Hi all,

I have an 82 T/A with only 33k miles. About a month ago, I took the car out (I don't drive it very often) and noticed for the first time that the speedometer was jiggling at lower speeds and seemed a bit notchy. I thought that the speedo cable needed to be lubed, so I took it to a professional shop that I very much trust and they lubed the cable (watched them do it). Unfortunately, the speedometer was still a bit notchy, but I didn't think much of it.

Now, today, I took the car out on the freeway and the speedometer is now reading 0mph. The odometer is also not turning.

Is this because the speedometer cable itself broke or is there something internally wrong with the speedometer? Can anyone help? I don't want to drive the vehicle while the odometer is not turning and the TCC can't lock up.

 

I have a similar problem on my '83, sometimes the cables break at the cruise connector where one piece shoots down to the tranny, and the other goes into the speedometer. You can bypass the cruise connection by buying a one piece cable from Classic industries. Cheapest way, I found.

 

Mine did that. Had to bypass cruise control, as that seized up.
Grabbed a 1 piece unit from a cutlass at the wreckers and replaced it. Unfortunately when it seized it also seized the gear in the tranny, so I needed to replace it. Bring that into a stealership and they can match it up (by color is easiest).

 

Good. Sounds like it's a minor issue then?

Perhaps a seized cruise control module? My cruise never worked quite right. It would engage, but would never maintain speed. It would accelerate hard, then coast, then accelerate hard, then coast, etc.

 

Sounds like the Cruise Control transducer needs to be replaced.

 

Would that cause my broken speedo cable?

 

Yes, it would seize and snap the cable, and ruin the speedo gear.
I wouldn't think you could buy a new transducer?

 

Looks like I can still get one through an auto parts store. Cardone part # 36105. How can i check its operation?

So, I'm guessing I'll need a new transducer and at least a new cable and a new transmission speedo gear.

I love my car, but I sure wish early 80s GM build quality were better! I'm always fixing something on this car and I only put about 2,000 miles on it/yr.

Thanks for the help!

 

It's 25yrs old! What the heck do you expect! All the fluids have probably turned to dust in it (whens the last time you flushed the brake fluid, power steering, diff, tranny, etc etc eh?) Feeling a bit guilty?

Stick your steering cable in one end of the transducer, and spin the cable by hand. See if the output spins. Try vice versa as well.

I would just bypass the transducer. Do you even use the CC?
I'm amazed they still stock a transducer, it's not really a common part... damn.

 

Actually, I don't feel guilty at all. I've changed the brake, P/S, and rear end fluid, flushed the coolant, changed the trans fluid and pan filter, and of course the oil and filter in the past 2 yrs and 2,000 miles.

Like I said, I love the car, but it just isn't built well. Even with 33,000 miles and excellent care, I'm always tracing down annoying rattles (fixed the hatch rattle and a door panel rattle) and fixing something from broken speedo cables to leaking servo covers to stuck brushes on the power windows to burned out ignition modules to stuck TCC solenoids. And, once I fix this, I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the headlight motors will bite the dust, even though they both work fine right now.

I own 5 1980s GM cars: 2 1985 Devilles, an 86 Cutlass Ciera, an 88 Fiero, and the Firebird, and it is always the trouble maker. The other vehicles have just needed some normal wear and tear items.

But, like I said, I love it. It just looks so cool.

Thanks for the help. I'll probably fix the CC just because everything else still works, and I want to keep it that way.