imprezza speedometer

[Pete]

Hey group,

The speedometer on my 93 Imprezza is not working properly. (It reads 80 -
100 mph at about 30mph). However the odometer is clocking correctly. Where
should I look? Is it one of the cables? Or maybe something else?

Pete

 

[mulder]

Hey group,

The speedometer on my 93 Imprezza is not working properly. (It reads 80 -
100 mph at about 30mph). However the odometer is clocking correctly. Where
should I look? Is it one of the cables? Or maybe something else?

Pete

If the odometer is working correctly then the problem would have to be
in the speedo head itself since the odometer is driven from the same
cable. The fix is probably a new cluster since the individual gauges
are not available separately.

 

[Mark T.B. Carroll]

If the odometer is working correctly then the problem would have to be
in the speedo head itself since the odometer is driven from the same
cable. The fix is probably a new cluster since the individual gauges
are not available separately.

Oh, that's interesting. My speedometer generally overreads by at least
5%. I should make sure that my odometer hasn't been doing likewise.

-- Mark

 

[fopetesl]

I have to agree unhappily. My 93 Legacy had a similar problem,
sometimes 0MPH sometimes 140, sometimes OK. I took mine apart as far
as I could, (I'm an electronics engineer), and suspected bad joints on
the connectors. Cleaned and lubricated, twice in fact. Nada. In
theory you could take the speed dial off but you would need to pull off
the needle (pointer) and would have to fix the shaft in known position,
not impossible, but..
Furthermore the speed needle is driven by a crude (but effective) two
winding motor and I guess that one of the coils has a bad joint.
I got a replacement instrument panel from an eBay scrapper for £20.
Works fine now.
Best of luck,
Peter

 

[JD]

Oh, that's interesting. My speedometer generally overreads by at least
5%. I should make sure that my odometer hasn't been doing likewise.

-- Mark

My 04 STi reads 5% high as well. However, the odometer is fine.

 

[Pete]

Thanks. Sounds like the worst case scenario I guess. I'm selling the car
and was hoping it was a quick (cheap) fix. Oh well. Thanks again.

 

[Mark Olson]

Thanks. Sounds like the worst case scenario I guess. I'm selling the car
and was hoping it was a quick (cheap) fix. Oh well. Thanks again.

Worst case scenario?

I had the exact same problem- malfunctioning speedometer but odometer
worked fine. I put a replacement instrument cluster in my 98 Impreza
for $70 shipped from a wrecking yard. It was ridiculously easy to
remove and reinstall. I wouldn't call $70 an expensive fix.

 

[Pete]

Mark, thanks for the info

Worst case scenario?

I had the exact same problem- malfunctioning speedometer but odometer
worked fine. I put a replacement instrument cluster in my 98 Impreza
for $70 shipped from a wrecking yard. It was ridiculously easy to
remove and reinstall. I wouldn't call $70 an expensive fix.