914 Speedometer Problem

My speedometer hasn't been working since I started driving my Speedster.

Tonight I unscrewed the cable and saw that the square end of the cable was going into a round hole on the back of the speedometer.

The round hole is threaded. Am I missing some kind of adapter that screws into the round hole?

Not to sure about that one. I recently replaced my speedo cable and the square cable worked normally. I did have to swap the VW screw cap with the Porsche cap that was on there.

~WB

Have one sitting in front of me - there is the silver part for the threaded attachment feral, then a brass piece inside of that that stick our 1/4" then inside that brass piece (near flush) is a gray piece (metal?) with the square hole for the cable.I'll try for photo.

Thanks Greg.

If you procrastinate for a few years you can still beat me for longest build time.

I am starting to think mine started square and some part inside was jammed so that the square hole became round, although there is no metal debris inside the part that screwed onto the speedometer.

I am using a backup light switch between the speedometer and the cable. My transmission doesn't have a place on the nosecone for a switch. It looks clean inside.

"I am using a backup light switch between the speedometer and the cable"
Mike, you threw me with that statement. Elaborate?
The back up light switch is not in the nosecone. It's in the tranny case above the passenger side drive shaft.

~WB

Bill, I don't know about the location you mention.

Maybe your location is for swing axles. I am pretty sure IRS transmissions have the backup light switch in the transmission nosecone.

Mostly for older Beetles where backup lights were not standard the back of the speedometer switch was used. As soon as you backup a short distance the switch activates.

Nope, In I.R.S Transaxles it's where I say it is. It would hardly be serviceable if it was in the nosecone. There's pics of the switch floating around here somewhere. The speedo back up switch sounds novel....gotta look that one up.

EDIT** I did find a pic of a swing axle with the switch in the nose cone. They musta made a change for IRS cause my switch in the rear end if the trans.



~WB

I stand corrected...just checked my old trans and the switch is indeed in the nosecone. Musta been the way i reached it from the right rear wheel well to get to it that confused me.

Michael-I believe your speedo-reverse switch is from the '68-70 era Auto-StickShift.
SS

Ya never stop learning here...never heard of the switch Mike has. Those crafty Germans think up some weird ideas.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_search.php?search_keywords=hella+reverse+switch+later+style&search_terms=all&search_author=&search_forum[]=-1&search_time=0&search_fields=all&show_results=posts&sort_by=0&sort_dir=DESC

Stumbled across this:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/hella_reverse_light.php

Upon closer inspection I saw that the hole in the back of the speedometer, although starting round, became square deeper in.

After playing around with the speedometer and switch the speedometer worked after I put things back together.

Now I need to check its accuracy.

download a free "speedometer" app for your Blackberry or iPhone/Touch/iPad....

I've been playing with one in my daily this week, very accurate !

I'll use it to check the Speedster at the weekend :)

I've got a couple such aps for my Android phone.