Re: [DML] Help with Speedometer

[Soma576@xxxx]

Additional ifo itf this helps:
All of the other dash guages work but when you start the car the 
other guages "come alive" but the speedometer needle stays "limp".
Any help will GREATLY be appreciated.

Michael
Vin #2944

Ah, a classic DeLorean problem. Most likely you are in need of a new 
speedometer angle drive. Diagnosis is as follows:

Raise front end of vehicle. Speedo is driven by the driver's side front 
wheel. Disconnect the upper speedo cable from the top of the lambda counter 
(bright yellow box in driver's side footwell). Have a friend spin the front 
wheel and see if you can see the square fitting in the lambda box spin where 
you removed the upper cable. It probably won't. If it does, your problem is 
either in the connection for the upper cable, the upper cable itself, or the 
speedo is actually broken in the dash (all of which are not common). 

if it doesn't spin, then disconnect the lower cable where it goes into the 
lambda counter. have someone spin the wheel - does the lower cable square 
fitting spin? probably not. but if it does, your gears are broken in the 
lambda counter (more likely then a problem with the upper cable, but i doubt 
it.

if it doesn't, remove the front wheel and take off the plastic dust cap in 
the middle of the brake disc. carefully inspect the center of the cap and 
see if the hole where the angle drive cable goes into it is stripped out. it 
will be round if it is stripped, perfectly square if it is ok. it's probably 
rounded out. now look at the cable that sticks thru the wheel bearing. that 
is first drive cable into the angle drive. does it have a square tip? is 
the wire shredded? does the wire slide out of the drive? if the drive cable 
is trashed, it is not repairable and you need a new angle drive. you cannot 
replace just the cable.

IF anything right here looks ok, disconnect where the lower cable goes into 
the angle drive. spin the wheel and see if the cable in the angle drive 
spins. i doubt it. if not, you need a new angle drive.

what happens is the angle drive fails due to lack of lubrication or the gears 
inside it break. when that happens, the cable stalls in the wheel hub so the 
wheel keeps turning but the wire doesn't. this strips out the plastic cap 
and makes it round, damages the square tip of the wire, and sometimes pulls 
the wire out of the angle drive. 

if you find that any of these parts are bad, you must purchase the 
appropriate parts. if i were you, and the angle drive OR dust cap are found 
to be damaged, i would order BOTH parts to replace because they are a weak 
part of the car. i would recommend getting PJ Grady's hardcore series angle 
drive with stainless gears and molybdenom grease. comes with a warranty too! 


Andy 

Soma576@xxxx
1982 DeLorean DMC-12 VIN#11596
Fargo, ND 58102


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