Speedometer stopped working

[Tinonline]

The speedo is not working.

All dash lights are ok. Car drives ok. All other dials working. No fault lights showing.

Any ideas? 🙂

 

[royoftherovers]

1 minute ago, Tinonline said:

The speedo is not working.

All dash lights are ok. Car drives ok. All other dials working. No fault lights showing.

Any ideas? 🙂

 

Are you stationary Simon ?🤣

[H3XME]

15 minutes ago, Tinonline said:

The speedo is not working.

All dash lights are ok. Car drives ok. All other dials working. No fault lights showing.

Any ideas? 🙂

 

Speed sensor. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334250346824

[Rabbers]

I hope you get this sorted soon, Simon.

On the subject of speedometers I am reminded of a TV interview I once saw in which a father holidaying in France with his two kids and obviously stupid wife claimed, believe it or not, that he entertained them on boring long drives by covering the speedometer and getting them to guess the speed.  

[Tinonline]

4 hours ago, H3XME said:

Speed sensor. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334250346824

Thanks. I’ll give this a go. 👍

[steve2006]

Have you tried giving the top of the dash above the speedo a thump with the side of your fist?

There is a known fault where oil on the needle stop can cause it to stick at zero and a good slap as mentioned when driving can free it.

[Tinonline]

5 hours ago, H3XME said:

Speed sensor. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334250346824

Thanks. I’ll give this a go. 👍

[Tinonline]

9 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Have you tried giving the top of the dash above the speedo a thump with the side of your fist?

There is a known fault where oil on the needle stop can cause it to stick at zero and a good slap as mentioned when driving can free it.

Hi Steve

i haven’t tried that yet. The green light on the cruise control comes on/off correctly and the mileage is illuminated…unfortunately couldn’t do a check on them during a busy short journey in a hurry…so don’t know if they are functioning.

[Colin M]

I had a similar problem with my speedo at the end of last year and gave the dash a thump, which got the speedo working and it has been fine every since. I hope this works for you, Simon.

[Malc]

Simon hi. well apart from all the above .  and I've dealt with it  that way from time to time .....  mine still has fits and stops working .......  then bursts into life ..  sometimes showing a reading 10mph less than it should but lately, to my surprise reading quite correctly ...  there's no known cure to galloping old age and I think that's what our cars are suffering from tbh .......... I put it down to damp and cold weather, too hot weather ands sometimes just being bloody awkward 

On here somewhere someone mentioned a company in Rochester Kent called REMAN  ?( possibly  )

Next time mine plays around  might just phone and pop along to see them as they're only half hour from me ......

After all these years surely you just know how to guess the correct speed you're travelling at maybe 

I'll keep searching, like you for the definitive answer but I really don't think too may people care about our old aged limos and their arthritic tendencies

Malc

[Howplum]

I had a similar problem on the original instrument cluster in my LS400 and solved it by completely dismantling the cluster and inserting small pins in the face so that the speedometer and rev counter needles rested on them. I saw this on a US website. Fiddly, but effective.

[steve2006]

Have you smacked the dash yet Simon? 😀

I had a problem with my old Celsior in that it read very low, traced it to a duff KMH to MPH adaptor ( import model).

The cruise control light illuminated but I couldn’t set the speed with the fault present.

[Malc]

53 minutes ago, Howplum said:

and inserting small pins

OMG didn't realise voodoo could be the saviour of our beloved Ls'  

Malc

[steve2006]

2 hours ago, Malc said:

OMG didn't realise voodoo could be the saviour of our beloved Ls'  

Malc

Acupuncture I don’t think voodoo has anything to do with it 😀

[Tulpen]

16 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Acupuncture I don’t think voodoo has anything to do with it 😀

I was going to try acupuncture but I thought 'what's the point?'

[Tinonline]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:38 AM, steve2006 said:

Have you smacked the dash yet Simon? 😀

I had a problem with my old Celsior in that it read very low, traced it to a duff KMH to MPH adaptor ( import model).

The cruise control light illuminated but I couldn’t set the speed with the fault present.

Hi Steve and thanks everyone for contributing and/or enjoying the post.

I have indeed smacked the dash.
All is well with the LS’world and the speedo is behaving normally. 🤪

Case closed with great relief. 👍😁

[Rabbers]

Great result 👍!  

Hope you didn't hurt your hand smacking the dash.  I would have used a rubber hammer or hired a bongos player.

[Tinonline]

Oh OK so smacking the dash will be an "intermittently required driving procedure".

Done it again...

Is it worth sending off for repair? Whom to?

 

  

[Malc]

On 3/1/2022 at 10:42 AM, Malc said:

On here somewhere someone mentioned a company in Rochester Kent called REMAN  ?( possibly  )

58 minutes ago, Tinonline said:

Is it worth sending off for repair? Whom to?

just for info ............

Malc

[Tinonline]

Thanks Malc👍

[Razor61]

What about buying a used instrument cluster, there are a few on eBay for around £100. Easy to replace and you will have spares in case the cathode tubes or anything else goes faulty.

[BigBoomer]

If thumping it frees up the speedo, then something is sticking.
If anyone feels brave, you could open it up and see if you can discover what is sticking and maybe clean it.
It may be that it has worn a notch in the mechanism, or could be a cracked solder joint that is disconnecting and reconnecting when jolted.

[ambermarine]

I read somewhere on the US site that a member dismantled his speedo and cleaned the rotating shaft at the base as it had oily residue on it which caused it to stick.

He seemed to think that this lubricant was applied at manufacture and hardened up over time, he cleaned it up and the problem disappeared.

[Malc]

Gentlemen..... at long last my speedo and dash lights are functioning as they should .  speedo is looking correct judging by the speed of others doing 70mph over our local bridge at Sheppey  .  they all keep to the limit coz there's speed cameras that " grab ya " .......  I fell victim some years back ......

AND all that fixing the speedo with just a quick occasional prayer .......  nothing more thankfully

Malc

[Malc]

On 3/22/2022 at 4:51 PM, Malc said:

AND all that fixing the speedo with just a quick occasional prayer

well today was a first ... the speedo is still intermittently playing around but usually more often working fine these days 

BUT .  couldn't believe it,  the rev counter   has decided to stop reading sensibly .........  and I mean, bouncing around ..  the first time in 238,600 miles it's done that 

now then, what's the simple likely solution .  any thoughts gentlemen ?

Thanks

Malc