Jumpy Speedo

Probably dragging of the cable in the protective covering.  I'd first check the cable to ensure all bends in it are gradual (like less than 45 degrees).  Some cables can be removed from the protective sheath, cleaned and regreased.  Not sure which would work best white lithium for graphite - there is a Teflon cable/chain grease used on motorcycles.  Even Liquid Wrench would clean it up and lubricate it. Check also where it goes thru the left front wheel bearing cap to ensure it has the C-clip or cotter pin present.

I would just measure it's length to make sure you've got it right, and grease and install a new one, they are cheap enough. Most use a stock Bug cable.

Be attentive when you install, keep the bends smooth and as straight as possible.

If the old cable was rubbing or kinked, it will never run smooth. Sometimes the vinyl jacket gets cut, then moisture does it's work rusting the steel cable and sheath.

Make sure to grease the new one  

@Impala

Where is your speedometer?  Left or right in the dash?

If it's left, you can get by with a stock-length VW sedan cable but it will have a tighter-radius bend.

If it's on the right, you'll need a slightly longer cable to fit without binding and that is part number113957801AG at www.bugcity.com

Usually, needle jumping in the speedo can be minimized by making a longer, gentler curve in the cable from the wheel to the dash (one long curve, rather than two shorter ones).  A tighter bend will cause the cable to take a "set" of the bend when it is stopped (99.999% of it's life) and when the wheel turns that set will "pop" the cable in the curve on every rotation and THAT is what you see when the needle jumps.

Install a new cable, the longer the better, make the cable take one large radius from dash to front wheel and that should cure it.  Lube it before you install it just like a clutch cable:  Pull the cable out from the dash end, put a glob of Molybdenum grease in your palm, draw the inner cable through the grease and slide it back into the sheath, then install as per your service manual.

Wolfgang, DannyP & Gordon,

That's some very good advice.  Wish I'd known about those adjustments sooner. 

I got so tired putting up with the original speedometer that came installed in my Vintage Speedster I replaced it with a VDO GPS Speedometer purchased from Beck/Special Edition, Inc.

It's very accurate, and has probably prevented me from ever getting a speeding ticket; however, there is one problem. Every time I drive 1000 miles the Odometer reading will then revert back to 00000.0.  What's with that? 

Rump sputter!

awesome guidance provided above... remove, replace and grease is the way to go.  I experienced similar issues in 2013, and after much much tinkering... a new cable did the trick.  (a kink in the old cable could not be massaged or greased out).

@Impala   Before you buy a new cable, measure the one you have before making a purchase. 

My 2013 Vintage Speedster came with a super beetle 1390 mm cable.  But there are cars out there with stock beetle cable lenthgs, which are shorter.  1390mm is the way to go!!!

Stock Beetle 52-57 = 1265mm
Stock beetle 58-74 = 1235mm
Super beetle 71-74 = 1390mm ( the way to go)

NOTE- SIDE PROJECT.. if you have been considering moving your speedo gauge to the right hand position in the instrument cluster ( vs the left where VS installs it) this is the time!!!  (some folks like to do this),  then you will need to consider a longer cable. 

three commonly used lengths:

- Bus-  50-67 = 2070 mm ( too long in my opinion)

- Beetle right hand drive 65-77 = 1530mm

- Beetle right hand drive 57-65 = 1590mm (harder to find- always out of stock.)

I used a 1530 mm cable that is for a right hand drive VW. (purchased from Cip1. It works but the 1590mm would have been perfect. 

https://www2.cip1.com/ProductD...D112%2D957%2D801%2DJ

https://www2.cip1.com/ProductD...D112%2D957%2D801%2DK

hope this helps

Luis

Cliff Presley - Charlotte, NC posted:

Wolfgang, DannyP & Gordon,

That's some very good advice.  Wish I'd known about those adjustments sooner. 

I got so tired putting up with the original speedometer that came installed in my Vintage Speedster I replaced it with a VDO GPS Speedometer purchased from Beck/Special Edition, Inc.

It's very accurate, and has probably prevented me from ever getting a speeding ticket; however, there is one problem. Every time I drive 1000 miles the Odometer reading will then revert back to 00000.0.  What's with that? 

Rump sputter!

Is there a trip odometer function?

@Lfepardo  That is another good chart  

Cliff: I also use a GPS speedo, but mine is from Greg at Vintage and is made by Speedhut(USA made!). You'd have to contact Carey/SE to get the specifics of the VDO model. Mine shows total mileage and trip at the same time.....

