Speedo nightmare (A how to guide to certify it)

[Outatime]

While I was driving happily in the D today, the speedo suddenly dropped to zero mph (while still at 30mph)... and I though, oh bugger, it's not the angle drive/ the speedometer right!? I gave it a few more miles and hopefully it will return to normal again, but it didn't.

So here is the proceedure to check whether it's really a speedo nightmare:

1. Unscrew upper speedo cable at the lambada counter side
2. Turn the centre core of the speedo cable (quite quickly) and see if the speedometer flicks up or down lightly. This will confirm if your upper speedo cable or the spedometer is working. (Luckily, mine's working )
2a. If the above (step 2) does not make the speedometer move at all, then it's highly likely that the upper speedo cable or the speedometer is faulty, and you should check on these items more carefully to confirm.

Continue below if step 1-2a confirms that the checked parts are still working.

3. Screw the lower speedo back onto the lambada counter.
4. Jack up the front of the car
5. Turn the front wheels to the right (you could also remove the front left wheel for easier access)
6. Unscrew the lower speed cable at the angle drive side
7. Turn the centre core of the speedo cable and ask a friend to see if the speedometer flicks up or down lightly. This will confirm if your lower speedo cable, lambada counter, and the spedometer are working. (Luckily, mine's working )
7a. If the above (step 7) does not make the speedometer move at all, then it's highly likely that the lower speedo cable or the lambada counter is faulty, and you should check on these items more carefully to confirm.

Continue below if step 1-7a confirms that the checked parts are still working.

8. While the lower speedo is removed from the angle drive, rotate the front driver side wheel (or the hub if your wheel is removed)
9. Look inside the angle drive, where the lower speedo cable connects to, and see if the inner core rotates (while you are rotating the wheel/hub).
9a. If the above (step 9) does not make the inner core of the angle drive move at all, then it's highly likely that the angle drive is faulty, and you should remove it from the hub and do a more detailed check to confirm.

Continue below if step 1-9a confirms that the checked parts are still working.

10. If all the above is done and it appears everything is working (which is my case), put grease on all ends of all inner core of the speedo cable and assemble everything back together.
11. Confirm all screws/caps are tight and the speedo cables are secure and are not "clamped" by other interior/exterior parts.

12. Give it a test drive and problem may be solved! (Which is what happened to me!)
13. It's best to test the speed reading with a known source (e.g. following your other car with your D with a known speed, or use a GPS speedometer).
14. Hopefully this is the true end of the speedometer nightmare!

In my case, after doing all these 14 steps, the speedo nightmare is solved without any replacement part.... So far the speedo system appears to work just fine. The problem was probably caused by a stucked speedocable. I hope this is the true end to the speedo nightmare

Hope this helps anyone who expreience similar problem. :wink:

[stunned_monkey]

A stuck cable would have snapped the angle drive stub axle cable. More likely is that the yellow plastic cap that drives the stub axle cable started slipping. The action of removing and replacing the wheel re-clamped it. You need to check the condition of the square hole in its centre to be sure. It's probably very worn now.

[Outatime]

stunned_monkey Wrote:A stuck cable would have snapped the angle drive stub axle cable. More likely is that the yellow plastic cap that drives the stub axle cable started slipping. The action of removing and replacing the wheel re-clamped it. You need to check the condition of the square hole in its centre to be sure. It's probably very worn now.

You are probably right, it failed again today....

I will remove the wheel and see what can be done (I didn't remove the wheel last time)....

It's very likely I will need a new angle drive right? I heard from some guys that the delorean.com ones fails very quickly.... which is the best ("longest" lasting) to buy?

And are there any cross reference parts?

[bozzzydmc]

Outatime Wrote:

stunned_monkey Wrote:A stuck cable would have snapped the angle drive stub axle cable. More likely is that the yellow plastic cap that drives the stub axle cable started slipping. The action of removing and replacing the wheel re-clamped it. You need to check the condition of the square hole in its centre to be sure. It's probably very worn now.

You are probably right, it failed again today....

I will remove the wheel and see what can be done (I didn't remove the wheel last time)....

It's very likely I will need a new angle drive right? I heard from some guys that the delorean.com ones fails very quickly.... which is the best ("longest" lasting) to buy?

And are there any cross reference parts?

I can comment on the new improved angle drive replacement that DMCH sells... mine lasted all of 300 miles before it went ping again ! ... 240 days later they still havent got an even newer better replacement sorted... and judging by the fuel sender and light switch replacements im not really holding out for anything better ...

