Speedometer problem 1996 Tercel

PMFJIH, but I'd like to see if anyone has any suggestions as to what the problem might be. (Apologies in advance for the length.)

Vehicle in question is a 1996 Tercel. Several months back the speedo needle started flopping around, and a "chattering" noise could be heard from the dash. The problem got progressively worse until the speedo (and by extension, the odometer) stopped working altogether. Eventually, it was discovered that the rear engine/tranny mounts had failed. They were replaced, the speedo cable reseated (again), and with a minor bit of wobble, appeared to work normally.

Fast forward a few months. Took it into my regular shop to have some power steering hoses replaced. While they were in there, they opted to replace an o-ring on the speedo cable. When I picked up the car, the needle was rock-solid. Then it started fluttering again, and now it is, once again, essentially non-functional.

I tried unhooking the cable from the transaxle, shoving the inside of it back up in as far as it would go, and reconnecting. It worked for maybe a day. Thinking that I shouldn't be able to pull the cable out of its housing like I seemingly can, I went down to a local wrecking yard to check out a similar vintage car. Yep -- every Tercel I looked at, it did the same thing. Apparently, it's not a bug; it's a feature.

So... I'm at a loss. The thing is still acting like the cable is backing out of the rear of the dash unit. I don't feel like taking it back to the shop I've been going to; can anyone suggest something before I decide to take it to a local dealer and get ass-raped on the labor?

Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Joe Schmuckatelli
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To remove the instrument cluster, all you have to do is remove three or four screws at the top, and IIRC the dash panel under the steering wheel/instrument cluster. This will expose all the screws holding the instrument cluster in (I can't remember how many there are...I sold mine 2 years ago) and then unsnap the cluster from the dash. You'll be able to see the speedo cable, and it should be retained by a blue plastic retainer. I'm betting somebody stretched the retainer when they removed the dash, and it might not be securing the cable properly.

You may also want to go back the wrecker's and pick up another cable before you start, and grab the plastic retainer. Just remove both instrument clusters gently, and don't yank on it!

Reply to
Hachiroku

Looks like two according to the factory manual I have. One to hold in the "Center Upper Cluster Finish Panel", and four bolts for the "Lower Instrument Cover". The book doesn't show any bolts at the *top* of the dash, however.

Thing is, if the cables at the wrecking yard had had the retainer, would I have not been able to pull the cable out of its housing? Remember, each one I checked did just that. I did stop by a local dealer to see if they had one on hand I could gawk at... no luck.

Ah, well. I'll keep plugging away at it.

--------------------------------------------------------- Don't be paranoid. Everyone's not out to get you. I am.

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Reply to
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Okay, here's what's happened so far. Last Sunday I went back to another wrecking yard, found the Tercel, cable still attached to the transaxle. Removed it and the instrument cluster with little difficulty. Neither the one from the wrecker nor the one installed in my car had the retainer you describe. Upon installing it, it also had the same effect -- the speedo is essentially inoperative.

I'm thinking of adding a small washer as a shim where the cable hooks into the transaxle to see if this has any effect, unless you have any other suggestions...?

--------------------------------------------------------- Don't be paranoid. Everyone's not out to get you. I am.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reply to
.

Dumb questions - is the speedo cable well greased inside the flexible housing? You don't mention a nylon drive gear at the transaxle end and am not familiar enough with the Tercel to know whether it should come out with the cable - but there is one. Is it damaged?

Have you chucked the bottom end into an electric drill and whizzed it around (forward and reverse) to see how it behaves? More or less normally? Not? This will isolate whether the problem is in the gearbox or the cluster.

Reply to
harriswest

The transaxle end of the cable screws onto something which itself bolts onto the transaxle. Perhaps that's where this nylon gear is. Sadly, the factory manual I got doesn't go into that much detail on the transaxle -- there's a separate manual for that. I don't know how complicated/difficult it is to remove and reinstall the thing, so I'm kinda hesitant to do so.

As for greasing the cable, the original cable had been lubricated previously by the shop I had been taking the car to.

The last time I dicked with the cable, I pushed the cable in and spun it with my hand; the needle seemed to work just fine.

Reply to
Joe Schmuckatelli

I borrowed a battery-powered drill, and I don't think the thing had full charge, because I could barely get 10. Still, it was successful in that the needle did spin, steady for the most part. Any fluctuations I attributed to the drill.

Tonight, I went with my plan of putting in a small washer (rubber) as a shim to see what would happen. I'm pleased to say that I achieved partial success; it appears to be stable at lower speeds, but not so much at freeway speed. I think I'll try and head down to the wrecking yard again tomorrow and see if I can pull that thing on the transaxle (yon 'access cover', perhaps?) that the cable screws into; it's held on by one bolt. I'm guessing that might be holding the worm gear y'all are referring to.

You got a place I can hook one up? :-D

And before I go any further, I wanted to say thanks to all of you for your help. It's greatly appreciated.

--------------------------------------------------------- Don't be paranoid. Everyone's not out to get you. I am.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reply to
.

Latest status report (hopefully, the last one).

After adding the washer didn't help much (seems kinda silly, in retrospect) yesterday I went back down to the wrecking yard where I'd gotten the cable, and removed the piece/assembly it attached to. Quite simple, really; it pops into a hole in the top of the transaxle, and is held in place by a small triangle-shaped piece of metal (which fits into a slot), and a 10mm bolt.

Tonight, I pulled the instrument cluster, the replacment cable, and the existing nylon gear assembly (for lack of a better phrase). The gear appeared to be fine. I noticed that if I screwed the cable and nylon gear assembly together outside the car, the cable didn't appear to shift. So, using the nylon gear assembly from the wrecker and the original speedo cable, I put them together, *then* I put them in the car. So far, so good -- it works, and the needle is steady. I'm cautiously optimistic.

"It's a learning experience." Gotta keep telling myself that.

--------------------------------------------------------- Don't be paranoid. Everyone's not out to get you. I am.

---------------------------------------------------------

Reply to
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