I believe that Spyders usually have the Speedometer on the left, harder for the right seater to know what you're doing............

Gordon Nichols posted:

@Impala

Where is your speedometer?  Left or right in the dash?

If it's left, you can get by with a stock-length VW sedan cable but it will have a tighter-radius bend.

If it's on the right, you'll need a slightly longer cable to fit without binding and that is part number113957801AG at www.bugcity.com

Usually, needle jumping in the speedo can be minimized by making a longer, gentler curve in the cable from the wheel to the dash (one long curve, rather than two shorter ones).  A tighter bend will cause the cable to take a "set" of the bend when it is stopped (99.999% of it's life) and when the wheel turns that set will "pop" the cable in the curve on every rotation and THAT is what you see when the needle jumps.

Install a new cable, the longer the better, make the cable take one large radius from dash to front wheel and that should cure it.  Lube it before you install it just like a clutch cable:  Pull the cable out from the dash end, put a glob of Molybdenum grease in your palm, draw the inner cable through the grease and slide it back into the sheath, then install as per your service manual.

It is on the left side as VS used to install them. Thank you for all the advice; now would be the time to swap it to the correct right hand side.

 

@Impala

It might be a major PITA to move the Speedo from side to side, simply because we don't know how tight the wires going to it (or the multi-gauge) are - they may not allow enough movement and you won't find that out until you have the entire dash pulled apart and out on your lap.  Not a very encouraging thought, is it?

If you're used to it being on the left there's nothing wrong with that, just go with it - Nobody's going to care.  I would still use the longer cable (113957801AG which is the longer 1390mm version ) on it just to get a wider curve in the cable to prevent any future kinking and needle flutter.

Gordon Nichols posted:

@Impala

It might be a major PITA to move the Speedo from side to side, simply because we don't know how tight the wires going to it (or the multi-gauge) are - they may not allow enough movement and you won't find that out until you have the entire dash pulled apart and out on your lap.  Not a very encouraging thought, is it?

If you're used to it being on the left there's nothing wrong with that, just go with it - Nobody's going to care.  I would still use the longer cable (113957801AG which is the longer 1390mm version ) on it just to get a wider curve in the cable to prevent any future kinking and needle flutter.

Yes, sir; I thought about that too. Looks like Luis did it; maybe he could give us more insight on that. Thanks a lot!

I would think that outside of making sure you put the wheel at 12 o'clock and label it so you don't forget the orientation the rest is straight forward but small hands are a benefit.   drawing out the wiring is a bit like this but it looks a lot worse than it is. 

Doable for sure. 

 

 

surprisingly I have done it twice now... both

- speedo cable replacement- first to replace my damaged 1390mm for a new
one, and then to put the longer 1530mm

- AND... moving the speedo to the right, and then back to the left. (
HONESTLY... for the driving I do I prefer having the warning lights + temp
and fuel on the right... centered with my regular line of sight when
driving. I don't use the speedo much for speed reference.... i mainly look
at my RPMs.

i am electrical system challenged... the exercise was relatively easy...
but took 3x as long as I though it would.

- i took tons of pictures before unplugging anything.
- then labeled each cable and where it connected on the back of the gauge
with tape. ( used colored pens to identify hot, ground... and a # for each
wire/connector. each connector/cable got a matching number.
- then took more pictures - with all the labels.
- then unplugged.
- then used tape to bunddle each gauges wiring before moving all the
required wiring from left to right, and right to left. I wanted to move
all the cables together... as a single unit... I was afraid a wire would
get lost in the web if wires during the 10inch road trip and never to find
its home again.


- then I plugged each connector by matching the tape color/numbers on the
cable to the tape/# on the back of the gauges- connectors

-... I didn't have any issues with wiring lengths... I had enough length
for each cable.. I got lucky I guess.


it did take time time time and patience. the first time I played with the
wiring it took three weekends of patience. But it all went back together.
This is when I also changed the gauge light bulbs to LED, and ran my high
temp warning wiring to one of the idiot lights in the temp/fuel gauge.
(previously unused by VS).


my rule of thumb for project planning with my car.... if I think it will
take me three hours to complete a project, I set aside 3 days... because I
know I'm dense and will be surprised by something I didn't plan for. ;-)

good times!!!

On Monday, March 30, 2020, SpeedsterOwners.com <alerts@crowdstack.com>
wrote:

"the exercise was relatively easy...   But took 3x as long as I though it would."

