Speedometer needle wobble

ellevie · Post by **ellevie** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:38 pm

I fitted a new speedometer cable upper section about a month ago to cure the well known speedometer needle wobble. I was not best pleased to see the wobble return with a vengeance a few days later --- it was even worse than before, now the wobble was accompanied by a scraping noise. It turned out that the square cable termination or drive pin was making a poor fit in the square hole in the speedometer. I covered the drive pin with a paper sleeve made from printer paper and pushed it back into the hole to make a tight fit. The problem has not come back so it seems that this may have cured the problem.

When I first mentioned the needle wobble to my Citroen specialist a few years ago, he said that the problem is usually caused by wear in the square hole. I thought this an unlikely explanation at the time, but the only other explanation is that the new drive pin is smaller than the old one.

This begs the question, is it possible to cure the wobble in some cases without changing the cable. Unfortunately if you have a very old cable, the very act of taking out the cable will probably cause the white conical cable header or clasp to break at the narrow base due to having become brittle over the years.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:29 pm

Mine have always does it. Its worse on the red 16v now, purely because I re-routed it!

ellevie · Post by **ellevie** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:09 pm

I didn't so much mind the slight wobble on mine but then it started to make a ticking noise which I found really irritating so I decided it was time to act.

adamskibx · Post by **adamskibx** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 3:02 pm

Ahh yes. Ive got the dreaded ticking noise too. Well, I did have until the speedo cable completely failed on my way to Scotland the other day. I disconected the two cables, pushed the car and watched the top end of the lower cable to find that that was dead. I got a new cable from a garage in the middle of nowhere (ordered in), replaced it, only to find that the top one had gone too. I think the top one must have failed and somehow got frayed and then overstressed the bottom one. I will employ the paper wedging idea ellievie, as, from what you have said, it sounds like the loose square hole is to blame for the ticking. I suppose it happens due to the way a speedo works, with off and on magnetic resistance acting to create the movement between the cable end and the speedo itself. The more common, silent but larger wobble is almost cetainly due to a cable remembering its position if the car is parked for too long.

ellevie · Post by **ellevie** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:13 pm

I'm just relieved that it wasn't the speedometer itself at fault. When I heard the scraping noise, I feared that a gear or something inside it might be worn or broken. Good luck with yours.

sleepy0905 · Post by **sleepy0905** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 5:48 pm

From my own experience the wobble is standard but when it starts to tick the cable is on its way out so get a new one ready.

ken newbold · Post by **ken newbold** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:47 pm

I have a totally wobble free speedo (for everything there is a first time) I fitted both upper and lower cables. Cured the problem for me and did the same for Tim some time back.

ellevie · Post by **ellevie** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:12 pm

Hi Sleepy & Ken, I don't know if the drive pin on this new cable of mine has an abnormally small size, but since I put the piece of paper around it, I have been unable to detect any wobble at all, even at slow speeds. If it keeps up like this I will be well pleased.

BX-pert · Post by **BX-pert** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 3:30 pm

This 'Fix' worked every time at the main dealers.
Disconnect the cable behind the engine and poke a bit of welding rod into the female hole. Measure/mark this length. Compare this length to the male part of the cable and subtract. Snip the welding rod to suit (Effectively taking up all she slack between the two driven cables) drop your bit of welding rod down the female hole and refit.
Wobble gone- guaranteed!

Post by **Defender110** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 4:23 pm

great tip, keep em coming. welcome along BTW

Post by **Tim Leech** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:20 pm

Amazing! Need to get some welding rod...

BX-pert · Post by **BX-pert** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:19 pm

Roverman wrote:Amazing! Need to get some welding rod...

(Or any bit of stiff steel rod that fits down the hole!)

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:06 pm

would a coat hanger section work?

Mickey taker · Post by **Mickey taker** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:31 pm

only a meal one Matthew , dont think a plastic or wooden one would be much good

RxBX · Post by **RxBX** » Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:57 pm

Mickey taker wrote: only a meal one Matthew , dont think a plastic or wooden one would be much good

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Speedometer needle wobble

Speedometer needle wobble

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