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Speedometer help

7245 Views 19 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Pete04222
The speedo on my 82 GTSi has recently stopped working. No speed will register for miles, then all of a sudden the needle will bounce around, but not indicate a true speed (it will fluctuate from say 30 to 90mph while I'm staying with traffice that's moving 35-45mph).

Is this a common issue? Any easy things to fix?
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Good to see a fellow Jeep owner here! We have similar tastes in automobiles as I also have an MB. You should check out my post on Rebuilding the Jeep in the general section.

The speedo issue you are concerned with is a common problem. The impulse generator goes bad. Dennis McCann has one for $65 and it is an easy install (you have to remove the right rear tire to get to it). I think the part number is 116987. Check him out:
http://www.allferrariparts.com/home.html
Thanks for the help. So this is an easy repair? I had wondered if this malfunction was due to the speedo cable. I noticed the problem shortly after that car was put on a trailer after its major service. I thought that one of the straps used to secure it in the trailer had rubbed against the cable, but I see no evidence of that when I look at the cable.

If I order the part, is it obvious how to install it, or do you recommend a service manual?

Thanks,
Andy

P.S. What MB do you have?
There is no cable, it is a wire. The sending unit is a small generator that powers the speedo.

The unit is right next to the right rear tire so it is subjected to all the water, dirt, oil kicked up and it could be just a bad connection. You could try cleaning the connections and see if that helps. You don't need a manual, when you take the right rear tire off you are looking right at it. It is vertically mounted and about 1 1/2" inches in diameter. Two wires coming out of it. It is probably soaked with oil and dirt. Unplug it and spray the connections with solvent and plug them back in.

PS- We have a '99 E-300 Turbo Diesel. What an awesome car! 6 passenger luxury sedan that gets 38 MPG. Here's a pic: http://www.ferrariforum.net/members/viewphoto.php?id=1299
Okay, so I got a new impulse generator, but am having problems installing it. I've found where the electric cables plug into what looks like a 2 inch diameter cylinder. That cylinder unscrews from a piece on top diff housing leaving a threaded piece. It looks to me that the bigger cylinder with the wires converts the mechanical signal to electronic impulses...however the new impulse generator has no mechanical connection. Help!!!!

Thanks,
umsneeze said:
Okay, so I got a new impulse generator, but am having problems installing it. I've found where the electric cables plug into what looks like a 2 inch diameter cylinder. That cylinder unscrews from a piece on top diff housing leaving a threaded piece. It looks to me that the bigger cylinder with the wires converts the mechanical signal to electronic impulses...however the new impulse generator has no mechanical connection. Help!!!!

Thanks,
What do you mean by "no mechanical connection"? Its been awhile but as I recall, on mine I simply unplugged the wires, unscrewed the impulse generator from the holder and screwed the new one on. It was one of the easier repairs I have done on the car. I think the top of the drive holder had outside threads and the generator had inside threads. Is that what you mean? Does your new generator not have threads?
I think I got the wrong part. (Even though two online places listed the one as for GTSi models.)
The part I have is brass, with threads on the outside.
I found a parts manual that shows what I actually have on my car. On the car is a cylinder with the two wires. That unscrews and has threads on the inside. On the diff housing is an outside threaded piece. The part with the wires has a square piece, like a conventional speedometer cable that fits into a female square piece on the diff housing.
That's what I meant by physical connection.
Does that make sense?
It sounds like you may have the wrong one. I checked Dennis McCann's site (www.allferrariparts.com) and for your car it looks like he's showing this:
116987 SPEEDOMETER SENDING UNIT, 308i/308QV/328, BB512i (VEGLIA #680517) $ 65.00

Is this what you got? The number is a Ferrari #.
That is the part I got, and I checked the numbers with another site with a photo, so it's the same part.
I think I should have gotten part 124146 (Ferrari part 106324).
I'll call McCann's Monday and get their take.
106324 is the one that fits my car. From what you describe, it would seem you have the exact same speedo generator that I have.

I've looked in the same places you have and figured Ferrari had changed the speedo generator with the GTSi. Maybe they did not change it until the QV and something got lost in the translation. I'm at work right now or I would post a picture of my unit. Maybe you could take a picture of the one in your car and the one you received and send them to Dennis.

If you do take the pics, post 'em here also. I'd like to look at them.
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The one on top was on the car, the wires were broken when I was "experimenting" and trying to get the piece to work.

Does the broken part resemble what is on your car?

I also attached a poor picture of my MB.

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Nice MB!!! I love it!

The speedo generator that came off your car is the identical part to the one that came off my car. The new piece I got is slightly different in shape but not much. It's an obvious match.
I have no idea what that part on the bottom is. If you got it from Dennis I'm sure he'll take it back.
umsneeze, you do have the wrong part from Dennis McCann. your original sending unit is the same one as I have on my (earlier) GT4. This brass one will not work (although, according to Ferrari UK, it is supposed to be for an '82 GTSi), you need the original style. In my GT4 Parts Catalogue, its the same number (106324), but what they gave you is the wrong part (they gave you #116987).

On the Ferrari UK spare parts site, they list #124146 as superseding #106324, for my GT4. They list that part for £76.50.
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By George...I think I've got it. Okay, I now have the right part. I posted a picture below. Once I get time next week I'll put it on and hopefully be able to know how fast I'm going.
I'll be going to the Indy 500 this weekend, so won't have time to do car work this weekend.
Of course not knowing your speed can be liberating too!

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umsneeze said:
Of course not knowing your speed can be liberating too!
Yes it can be! :green:

Glad to hear you are getting it all sorted out. Do you plan to drive the Ferrari to Indy?

Keep us updated on how the speedo fix goes.
umsneeze said:
Of course not knowing your speed can be liberating too!
Oh don't worry, the nice officer will be more than happy to inform you of your speed!

That's the part though!
We're not taking the Ferrari to Indy. We usually end up parking cruddy/muddy area, so we'll be taking a friend's Jeep. I also have tickets to the F1 race later in June, so depending on where I can get parking passes I may take it.
I'll take pictures of Indy this weekend...usually lots of nice cars in town that weekend too.

Andy
It's alive......after getting the right part, the speedo works! It wasn't too hard to do (the wrong part diversion not withstanding).
Pete-thanks for the help.

Indy was a bit of a bust...rain delay, then 28 laps and another rain delay...we opted to leave since there were tornado warnings and lightning while we were sitting in metal bleachers.

Andy
Andy,

I'm glad to hear that. Way to go! Sorry to hear about Indy.
umsneeze,
No Problem Man! Glad I could help. If you have any other problems with your car please post them here. I, or someone else, may have already experienced it.

If you have any problems or questions on your Jeep I can offer my experiences on that also.
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