedo is on 131000 so it can't be more than a couple of thousand out.Going by the list of previous owners-I am the 9th-the car changed hands about every 18 months at one point and I should think one of these is the likely suspect!

Guest · Feb 3, 2005

Porsch-Apart do a speedo rebuild service. They may be worth a try.

SJW BASIRE · Feb 19, 2005

Thanks Chris,that sounds interesting.I have acquired another speedo from someone who replied off forum(thanx graham!) and am on the trail of a scrap speedo to rob for the cogs so I should be able to work something out!

Bazgillie · Feb 19, 2005

Steve
Discount9auto are in Bridgend I have dealt with them before and found them very helpful and they delivered when they said they would. I dont know of anyone closer to you though.
Baz

SJW BASIRE · Mar 3, 2005

Just to finish off the speedo saga.....I will put my spare one in the dash for the MOT.Meanwhile I went back to Roger Bray who did my bodywork and he is going to send my original one over to the US to be rebuilt by the people that do them for Pelican etc.Roger agreed with the consensus of opinion on here-there is no one in the UK that can do a decent overhaul of electric VDO gauges.Apparently the Americans do an excellent job although the postage costs a bit. I have told him I want to keep the original milage!

Guest · Mar 18, 2005

Hope you don't mind me jumping in on this one, but I also have a speedo/trip problem. I replaced the sender about a year ago because the speedo failed. Now both the speedo and trip do not work, before I take it apart to effect a repair does anyone know if both aspects of the speedo failing is repairable. I have looked at several posts on Pelican Parts, all of which are v.helpful, but most appear to relate to the trip (odo) meter not working. What if both parts have failed? Ideas gratefully accepted before I delve into the guts of the thing.
Thank you
Ian

bones · Mar 18, 2005

Unless you know what you are doing and can test electrical components leave it to the pro's. If it's just mechanical ie the odometer gears need renewing then it's a possible but fiddly DIY repair. If you do attempt an electrical repair you will need an iron that is not going to fry the delicate components on the PCB, there is a chip on there. Before you take the speedo to bits or send it away test the sender it might have failed again. There are instructions on how to do this on Pelican too.