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        General >> Problems >> speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
        
(Message started by: stafford on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 1:55pm)

Title: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 1:55pm

Hi all ..just finished the car audio install..the battery was nearly dead but car did manage to start..when on a sound test run the speedo needle does not work and is pointing down to six o clock...have I blown a fuse or something..this has not happened b4

thanks

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Kjetil S on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 2:29pm

Isn't there a pin stopping the needle from going that far? How loud were you playing actually ;D

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 3:15pm

dont know about that just wanna no if its a fuse or something??

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Kjetil S on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 3:24pm

Sorry mate, don't know, but if there is a fuse I would guess that something else isn't working as well. Seems unlikely that the speedo has a fuse of its own.

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by scorpio_man on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 4:20pm

hi there

try

1. dash reset....hold in the trip reset button.
or
2. battery disconnection.
or
3. remove plastic panel from in front of dash and gently move the needle back round.

hth

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by solarpanel on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 5:18pm

tap on the speedo that might do it

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by hellblue on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 6:43pm

Have you had the dash out ?? it sounds like its been left upside down & the speedos ended up round the wrong way!!

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 6:53pm

no fuse problems cause this then..Simmo Ill try the stuff you wrote tomoro..very weird ...how long hold the button in?

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Kjetil S on Sep 23^rd, 2006, 7:05pm

Until you enter diagnostics mode ;)
Will take 5-10 seconds or so

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 26^th, 2006, 3:55pm

ok no reponse from dash rest ..I held the R button in for over 10 secs... if the battery disconnection doesnt reset the needle ..whatelse would anyone suggest ..im getting close to sppeding tickets as dont know for sure im doing 30mph when i go thru them..

Cheers

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by MrWalker on Sep 26^th, 2006, 5:41pm

Hello.
I had the same problm with My Scorp.
Drived my car to my FMD, and I could see howe he fixed it.
He pushed the trip reset button for about 10 sec. and just when the reset started he hit the upper
side of the dash with he´s fist. (Rather Hard). And since then no problem.

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 26^th, 2006, 6:08pm

r u serious

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by TiberiuS on Sep 26^th, 2006, 9:03pm

on 09/26/06 at 18:08:57, stafford wrote:

r u serious

I hope not...

Not the R button on the trip panel, hold the little black button on the trip odometer in the instrument cluster for a few secs.

Any pictures of the speedo? If it doesn't reset with the battery it sounds mechanical, the only way I can think of is to remove the perspex cover on the instruments and try and reset it, should be held in range by the little plastic pegs normally.

Regards, Bruce.

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by hellblue on Sep 26^th, 2006, 9:07pm

when you do a reset or refit the battery the needles should all flick round then back to rest do the others reset? or work?Is the pin still there that the needle sits on?is the needle being powered round to this pos.?remove battery to check?as i said befor if the dash has been out the needle can go right round the other side if not kept up right? have you checked fuses?

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 26^th, 2006, 10:55pm

what number fuses shall i check ..this has happened since the new amp went in on sat... right i have been try the reset route by pressing the R button for 10 sec ..not holding the Odometer button in..ill try the odo in the morning ..then ill discon the battery.

any idea what poss number the fuses to check will be???

Cheers

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by TiberiuS on Sep 27^th, 2006, 4:11pm

My gut thought on this (although I'm not sure if it's possible) is that you've zapped the speedo signal cable with a speaker/power lead at some point on installation.

Do a battery disconnect first and then start thinking of fuses if it proves electrical. If it proves otherwise my guess is to remove the perspex lens on the gauges and see what you can do from there, moving the needle backwards to 0.

Hope this helps some, Bruce :).

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by KronosKeylock on Sep 27^th, 2006, 4:22pm

I had the same problem mate, is the speedo needle the wrong side of the needle stop?, if it is then you'll have to remove the perspex and flick the needle over the stop. I had trouble removing the perspex so cheated by drilling a tiny hole in it and using a pin to gentley flick the needle over

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 27^th, 2006, 6:48pm

ok ..ive now got the code for my kenwood so Im ready to discon the battery,,failing that perspex off and move the needle.. im well worrying about drive down here as there is a tax camera on every other str down here [] []

Ill keep you posted ..so no one has fixed this the fuse route I take it???? :-/

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Malcolm73 on Sep 30^th, 2006, 4:09pm

I have sorted this problem several times but you need patience and two 4" lengths ( from memory ) of 22 S.W.G. ( 0.7mm ) copper wire. This gauge of wire has sufficient stength with flexibility. You are likely to fail with thinner wire and thicker will not enter the gap.

I believe I bend the last 3 / 4mm of wire over at 90 degrees. Firstly try with one wire feeding it through the clearance gap surrounding the trip recorder button towards and past the needle, now turn the wire, hooking the needle and pull the needle away from 6 o'clock. With luck you may pull the needle sufficiently for it to go back to zero M.P.H. but more likely you will loose it and it goes south again.

Try it a few times, you may be lucky, if not drag the needle as far as possible to4 or 3 o'clockso that the second wire also through the gap is used to push the needle from 3 O'clock towards 12 O'clock when it should return to zero M.P.H. and solve your problem.

Be prepared for a lot of frustration as the needle repeatedly heads south but once you get it past 2 O'clock on the return journey it then usually goes back where it belongs.

It has always worked for me and I hope it works for you.

Ford garages have always told me that I needed a new speedo' .

73's Malcolm

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Sep 30^th, 2006, 10:32pm

What cases this problem soes anyone know..did a battery disconnect help you malcolm???

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Malcolm73 on Oct 1^st, 2006, 2:34pm

Hi Stafford, I have had the needle stuck at south several times. Sometimes it reurns on it's own. I don't know what causes the needle to stick but the Scorpio is sensitive to battery voltage. With a clean disconect the problem does not seem to occur but if you have a failing battery with insufficient power and try to start your car then the needle will go crazy and head south.

I believe I have some 22 S.W.G. enamelled copper wire at my works and if you need some please let me know and I can post it tomorrow

73's Malcolm

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Glasgow_Cossy on Oct 1^st, 2006, 7:06pm

I had this problem the other day, my battery was flat, i started the ignition and the speedo needle stuck. I was jump starting the car so i removed the cables and then re connected them, started the ignition they all moved to maximum then returned, including speedo. If you look you may see that the needle is stuck on the edge of the dial. I believe that the movement to maximum is a calibration to test the dials and sensors after a battery disconnection / drain.

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by Malcolm73 on Oct 1^st, 2006, 8:28pm

Hi "Stafford", I now have your name and address and hope to have the wire in the post to you in the morning. You could try disconecting the battery for a few minutes but I don't think this will work.

The needle does not appear to get stuck on anything behind the perspex. If you pull the needle back using copper wire from 6 O'clock to 4 O'clock and release it, probably by accident, then it simply goes back to 6 O'clock. It is all very strange.

I have owned my 24v ultima for 8 years and have used copper wire with success about four times.

73's Malcolm

Title: Re: speedo needle pointing south!!! HELP
Post by stafford on Oct 1^st, 2006, 10:12pm

imagine the reply we 'd get from a Ford main dealer when asking them to diagnose this problem..ummmmmmm!!!!!! The mind boggles but would we get the truth I wonder? Shall I ring them for a giggle?

Cheers for the wire Malcolm I will follow your instructions.