Hell, that's about normal with these cars.

It took me four friggin HOURS to install a silly hands-free Bluetooth adapter!

I like having the speedometer on the left where it is harder for my wife to see it.

I have my gauges arranged like my 911. Combo gauge on the right, tach in the middle. And my speedo on the right . I had to notch the cross bar tube to get the clearance for the cable. Otherwise the gauge was twisted counter clockwise. Wiring may be a small issue for some. I had my car completely torn down when I did the wiring so I had zero issues

Lfepardo posted:

... my rule of thumb for project planning with my car.... if I think it will
take me three hours to complete a project, I set aside 3 days... because I
know I'm dense and will be surprised by something I didn't plan for. ;-)

good times!!!

I once had a very wise man tell me,

"Whenever you plan a construction or remodel project, first get bids and a timeline from 3 reputable contractors. Then add the numbers from all 3 together, and you're just about right".

Same deal with the car.

Michael McKelvey posted:

I like having the speedometer on the left where it is harder for my wife to see it.

Good one, Michael!

 

Tab Tanner posted:

I have my gauges arranged like my 911. Combo gauge on the right, tach in the middle. And my speedo on the right . I had to notch the cross bar tube to get the clearance for the cable. Otherwise the gauge was twisted counter clockwise. Wiring may be a small issue for some. I had my car completely torn down when I did the wiring so I had zero issues

I think you must be Right..

Michael McKelvey posted:

I like having the speedometer on the left where it is harder for my wife to see it.

Didn't I already say that?

@Cliff Presley - Charlotte, NC we've seen a few speedos where the memory of the board is faulty and the odometer resets.  VDO will replace it for us, so if you send me yours back I can get you a new one.

I had my VDO speedo board go faulty and everytime I would stop the guage lost it's long term memory so IM exchanged it. The odometer would could up at each trip then goto zero.  

Just to be clear to everybody. If Vinne  where to wear his Speedo it would also be deemed FAULTY

Years ago my sister-in-law was really bothered when I wore my Speedo.

Kevin,

Thank you for making my day! 

However, it will take a few days before I can ship the speedometer back to you because, as of yesterday, North Carolina is now under a state wide stay-at-home order for 30 days. 

Stay safe.

Cliff

Gordon Nichols posted:

@Impala

Where is your speedometer?  Left or right in the dash?

If it's left, you can get by with a stock-length VW sedan cable but it will have a tighter-radius bend.

If it's on the right, you'll need a slightly longer cable to fit without binding and that is part number113957801AG at www.bugcity.com

Usually, needle jumping in the speedo can be minimized by making a longer, gentler curve in the cable from the wheel to the dash (one long curve, rather than two shorter ones).  A tighter bend will cause the cable to take a "set" of the bend when it is stopped (99.999% of it's life) and when the wheel turns that set will "pop" the cable in the curve on every rotation and THAT is what you see when the needle jumps.

Install a new cable, the longer the better, make the cable take one large radius from dash to front wheel and that should cure it.  Lube it before you install it just like a clutch cable:  Pull the cable out from the dash end, put a glob of Molybdenum grease in your palm, draw the inner cable through the grease and slide it back into the sheath, then install as per your service manual.

Thank you Gord and all of you for your help. I ordered the speedo from Bugcity along with a couple more things. Should be here in the next two days. Will report back when I finish the work. Thanks a lot again.

Well; I was impressed with Bugcity's stock and I ordered the speedo cable and a couple of other items. I ordered and paid for the German speedometer cable as suggested but got delivered a Brazilian unit. The difference in price between both units is $15.00. Shipping was really fast but even the order form is clear as to what I ordered and paid for. I tried calling them and no answer; I filled out their Contact form; let's see what they say about this.

Try to call them early in the morning, their time.  Things are a little nuts in New England right now.....

Sounds good; let's see....Thanks.

The gentleman from Bug city came through; it was a mistake on their part and they sent the German speedo cable right away. I told him I wanted to return the Brazilian cable and asked him for a return label but he said they don't do that; that if I wanted I could return it. I thought about it but it doesn't seem right that I have to pay for return shipping from my dime when this was not my mistake so I figure I'll keep it around for anyone that needs it. If anyone needs it and is willing to pay for shipping I'll drop it in the mail.

Bring it to Carlisle in August and put it on the raffle table. Or mail it to someone nearest you who is going, if you're not.