rjfortuna Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Hi there. I'm new to the site, but have been looking at it a fair amount the last few days. I've got about everything squared away on my 1989 v6. 4x4 pathfinder except that when the motor is off, the spedo reads 0. When its at idle and running, but not moving it shows right at 15 mph on it. I've checked the speed w. a gps and its almost exactly showing 15 mph faster than I'm going. I mean, I can live with it, but I'd like to fix it if I can. Is there a way to "true" the spedo, or adjust it so it reads right? Or is it toast??? Advice please. Thanks! RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitemedoughboy.com Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Hi there. I'm new to the site, but have been looking at it a fair amount the last few days. I've got about everything squared away on my 1989 v6. 4x4 pathfinder except that when the motor is off, the spedo reads 0. When its at idle and running, but not moving it shows right at 15 mph on it. I've checked the speed w. a gps and its almost exactly showing 15 mph faster than I'm going. I mean, I can live with it, but I'd like to fix it if I can. Is there a way to "true" the spedo, or adjust it so it reads right? Or is it toast??? Advice please. Thanks! RJ the speedos are a "mechanical" instrument on the 1st gen. pathfinders.... sounds like yours is toast... there is one on eBay i been watching for a while now, i think its 80 bucks for the whole cluster... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigent Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 (edited) This should be a very simple fix. Like biteme said, it is all mechanical. You can gently pull off the white needle and place it back wherever you want. It is a bit dangerous to do while you are driving, but do-able. Just pull the covers that go over the cluster and get access to the needle. Pull it off, and get driving. Pay attention to your GPS and set the cruise control. Place the needle back on very very gently. It is easy to twist it and screw up the placement. I would get a friend to help you if you can, but it isn't a necessity. The reason you are seeing the difference is the needle is on the shaft in the wrong place. When you aren't moving or the tranny isn't spinning, the needle is resting on the little stopper. Once you get going, it will be 15mph off because it is responding to the cable input. edit: Also when you are going 40mph and the overdrive has kicked in, the tachometer will read almost dead on at 1500rpm, so if you don't have GPS, you can get driving and once that Torque Converter locks, you are almost certainly going 40mph. hope some of that helps. indigent. Edited August 21, 2008 by Indigent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowManR6 Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 having a similar issue, everything else on the panel works right but the speedo doesnt move at idle or once i get moving, occasionally for no reason at all it will pop up to whatever i'm currently going then sit there, and if i come to a stop lag downward at any given rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfortuna Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Wow. Cant possibly be that easy. Thats great news. I just bought it last week and it looks like it set in the heat in Texas a while as the needle has a little arch to it where it looks like it melted. Have fixed all the other little things wrong with it like a mess of leaking vacuum leaks, totally gone rotten charcoal box...and the fact that instead of fixing the leaks, someone just cranked the idle up to god's kneecaps..... Still need a pass side front turn lens if anyone knows where I can get a deal on one. Other that that its a good truck. Very happy to find out it has posi in the rear... I own some hunting land in the river bottom and need it to GO in the mud... Thanks again for the input. it has been a great help. RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfortuna Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Shadow, If its mechanical, I'd assume that your cable is bad, but I have not gotten that into the how to book I bought. Let me look in the book this weekend about how the spedo is driven, if its got a cable, its either the cable, the speed gear or the head. I'd look at the cable 1st, again if it has a cable... ! Let me look in the book and get back 2u monday. I dont have internet @ home. Thanks RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfortuna Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Ok. This post is for both you gents. Mr. Indig... I felt froggy so decided to jump. took lunch early and tore her apart... The reset of the spedo was very successfull getting within I'd say - 2 mph and I can live with that. As stated, as easy a fix as can be expected on any vehicle, except going 50, trying to hold it @ 50 and trying to stick the doodad on there and not influence the pin. But it worked with out wrecking so I think it worked out fine. Had the book in the car sooooo...... Ok. Ghost. If you have a manual tranny and a 2wd the speed gear is on your tranny. If you have a 4x4 its on the transfer case. If you have a Automatic...I'd assume its the same. Couldnt find it in the book but I bet that its the same...Cheap book. What are you going to do... I'd pull that and remove the speed gear. Inspect it. If its warn, or fubar in any way get another. Dont know where or how much but I but that the speed gear is your issue. I had a F250 that did the same. Make sure you bring the old one w. u or know exactly how many teeth/cogs/whatever are on it or your spedo