Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
Anyone out there have a problem with their speedometer bouncing when the truck is cold. When my 77 F-150 is cold and I get up to about 60 miles an hour, then it starts bouncing up about five miles an hour. No discernable pattern to its bouncing. It stops doing it when it is warm or sometimes if I will pull over, come to a complete stop, and put it in park.
GAB
GAB
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
>Anyone out there have a problem with their speedometer
>bouncing when the truck is cold.
My 78 F150 does this, but I haven't noticed a pattern. I'm not sure it just happens when the truck is cold.
I just swapped out the entire gauge cluster...(I wanted actual gauges instead of dummy lights). The new speedometer does the same thing. I figure I have a kinked or broken speedometer cable.
Chad
>bouncing when the truck is cold.
My 78 F150 does this, but I haven't noticed a pattern. I'm not sure it just happens when the truck is cold.
I just swapped out the entire gauge cluster...(I wanted actual gauges instead of dummy lights). The new speedometer does the same thing. I figure I have a kinked or broken speedometer cable.
Chad
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From: Anderson Northern Ca
Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
GAB, Thats weird, mine did the same thing this morning on the way to work, I'm thinking it needs a little lube or it's gonna bust!
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"bowties in the rearview mirror"
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From: Prescott USA!
Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
pretty common problem, mines always done it even after i greased it, it goes away tho once its warmed up. You guys ever noticed how the speedo doesnt start readin till after youre goin 10-15 or so then it jumps right up to 10? all the 73-79's ive been in seem to do it. any fixes for this?
-Sam
-Sam
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From: Powell RIver Canada
Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
I found my problem, it was a stripped speedometer gear in the tranny. I didn't think it was but I pulled my tranny apart recently and there she lyed, stripped gear. My speedo bounced all over the place, no matter what speed I was goin. It was brutal. the teeth on the speedo cable were fine, that's what I thought my problem was. But it wasn't, I dunno pull out the speedo cable at the tranny and take a peek inside you might be able to see it all stripped
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
OK so it isn't always the answer, but lubing the cable has been known to work on some trucks. I would use white litheum, and coat it good. Pulling the gear and checking it, isn't a big job.
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
I don't seee how it could be a stripped gear if it only does it when cold. And, when I mean cold, it is relative. Mine does not do it in the spring, summer, or early fall; only in the winter.
GAB
GAB
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
By the way Sam, my speedo also does nto register until I get going about 10-15 mph adn then it jumps right up there.
GAB
GAB
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
[updated:LAST EDITED ON 11-Dec-01 AT 03:48 PM (EST)]I've always had that problem. It will bounce until about 45mph and stays steady at freeway speeds. When the needle reaches the other end (85mph) it starts bouncing again. The faster I go the bigger the bounce. The bouncing is constant, regardless of weather.
68 F100 390ci 2wd
68 F100 390ci 2wd
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From: Gainesville, FL
Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
Bog,
When your speedo bounces, that is from a binding speedo cable. The lube is gone and a groove is starting to bind on the cable. When it does it cold, the lube is too solid to work, after friction and or truck heater warms up the cab the lube does work.
Secondly, The speedometer is an electrical device. The speedo cable is turning a generator. The resulting voltage makes the speedo needle move to the appropriate speed indicated. When your speedo jumps to 15 MPH it is because your speedo generator is starting to fail. Don't worry, no one has ever gotten a ticket for going 15 MPH.
Good Luck, Have Fun,
KingFisher
When your speedo bounces, that is from a binding speedo cable. The lube is gone and a groove is starting to bind on the cable. When it does it cold, the lube is too solid to work, after friction and or truck heater warms up the cab the lube does work.
Secondly, The speedometer is an electrical device. The speedo cable is turning a generator. The resulting voltage makes the speedo needle move to the appropriate speed indicated. When your speedo jumps to 15 MPH it is because your speedo generator is starting to fail. Don't worry, no one has ever gotten a ticket for going 15 MPH.
Good Luck, Have Fun,
KingFisher
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From: SE PA
Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
I was there with Blue, (although in a '79) the only way I could get it to stop was to remove the speedo from the dash unit and put a drop of very lightweight oil on the spring that is driven by a gear were the cable goes into the speedo. The cable runs evenly, but there is a spring that gets "wound-up" when registering speed, this mechanism is what caused my problem. Haven't had the problem for 100k now-knock wood!!
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Dancing Speedometer Anyone?
Well, on mine (77). The speedo uses magnetism to run. It is the same principle as using two magnets through a sheet of paper. The needle is conected to a circular metal plate. The plate has two magnets on the inside. The cable is hooked to a type of fork that spins around the plate. when the magnets on the circle, and on the fork line up, they make the needle move. The faster the magnets pass each other, the higher up the neddle moves because it has less of a chance to fall.
Sorry for being vauge. But I cannot explain it any better.
Later
Riley
Sorry for being vauge. But I cannot explain it any better.
Later
Riley