Escort Speedometer Dead

My 96 Ford Escort LX speedometer has died. The previous owner claimed to have never taken the car over 50 mph, and the first time I hit 75 the speedo needle started to wander and make noise. It continued to work fine under 40 or so mph, until it just recently started sticking at random speeds. If I whacked the dash the needle would jump back to it's proper place, but now its stuck around 20 mph.

Is this an analog speedometer, that perhaps needs the cable lubricated (or new cable installed)? Not quite sure how I'd go about getting to the back of the instrument cluster, but I'll read through the service manual and see if I can figure it out.

Doug

Reply to
kb1jec
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If the needle is sticking, the speedometer head in the cluster is bad. There's no cable on this car, but it is analog.

Reply to
Tom Adkins

I think that a 1996 *does* have a speedo cable and mechanical speedometer. In any case, the cable will not cause the speedo to stick in place. I have had this era Escort speedo head apart before and found the head to be the cause of the chattering noise, not the cable. The head is extremely expensive, so I carefully sprayed a lube product from Wurth into the drive bushing. I don't recall the name of the lube, but it is designed to spray out thin, then set up thicker within a minute. THis particular speedo head has been noise-free for years now. Unfortunately, that won't cure the needle sticking. If the pointer is actually rubbing on the gauge face, you could take out the gauge cluster, remove the front lens, and attempt to pull up on the pointer to lift it somewhat on its shaft. Use exteme caution doing this. You could also attempt to straighten the pointer, but that would likely end in a bent shaft no matter how careful you are.

Toyota MDT in MO

Reply to
Comboverfish

This car definately uses a cable! I would try lubing it.

head on over to

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and do some research over there.It's been discussed many times there.

Reply to
scott21230

I don't think you're supposed to lube speedo cables as the lube works it's way up to the friction drive in the head and makes it slip and read zero! ISTR that speedo cables are 'dry', i.e. teflon coated cores. I could be wrong ;-)

Al.

Reply to
Al

Reply to
rachel

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