timmy0tool

there has been so many threads on how to repair a defective or intermittent speedometer but i've never been successful until i found a solution that hasn't been tried yet, or as far as i know hasn't been told as a fix. i did not want to swap my cluster since finding another one that wasn't tampered or broken is difficult. plus i wanted to keep the same mileage to the chassis w/o having to change any numbers.

what i've tried so far which other threads mentioned:
- VSS checked
- wiring, plug, harness checked
- fuses checked

if none of those fixed your erratic speedometer, then try this. what i did was remove the speedometer gauge from the cluster and resolder all the exposed solder points on the back of the gauge. note that some of the solder points are covered in a glue, which i was not able to resolder. doing this fixes the problem because over time the solder points degrade and crack giving intermittent connections. you might have heard this similar problem on the main relay as well. the fix is as simple as that, and the speedometer works as it should!

here is a description of the solder cracks. (main relay is shown, similar problem with the speedometer)


though you might not be able to see any cracks with the naked eye on your speedometer just resolder everything just to cover it all.

D16SiHatch

you've peaked my curiosity lol, i'm going to have to try this

i hope it works!

update: everything looked good, but couldn't find a single solder point that looked anything other than perfect. no cracks or anything. was gonna go over the point anyway but then the solder gun pooped out and refused to get hot. so i said eff it and put the cluster back together again. oh well

timmy0tool

^ i said the same thing the first time and still got frustrated with a crappy speedo so i finally just soldered everything just to be sure.

willywag

Did re-soldering the circuit board fix your intermittent speedometer? I have the same problem but it seems increasingly difficult to find a speedometer head even at numerous auto salvage yards. Just seems like there is a bad connection somewhere on the speedo head becuase it is intermittent. Checked the entire circuit from the VSS to the speedometer. Confirmed that I am getting pulsing 4.75v from the VSS all the way to the speedometer instrument cluster where the screw holds the head in place.
Just weird how the speedometer stays at 20mph even when the engine is not running, then for no reason starts to work. The next day it goes back tothe same behavor. I guess a new speedometer head is less expensive than a speeding ticket.
thanks in advance for any feedback.

Cuppycake

How'd it work?

LazyAzn

I just recently did this and it fixed all my issues with my speedometer.

shooky32

I have a question concerning the symptoms of all of your speedometer problems. On my daughters 95 Civic Hatch the speedo is very erratic at times and at time does not work at all, however the odometer continues to operate correctly. My assumption is that the speedometer is mechanically bad. The question at hand is this, Are the soldier joints you are mentioning in this thread for just the speed part of the cluster or are they related to the odometer as well?

shooky32

John Galt

When my speedo went to zero the odometer stopped counting as well. The resoldering technique described above fixed things.

Considering the speedo and odometer might use different signals from that circuit board, it's conceivable one could fail while the other one continues to work.

The same phenomenon (broken solder joint) made my instrument cluster lights become intermittent. The faulty component is behind the instrument panel dimmer **** a/k/a "rheostat". Close inspection with a magnifying glass revealed a tiny crack at a resistor. They're surface mount so not easily seen, or fixed. Resoldering fixed that too.

Makes me wonder how many other broken solder joints might develop... lots of luck finding them!

blackxlt

Subscribed...Mines this way also.

ShortbusEK

seems im not the only one to have a bad speedo.. mine goes to 20mph with key on and pretty much stays there. the odometer is not working either. Everything was fine 6 months ago when i parked the car and ripped the head off for some work.. got the head put back on and now this.. vss is fine.. ectune logs it just fine.

first thing i thought of was to resolder all the joints so i did.. that clear sealer they put on some of the joints is a breeze to remove with a small eyeglass flathead. But sadly that did not fix the problem.. checked all resistors and they check out.. all the diodes check out.. Capacitors check out.. sadly though thats as far as my electronics experience will allow me to go.. although only things left that i cant/dont know how to test are the 2 IC's and the blue 3 pin resonator... maybe someone with more knowledge could chime in and help me diagnose this thing? whould be more fun for me to fix it than just replace it!

hmonguy918

does it really work?.. everything on my speedometer works except it wont tell me how fast i drive. before it stopped working it jumps up and down up and down even when im park the odmeter sometimes it says im going 140 mph htne comes back down. i dont know how to explain but rpm runs gas guage works temp works milage dont run and speed dont work. switched out my speed sensor and still dont work.. wat could it be? can this soldering thing be my answer?

