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speedo cable

Started by minger, 12 July 2005, 06:38 AM

minger

hi y'all.  New here.
Working on a 75 450 SEL.  The speedo does not work.  I pulled the cable from the cruise control junction and twisting the cable by hand caused the gauge to work so gauge is good.  Now I have to chase the long cable back to where it meets something.  So where does the speedo cable orginate at?  Tranny?  Differntial?  Any tips?  Can't find it in the data base.  Thanks
Minger

minger

Thanks for the welcome.
The 450 SEL (left hand drive) is based just outside of Cleveland Ohio.  I enjoy crusiing in it but as with any 30 year old car, she's got a few issues that I need to start resolving.  She's solid, no rust (rare for an old Ohio car) well, no maor rust, a few nicks in the rockers but again, 30 years.
I am pretty good with aircooled VW's (I drive a 63 Beetle) so I figure German car is a german car, right?  All these coolant hoses, I tell ya.  They sure get in the way.
As far as the speedometer problem, I uncoupled two cables meeting at the cruise control sending unit and twisiting the short cable, the speedo responded so I figured that cable and gauge were fine.  
Then I had a friend drive while I climbed under the dash (that had to look good) and the cable coming from the gearbox was NOT spinning.  
Taking a stab that maybe the cable from the gear box to the cruise unit was busted, I pulled the cable from the gear box (had to drop a cross member and a tranny mount.  Getting that back took some work) but it turned when I spun the cable by hand.
All I can think of now is there is a problem in the  gear box extension itself.  Don't feel like pulling a tranny for a speedometer problem.  
Any suggestions?   Ideas?  Something I missed?  
Sure is alot more stuff on this 450 than the VW.  
Thanks

minger

Unless some mircle happens, I guess I will have to drive the car using the tach as a speedometer.  Don't know about the w116 but other cars often have nylon gears which spin the port where the speedo cable connects.  My guess is that maybe those nylon gears are stripped. Don't feel like pulling a tranny just for speedo cable.  
Still banging away on the Benz here in Ohio in the USA.  
Minger