will read too fast or slow or whatever, just not right. Check that 1st. I doubt the cable is bad but inspect it as well. I also doubt that the spedo head is bad but start there. Its a cheaper and easier fix. Good luck. RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitemedoughboy.com Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Wow. Cant possibly be that easy. Thats great news. I just bought it last week and it looks like it set in the heat in Texas a while as the needle has a little arch to it where it looks like it melted. Have fixed all the other little things wrong with it like a mess of leaking vacuum leaks, totally gone rotten charcoal box...and the fact that instead of fixing the leaks, someone just cranked the idle up to god's kneecaps..... Still need a pass side front turn lens if anyone knows where I can get a deal on one. Other that that its a good truck. Very happy to find out it has posi in the rear... I own some hunting land in the river bottom and need it to GO in the mud... Thanks again for the input. it has been a great help. RJ From experience i can tell you that your "arch" isn't from heat, its most likely from a front end collision, you might want to get a carfax report on your vin # i t-boned a car at about 40 mph and the needle bent like that, i think its designed to do that so they can tell how fast you were going in an accident. the pathfinder I'm currently driving only has 1/2 the speedo needle, someone tried to straighten it and broke it off. and this one was in a collision also (the radiator support was all jacked up and you could see where it had formed around the frame and had been puled out) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indigent Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 (edited) From experience i can tell you that your "arch" isn't from heat, its most likely from a front end collision, you might want to get a carfax report on your vin # i t-boned a car at about 40 mph and the needle bent like that, i think its designed to do that so they can tell how fast you were going in an accident. the pathfinder I'm currently driving only has 1/2 the speedo needle, someone tried to straighten it and broke it off. and this one was in a collision also (the radiator support was all jacked up and you could see where it had formed around the frame and had been puled out) The needle arching is a common problem on these clusters. Every one of the three pathy's I have owned (including my TD27T Terrano in Japan) had the bent needle. It is just @!*%ty plastic. Edited August 22, 2008 by Indigent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Still need a pass side front turn lens if anyone knows where I can get a deal on one. Other that that its a good truck. Check out out Classifieds section, there are several people parting out trucks... From experience i can tell you that your "arch" isn't from heat, its most likely from a front end collision I smashed mine good, and the needle is straight. The speedo registers 32 mph from 1-65mph, then falls to 0 after 70, so the needle could be missing for all I care. I've been driving by tach for years now. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitemedoughboy.com Posted August 22, 2008 Share Posted August 22, 2008 Check out out Classifieds section, there are several people parting out trucks...I smashed mine good, and the needle is straight. The speedo registers 32 mph from 1-65mph, then falls to 0 after 70, so the needle could be missing for all I care. I've been driving by tach for years now. B hmm...... good to know, i just thought it was from the impact.... as for the turn lens you can get them new from several venders on ebay for less than 20 bucks shipped... for some reason i cant keep the left ones intact for very long (damn trees) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowManR6 Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 The needle arching is a common problem on these clusters. Every one of the three pathy's I have owned (including my TD27T Terrano in Japan) had the bent needle. It is just @!*%ty plastic. ya my needle does the exact thing, but only the one for the speedo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfortuna Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 ya my needle does the exact thing, but only the one for the speedo I believe that. I bet it did get hit in the front end. There is some evidence of over spray where it has been repainted. Drives good tho. No leaks. So I'm not real worried about it. I put in new hydrolics (sp) this weekend on the clutch as the others went out in the middle of the woods and I had to drive it about 40 miles with no clutch to get to my tools and the bushings and everything else looked pretty ok under there. Well, as much as I could tell with break fluid dripping in my face. RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjfortuna Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 Here is my take on the bent spedo needle. I believe when the vehicle is off there is still pressure on the spedo needle as when I was resetting mine I found that it still had left turn pressure on it at stop. So the plastic fatigues after the years of pressure sitting on it at stop. Just my take. I doubt that the tacho has any pressure on it a 0 movement. Still think mine was wrecked on front end. Evidence of gap issues at hood and fenders and some overspray on the front. Fan shroud is fubar too. Looks like the fan tried to eat it at one time. Hole worn in the top and held on w. coat hangers. RJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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