speedo bouncing?

[Dylan464]

my 89 accords speedo starts to bounce a little around 120km but then gets hard around 140-160 like ive had it hit 140 then bounce to 200+, its kinda annoying cuz i wana know how fast my car can actually go...

anyone know wt i could do to fix it, or do i need new sensor if i even have one im pretty sure its cable
any ideas??

[danny nr crew]

mines the same way. you basically have to go buy a new speedometer its the easiest thing to do.

[g.frost]

Unplug cable from transmission. Remove flex cable from sleeve, clean, oil, put it back in.

[Dylan464]

sounds like fun...

[g.frost]

Well, no tools required, no other parts to remove. Just a clean rag, an oil can and about 10-15 minutes work. You may need to run some oil well into the sleeve to get it up to the speedo.

[DBMaster]

Graphite or white lithium grease worked better for me, but it will only buy you some time before you need to replace the cable entirely. It's not expensive and not that hard. I am guessing the inside of the plastic sleeve gets chewed up over time. Mine calmed down for a while - several months to a year after lubing it, but ultimately I had to replace it.

[g.frost]

Yeah, bouncing at higher speeds is not a good sign. May be the cable is shot
I've lubed the cable 2 or 3 times since new. At first signs of rough/noise at 10mph, it usually happens with the cold weather.
Last time I used Redline MTL 'funneled' down the tube to get the speedo bearing. That shut it up completely and speedo has been steady since. (about 2 years now) 156K well cared for miles, looks like it will hold on for a few more.It works well in the cold now.

[CzEcHy]

Mine bounces from 0 to 20 then 50+ when its cold.. its a less than a year old cable too, bought brand new. Sigh.

[Pnem3]

Get or borrow a GPS. It will most likely be way more accurate than a speedometer.

[DBMaster]

I'd be careful about packing anything in there that could gum up the speed sensor or speedometer. In fact, there used to be a powdered graphite lube specifically intended for speedometer cables. Go light on the lubricant and you may get a couple more years out of the thing. My car currently has 345,000 miles on it so I'm sure I wore out my original.

[89HatchbackLxi]

Mine does this from 0-30mph then becomes normal. Tested the speed with a gps after it stops bouncing and it still gives an accurate speed reading. I still get annoyed by the bouncing though. I should probably try cleaning mine as well.

[Dylan464]

well ya i live in british columbia, canada so it is cold right now, ill try cleaning it and lube it, and for the gps thing i dont really trust them cuz my buddy is using one since his speedo dont work at all and it freezes and glitches out all the time, and my car is 525xxxkm but was chick driven its entire life till now

[Dylan464]

k thx a lot guys i just went for a cruise and its not doin the massive jumps to 200 anymore but it is doing a little twitching thru out the entire gauge but its ok i can hold a steady speed now and know wt im at...kinda, during the drive i only hit 165, and i didnt actually take out the cable i just unhooked from tranny and held it as high up as it could while i put lube down cable tube and the stuff i used is Nitro Lube Performance lubricant.

[g.frost]

Mine bounces from 0 to 20 then 50+ when its cold.. its a less than a year old cable too, bought brand new. Sigh.

Maybe speedometer is the problem. (can you hear 'scratchy' when it bounces?)
The cable is just a big long spring; if the speedo doesn't spin smooth it will bounce. Try lubing the speedo bearing.

[Pnem3]

I thought your reason for posting was to get an accurate reading of how fast your car can go. If that is your goal, then again, regardless of what a friend might have experienced before, a GPS is hands down the most accurate way to measure your top end speed. It will be far more accurate than a 20 year old speedometer. If your goal in posting is to get your speedometer fixed, then disregard.