Speedometer needle stopped working?

**onetroubledguy** · 01-09-2009, 03:23 PM

I installed a white gauge overlay and when I inserted the cluster back in the speedometer needle stopped working. It resets with the tach, but is stuck at "zero" no matter the speed I drive. I did not remove any needles, only positioned them at 12 o'clock so my overlays could slide over them. Every other gauge works fine, although the tach is a little off by half an inch. Also wanted to mention that the speed needle seems a little loose when I flick it compared to all the other needles, as if it somehow lost traction.

Any ideas on how to troubleshoot this?

**JoshieDoom** · 01-09-2009, 03:44 PM

I wonder if the panel is fully seating into the dash...(the connectors)

I had this happen when I put my bird on and I pressed really hard and it popped back into place.

Worse comes to worse just take it back off and try again.

**onetroubledguy** · 01-09-2009, 03:49 PM

Yeah. I've done that several times already. Actually, I just drove it again and the needle does work, but it acts strange and gets stuck at different places below 40. It also won't go above 40 either. I may just have to buy a new cluster.

**RyanJM** · 01-09-2009, 05:04 PM

Check to make sure it's not getting caught on the overlay.

**onetroubledguy** · 01-09-2009, 05:23 PM

Nope, not getting caught. I think I just might have messed the needle up.

**blindxeyed** · 01-09-2009, 08:48 PM

I guarantee you it's your overlay, it's probably not seated completely flush to the gauges and it's causing your needle to get caught on it. Happened to me, and happens to alot of people. Try finding the stickiest, thinnest, tape/sealant/whatever to put behind the overlay to hold in down completely flat. It's pretty tricky to get right. Took me a couple of tries.

**onetroubledguy** · 01-09-2009, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by blindxeyed

I guarantee you it's your overlay, it's probably not seated completely flush to the gauges and it's causing your needle to get caught on it. Happened to me, and happens to alot of people. Try finding the stickiest, thinnest, tape/sealant/whatever to put behind the overlay to hold in down completely flat. It's pretty tricky to get right. Took me a couple of tries.

If that's really the case I will feel like an idiot, but I don't think so. I will take a closer look at it tomorrow just to double check...

**blindxeyed** · 01-09-2009, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by onetroubledguy

If that's really the case I will feel like an idiot, but I don't think so. I will take a closer look at it tomorrow just to double check...

Make sure to check closely right around the center of the needle, the black circle portion where the needle connects to the cluster itself. That's where mine was getting caught at, which made it hard to figure out that was the problem. The needle itself was far enough from the overlay to not look like it was rubbing, but right there at the base of the needle the overlay was popping out just ever so slightly to where the needle could barely move at all. It doesn't take much resistance at all to completely stop the needles from moving.

**BIG GUNS** · 01-10-2009, 06:26 AM

Originally Posted by blindxeyed

Make sure to check closely right around the center of the needle, the black circle portion where the needle connects to the cluster itself. That's where mine was getting caught at, which made it hard to figure out that was the problem. The needle itself was far enough from the overlay to not look like it was rubbing, but right there at the base of the needle the overlay was popping out just ever so slightly to where the needle could barely move at all. It doesn't take much resistance at all to completely stop the needles from moving.

Yeah, just because they are 'no needle removal' type overlays, the center hole is not so centered when lining up the hash marks and numbers anyways.

May want to get an exacto knife and trim a cunt hair off near the center of the needle if that is the case.

**onetroubledguy** · 01-10-2009, 02:51 PM

Yeah, I must have slightly damaged the needle when I was installing the overlay. I completely removed it and it's still acting funny. That really bothers me because I was pretty damn careful about it, but not careful enough apparently. It works, just "updates" in chunks and gets caught at intervals. Oh well I ordered a new cluster. Lesson learned!