help on speedometer

could anyone please help me out here with this?????
i have a 96 windstar and the speedometer is jumping like mad.
i need a cluster and im not ready to pay the 600.00 the dealer is asking soooooooooooooooo............... my question is ,
to get a used cluster, what range in years can the vehicle be that it comes of off?????? and if im right .... the klms matters ,right?
thanks

Welcome Dekar
CALM Down.
You can fix this yourself.
If. . . .
You are calm, intuitive, sober and alert.
Want a go?
1. Remove the insturment cluster.
2. Remove the speedometer from the insturment cluster.
3. Post me back and I'll tell you the rest, if your up to it.

Karl

Really, the worst part about this fix is step 1.

Karl.

could anyone please help me out here with this?????
i have a 96 windstar and the speedometer is jumping like mad.
i need a cluster and im not ready to pay the 600.00 the dealer is asking soooooooooooooooo............... my question is ,
to get a used cluster, what range in years can the vehicle be that it comes of off?????? and if im right .... the klms matters ,right?
thanks

I just got through with this on my 95 windstar. The job was not too bad. The hardest part was to get the speedometer cabel unhooked.
There was very little room to get my hand behind to squeeze the release.

I was able to get a good speedo unit from a used parts yard for 50.00.
Now I can drive down the road and knowing how fast I'm going and not have that annoying rattle! At the same time I checked all of the dash lights and replaced the burnt ones from the extra unit.

Dan

Welcome Dekar
CALM Down.
You can fix this yourself.
If. . . .
You are calm, intuitive, sober and alert.
Want a go?
1. Remove the insturment cluster.
2. Remove the speedometer from the insturment cluster.
3. Post me back and I'll tell you the rest, if your up to it.

Karl


I am about to tackle this issue with my van as well. Can you replace the bearing where the cable goes into the speedo? I am not 100% sure there is one.. but I am assuming there is.

OK, I don't believe you need to replace the bearing, this is much simpler. The way I fixed my jumping speedometer was to tighten the two 8mm Hex head screws that hold the cable receptical to the speedometer bezel. Gently twist that joint to verify the looseness in yours. The problem is getting at those screws! I fumbled with a tiny boxend wrench & offset pliers for about an hour before this idea materialized.

1. Make a little jig to support the speedometer straight up and down. I used wood scrap and drywall screws.

2. I wouldn't recommend pulling on the speedometer needle. Leave it be! But pry the aluminum disk with the KPH/MPH numbers on it loose from the lexan plate it's glued to. Avoid straining the needle as much as possible.

2. When it's loose and can be turned freely, align the odometer hole as best you can directly over the head of one of those two 8mm screws.

3. Drill a hole through the lexan big enought to get the head of your 8mm Nut Driver. This is lexan, so get a real sharp bit and go slowly. Preferable in a drill press. If you bear too hard you will snap the lexan!

4. Tighten the nut.

5. Turn the MPH/KPH disk around again and do the same for the other screw.

6. Re-attach the MPH/KPH ring to the lexan.

7. Re-assemble the cluster.

I did this, plus stuck a blob of grease in the top end of the speedometer cable, and it's been working for at least 50K Miles.

Karl

Boy I sure wish somebody would try this and post back. It really straightened out my analogue speedometer.

just change the speed sensor, there are 2 speed sensor one in front of the transmission the other at the back, change the one at the back and everthing would be fine,cost of sensor is $28 and labor would be $60.I had one just like yours only mine at times the speedometer does not work and it would not shift, if it works it jumps to 40 m/hr to 10 or 0

My speedometer, among other things, has also gone haywire.

I have had my mechanic replace the speedo cable, to the tune of about $200 inclusive, to no avail. Now I'm stuck with a new speedo cable that does nothing and have $200 less. What should be my next step? Should I recommend the fix CoachCarl has mentioned?

Hello, MISNO,

I say yes. This works. My speedometer was jumping from 30 to 120, and I had a junkyard spare in my hands before I proceeded, but. . . this fix worked for me. I'm standing by it.

Karl

Pulll the cluster.

cool, I will have my mechanic check out the cluster more closely, especially those screws that hold the speedo cable in place...I've also been informed that it could very well be a bad ABS or speed sensor causing the malfunction...any thoughts on that, Coach?

My initial thought as to the cause of this problem was a bad cable. I went to a junkyard and got a cluster and a cable with a speed sensor attached to it. I was going to replace it all. But. When I got a look at how difficut it would be to replace the sensor, I decided to start with the cluster end first. After I did the above, the problem was fixed. I cannot see how ABS could be contributing to this problem, as it is triggered by the computer via those little magnet sensors behind each of the brakes.

hi all
ive just recently finished replacing the cluster on my own( second one i had put in). the biggest problem was getting the cluster unhooked as well as the PRND cable.
yet the speedometer still jumps but yet not near as bad as before.
anyone have ideas as to next step?