[Tourettes Tony]

i reckon the only good ones are the originals, mine has been ok but i dont want to touch it even for lubing in case it does break TT

[Guinney1971]

Flopsy has got through no end of angle drives, including several of the new
DMCH ones. We've also replaced the plastic cap and the lower speedo cable,
but this didnt stop my speedo failing on the way home from PJ Grady's in
January. Must be a record though this time, it lasted all of about 2000 miles before
packing up :roll:

[bozzzydmc]

Claire Usher Wrote:Flopsy has got through no end of angle drives, including several of the new
DMCH ones. We've also replaced the plastic cap and the lower speedo cable,
but this didnt stop my speedo failing on the way home from PJ Grady's in
January. Must be a record though this time, it lasted all of about 2000 miles before
packing up :roll:

oooh! 2000 miles WOW.. must be a record..

Wouldnt mind if it was just the cost but the effort we go to to take the bl@@dy thing off and fit the new one... It must be such a complicated piece of enginnering eh ....

[stunned_monkey]

I know "adverts" are frowned apon on this forum but I can supply brand new, rebuildable, servicable angle drives...

I got fed up of not being able to fix speedos on customers cars, and the drive failed (3rd time) on Lex the week before Jamie collected her. He was constantly asking me "when can you fix the speedo?!"

...so I had some made. I sold a couple on ebay before Christmas but the cost and margin was such that I didn't push them heavily.

Lately on DMCNews and DMCForum, people have been losing patience and I've been asked to make some more. The lead time is 14 days and the cost is $299 incl shipping.

[Outatime]

stunned_monkey Wrote:I know "adverts" are frowned apon on this forum but I can supply brand new, rebuildable, servicable angle drives...

I got fed up of not being able to fix speedos on customers cars, and the drive failed (3rd time) on Lex the week before Jamie collected her. He was constantly asking me "when can you fix the speedo?!"

...so I had some made. I sold a couple on ebay before Christmas but the cost and margin was such that I didn't push them heavily.

Lately on DMCNews and DMCForum, people have been losing patience and I've been asked to make some more. The lead time is 14 days and the cost is $299 incl shipping.

Price-wise it seems to be a bit to the steep side (for me)... is there any chance to bring it down (to $100 ish level) if a massive group buy (USA+UK) is arranged?

[stunned_monkey]

Nope. They're expensive to make.

It's a simple case of "you get what you pay for".

[NickT]

Not sure if they would still do them but Rich mentioned on an old post that a new Angle Drive could be made for approx £80+ Vat:

http://www.deloreans.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1505

Speedograph Richfield Ltd
Rolleston Drive, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG5 7JR
Tel: 0115 926 4235

NickT.

[Rottbott]

Outatime Wrote:Price-wise it seems to be a bit to the steep side (for me)... is there any chance to bring it down (to $100 ish level) if a massive group buy (USA+UK) is arranged?

£150 down to £50 on something described as having slim margins? If only!

Edit: Cheap ones are available of course. I hear DMCH has them.

[TheOriginalMrP]

I don't think a one off payment of £150 for a fully functional speedometer is bad myself, especially if it's a more reliable angle drive than the original. I could understand if it was £300 that people would be reluctant to buy one, but £150 barely buys you a good weeks grocery shopping, let alone a relatively important part of your classic sports car. It's like people say, buying the car is the easy part, keeping it tip top isnt quite so easy. As soon as you let a few of the smaller jobs slip through your fingers, the bigger jobs come, the smaller ones get postponed, and in effect get forgotten in time in most cases. Thats why we have things called full restorations....... These wouldn't need to be done if a car were maintained as and when.

[stunned_monkey]

Rottbott Wrote:Edit: Cheap ones are available of course. I hear DMCH has them.

No, they haven't had any for months and keep saying they're "coming". Edit: Unless something's changed in the past 24 hours...

[Guinney1971]

TheOriginalMrP Wrote:but £150 barely buys you a good weeks grocery shopping,

bloody hell mate, where do you go shopping,
Harrods Food Hall or summat?

Got a weeks shopping on Saturday (including some goodies) for less then £32.

Martin, ref advertising, vendors who wish to, have the option of paying for
advertising in the club magazine (50% discount if they are also club members).

The Moderators of the DOC Forum reserve the right to amend or delete any posts which breach
the guidelines set out relating to advertising on the Forum.

I trust this clarifies matters for everyone.

Regards,