ShortbusEK

its worth a try resoldering all the joints.. if your handy with a soldering iron it wont take but 10 minutes.. put the iron to the solder joint when you see it start to flow add just a little solder to it and move on to the next.. it didnt work for me but i assume that one of the components on the board is bad in my situation.. but i have fixed a few things in my cars over the years simply resoldering them.. honda fuel pump relays being one of them

virgineg6

NICE! gonna have to give this a try!

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

Here is a great DIY guide that shows the proper way to re-solder the joints for the main relay,
which should be just like the joints found on the back of the gauge cluster.

>>> http://techauto.awardspace.com/mainrelay.html <<<


Joints should be de-soldered with a pump or wick before re-soldering.

92lx

what was your problems with the speedo?mine would go to 45mph and stop there as soon as i had any foward motion,then if i smacked the dash above the cluster when i was slowing down it would work again.

John Galt

That's what I did too - whacked the dash right above the speedo and then it would for for a time.

Interesting about the main relay - I've been having that problem too. I'll look into resoldering its joints as well. That and the instrument light dimmer switch would make three components with bad solder joints.

angrysmileyface

So basically the steps for this is
1. Check VSS and gear in transmission
2. Check Wiring back to cluster.
3. Check solder joints on back of cluster.
4. Become frustrated and look for the "Damnit" tool.

John Galt

That about covers it.

In my case after enough use of the aforementioned tool, I drove around with the cluster half-disassembled and traced the VSS signal all the way to the speedometer. Signal present, speedo intermittent, therefore replace the speedo.

Of course when I got the new speedo I was able to simply swap its new circuit board with mine, and that's what fixed it.

There's really no point in looking for broken solder joints. The cracks are less than a hair's breadth and very difficult to see, though if you see them they'll look like the photos above. It's easier to simply resolder all the joints. I seem to recall some joints are "potted" and may be impossible to get to.

In my opinion (as an EE) solder joints are most likely to crack when they are exposed to vibration, or mechanical or thermal stress. Therefore, look for joints that are larger than others, or have an appreciable mass attached to them, or are resistors subject to thermal cycling. Good luck!

angrysmileyface

Before I get to totally ripping things apart....If the cruise control works, the odometer looks like its constantly working and only the spedomter goes intermittantly bad, Its possibly the cluster is loosing its mind.

virgineg6

Most likely gonna be the speedo i would recomend doing this.

justinsbg

I can assure you that re-soldering the joints on the PC board won't fix this particular issue. I have spent many hours diagnosing this circuitry and have found what fails on the PC board. If you are interested, I'm a small one man electronics repair operation in NC and I can fix yours for you with quick turn around time and good pricing. I'm a Honda/Acura tech full tim and repair electronics in my spare time. Let me know if I can help in any way.

justinsbg

I'm a one man electronics repair operation in NC. I'm a Honda/Acura tech full time and repair electronics in my spare. I can fix yours with quick turn around time and good pricing. Let me know if I can help with diagnosis and/or repair.

EG-hatch-JDM-ZC

i have a question i recently installed a 00 ex trans in my 92 hatchback and the clip on my car doesnt plug all the way into the vss but it does slide over it a tad. Any suggestions on what i should do to fix this problem?

gooberguy31

clip the harness from a 00 ex VSS and solder it onto yours. Your first problem was trying to take an obd2 sensor and clip it to an obd1 plug. i think i did this a long time ago on a swap and it worked.

david7268

Justin, PM sent!