Speedometer kaput!

[pete east]

My speedo has packed up, and I wondered if this has happened to anyone else? and if so ,what steps they took to rectify it.

It is a VDO unit, which started making funny noises, before the needle dropped to the stop and stayed there.

Drive cable is fine, and moves instantly and smoothly when the car is driven backwards and forwards.

Can the speedo be repaired, any recommended repairers known?

If its a replacement job, are VDO`s still available, and does anyone have a ball park price. What does one do about the mileage? as I am assuming a new unit will show zero on the odo and trip.

As usual any advice would be very welcome.

[Mick Day]

Try these people for a repair: here

 

Or if you are fed up with a mechanical gauge try: here for an electronic unit.

[pete east]

Hi Mick - Thank you very much for the link, it seems to be exactly what I was looking for. I will give them a go.

[Cookie Monster]

Speedycables.co.uk are also very good.Usually a quick turn around too.

Mine packed up recently but it was the brass union off the side of the gearbox - assume yours is OK?

 

Phil.

[pete east]

Just an update for anyone who finds themselves like me recently with a broken analogue speedo, I contacted the guy, that Mick (many thanks to you Mick) suggested below, and wanted to report, that the service Mr John Ostick gave was first class. Got my speedo back fully repaired in just 5 days (by post) Now back on the car and working fine.

He gave me a couple of points worth bearing in mind.

1. if the speedo starts playing up, disconnect it from the drive immdiately, A. to determine if it is the drive or speedo head which has failed, and B. if it is the speedo head which has failed, and it is kept connected, it thrashes the broken bits inside the speedo around so much, that they cannot be repaired. It may also jam the drive cable, and mess up the speedo drive on the gearbox.

2. If you have a fixed steering wheel, it is possible to remove the speedo head, without taking off the wheel, by gently pulling the wheel away from the dash at the top, which gives just enough space to slip the speedo out.

3 If you have an original, non Caterham marked VDO speedo, these are apparently no longer available anywhere, not even from the manufacturers, if the speedo is damaged beyond repair, it is however possible to get new innards to fit the casing, but calibration etc becomes a little complicated.

Regretfully John does not do digital, electronic type speedo repairs, analogue only, but most makes of these are able to be repaired.