Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

1989 mustang speedometer question?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    1989 mustang speedometer question?

    Helping a buddy out with his 1989 mustang gt convertible.
    We did a transmission r&r, and redid it (craigslist trans wouldn't upshift past 1st gear!), and just got it on the road last week.
    It's been sitting since.

    Just drove it 5mi back from the shop, and a funny thing happened about 3mi in on the freeway.

    Doing around 60-70mph and suddenly the speedometer needle jumps to 140mph+ and just stays there, oscillating.
    As I get off the exit ramp, whenever I hit the brakes it actually jumps to a higher speed (even further past 140mph) and the amplitude of the oscillation gets worse. As I come close to a stop and pick up speed again going up the hill past the exit ramp, it recovers and acts normally; 10mph, 20mph, behaving as it should.

    Now my own car is a 1990 grand marquis. Lots of the same parts, really. I know 1990 has an electric speedo. My sister drives a 1989 grand marquis, and it has an all-mechanical speedo.
    As I understand it, there's simply a coiled spring, like a flex shaft for a drill. Her speedo wobbles/oscillates at low speeds, and this is almost certainly, I've been informed, because the coil is sticking inside its housing. If i pulled it apart and cleaned it and re-lubricated, it might work correctly.

    However, on this 1989 mustang,even if the cable is all mechanical, what would explain wobbling AND jumping to 140mph+, full speed and beyond? sticking wouldn't explain going faster [than the car is actually going]...


    thanks!
    -Bernard

    #2
    89 and down use a cable driven speedometer. At least this is what my friend's 89 Mustang GT has...

    Comment


      #3
      Not certain but was it working correctly before the trany rebuild? If so, could be a cable screw up when replacing the trany


      "Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob

      "NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)

      "Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"

      Comment


        #4
        that's what I figure.
        So, where/how would it JUMP in speed, suddenly maxxing out the speedo and frozen, wobbling there, no matter what my actual speed?
        It stayed there from anywhere from 30mph to 70mph, and simply autocorrected at some point.

        Comment


          #5
          Could try replacing with a good/new cable just for grins!


          "Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob

          "NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)

          "Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"

          Comment


            #6
            bump?

            don't want to just replace the cable; I still can't think what explains what happened, and don't want to replace anything until I have a clue.

            Comment


              #7
              sounds like the cable is getting hung up... or the gears in the speedo. Though, if the cable is being twisted enough to spring 140+ on the speedo, the cable probably isn't too happy about that, regardless of the condition of the speedo gears.

              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
              Originally posted by gadget73
              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
              Originally posted by dmccaig
              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

              Comment


                #8
                Did you reuse the original speedo sender and plastic driven gear? If not, pull the sender and see if 1.the gear is chewed up 2.that everything is seated properly when you put it back together.

                Alex.

                Comment


                  #9
                  sounds more like the speedo is broken. Bad cables tend to make the speedo jump and bounce, not peg and stay there.
                  86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                  5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                  91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                  1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                  Originally posted by phayzer5
                  I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                  Comment


                    #10
                    just got a reply back from an old instructor of mine, who was a ford tech when these cars were on the road more.
                    He said just that, something about the speedo "head" bushings going on the mechanical units that would explain this.
                    I can visualize some arrangement of gears in the instrument cluster, if I wanted, I guess I'd take it all apart to find out precisely how it ticks.
                    But it's not my car, and I won't do anything further unless my friend insists and helps out himself

                    But now I'm armed with an idea of where he/ we will likely end up looking in a couple weeks...

                    Comment


                      #11
                      also, if the speedo cable is not original, it could bind up on the speedometer and hold the needle in place. I had to trim a quarter inch off each end of the one I put in my 88 to keep it from burning up the speedo head... same on my Lincoln, but to keep from burning up the VSS that is in-line to the back of the speedo.

                      Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                      rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                      Originally posted by gadget73
                      ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                      Originally posted by dmccaig
                      Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        there is a magnetic coupling between the end of the speedo cable and the needle. The cable drives a magnet or something, and thats what pulls over the needle. The geartrain is for the odometer. If there is a blob of crud in the magnet area, it could cause this.
                        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                        Originally posted by phayzer5
                        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                          there is a magnetic coupling between the end of the speedo cable and the needle. The cable drives a magnet or something, and thats what pulls over the needle. The geartrain is for the odometer. If there is a blob of crud in the magnet area, it could cause this.
                          Would this apply to the panther speedo head as well?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            most likely. all speedos seem to have approximately the same inner workings.
                            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                            Originally posted by phayzer5
                            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                            Comment


                              #15
                              is the length of the panther speedometer cable 72 or 80 inches?

                              http://www.summitracing.com/search/D...?Ns=Rank%7CAsc
                              1988 MGM GS - Preferred Equipment Package 172A; InstaClear

                              1980 Lincoln Continental Coupe
                              1994 MGM GS Montigua
                              2005 F150 Lariat Scab 4x4 3.73 LS
                              2002 Mustang GT Coupe

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X