Does ANYONE have any idea what causes this? This morning on my way to the community college the speedometer in my 89 Caravan bounced around for about a mile, then stopped turning altogether right as I was pulling into the parking lot.

I know it's one of those mechanical ones. But I don't know what just broke. IS it the part that's in the cluster? The cable? The attachment point(wherever that is) on the transmission?

Whatever it is, I really hope I'm not suddenly out a vehicle.

 

If it's cable driven, it could be the gears in the cluster, the gears on the transmission sender or the cable itself. Only way to tell is to take things apart and inspect them. Might pick yourself up a haynes manual or search for videos on you tube. What engine size? From what I've read, the 6 cylinder uses a cable, the 4 cylinder is electronic. If it had a cable, it'd be very easy to find.. it would go from the transmission housing all the way through the firewall into the instrument cluster.

 

LE, V6, 41TE.

I've had the cluster out of the dash before, it's been given a lighting redux since I got the van. It's definitely cable driven, and getting the cable to seat back in fully is a PAIN. I do have a Chilton's manual, although I don't know how helpful it'll be in this situation. Neither chilton's nor haynes' manuals will be full shop manuals from what I've seen.

I'm specifically hoping the bouncing would be a clue to someone more experienced than me. I've done a fair bit of work on this van, but this is new. The transmission already seems to need a new solenoid back and fluid/filter change(keeps going into limp when trying to accelerate up a hill @ around 35mph, also goes into limp @ 35 coming off the highway if I don't put it in neutral when exiting), and now this? Ugh. I'm hopeful that the speedo thing doesn't involve the gear inside the transmission. IT didn't make any plastic crunchy sounds, nor go into perpetual limp mode on me, so I think that end of the cable should.. HOPEFULLY.. be fine.

 

I feel your pain. The vehicle is 26 years old. Constant tinker toy. I had an old Camaro for awile, loved it, but it seemed like every day, something else would need to be fixed or adjusted. Kudos to you for keeping yours on the road. Hopefully one someone else with experience with this issue will join in the conversation.

 

As I suspected.. I just scoured my Chilton manual and found nothing at all about the speedo cable. I can get one for not much at all via RockAuto, but I wouldn't have a clue how to swap it out.

 

Swapping is for the most part as easy as you make it. Disconnect one end, undo everything, pay attention to that, and reinstall the same way. Unfortunately, I can't help you with that. Take pictures along the way so you know where everything goes. I'm sorry I can't help more. Maybe, hopefully there is a video out there somewhere where someone has done it. I'm sorry. : (

 

Well, new development.. it might be the speed sensor and not the cable. I also have code 15, which is for no speed sensor signal. So, I guess it did break inside the transmission on the sensor end. I did manage to find out that it's a hybrid of sorts. There's an electronic sensor with a mechanical passthrough for a cable. Electronic for the TCM, mechanical for the speedo.

AKA, more parts to break.

 

My van had an issue with the speedo (although it is a 98 so I'm not sure if it is the same). Try this...slap the top of the dash to see if that works. If it does, it might be a bad ground or solder on the instrument panel. There is a link (or was) here or another dodge site that has pictures. I soldered this one spot and my speedo has been fine since. But it was jumping around before it failed

 

Oh yeah. The 98 cluster is third gen, which I know for sure to be all electronic. Mine is first gen but also all electronic, except for the speedo. I don't know about second gen, but everything third and up is completely electronic.

When I first got the van all the gauges loved to go out of commission. Sometimes slapping the top of the dash fixed it. Sometimes it didn't. Come to find out, the pcb has pins on it that connect to a circular harness. They'd wiggled loose. So I tacked them back down with solder and have never had issues since. I'm actually glad the speedo is mechanical. At least I still had that even if the tach, oil pressure, temp, gas, and voltage gauges were all gone. I still have yet to fix the oil pressure gauge, though. I think the pin for that actually fully broke off but I might be able to solder it back on. Haven't gotten around to it yet. The pin is actually stuck in the connector. I may be able to make it work by just pulling the pin out a bit. But I think the sensor itself is bad too so that'll have to be swapped next time I change the oil. If I have the funds for a new sensor alongside the oil and filter.

 

So.. new development. Today, I finally got around to changing out the speed sensor.(There's three. input, output, and one on the differential, in my case. I'm referring to the third one.) I can't fathom why, but the sensor did not come with a replacement cog. The one that came out of the transmission with the old sensor was yellow plastic. I guess after 26 years it's finally had it, as there's a very peculiar concave bevel all the way around the teeth.

Does anyone know where the heck I can get a replacement cog? Or am I going to be stuck without a speedometer for the rest of the time I am stuck with this van?