What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

I just had a clutch job done on my Integra. When I got in the car, I noticed the face of the speedometer was melted and the needle was sitting on the bottom of the cluster.

Any ideas what would cause this?

https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../speedo_01.jpg
https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v.../speedo_02.jpg

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (htxb)
 

HOLY SHIZNITS MAN!!!!! To be honest...I wouldn't have the foggiest clue. But...if any guesses will help, I would say something electrical. Got a multi-meter?

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (Naruto)
 

I am getting off HT right now, but i figured id help out lil bit b4 i go. I just so happen to be goin to my auto electrical class https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emthup.gif
For this though, if you can get a manual or diagram of your car.
Look for diagram for the speedometer in gauge cluster because most likely you have a really bad short in that circuit, so check the ground wires.

Multimeter is definately a plus to have with this.
Good Luck... keep up to date with progress if ya can. Interested in how it happened "exactly."

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (Naruto)
 

maybe sun and glass (magnifier effect) or as above^^^^ stated. that's weird though i know on my bike the sun started to melt the plastic on my speedo in 3 different spots.

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (crxma22)
 

That is weird is that a 92-93 GSR cluster look's like it.Sorry man.

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (htxb)
 

Bad bulb? You need to pull the cluster and inspect.

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (Dogginator)
 

maybe its from the extreme speeds your car goes you just melted the spedo....lol..jk....thats weird though man....let us know what it is..im thinkin like dogginator said..its prolly a bulb...pull out the cluster and check it out

If i had to guess..Not saying that this happened..

But somehow someway the film on the back of the cluster has got really hot, burnt up and as a result the plastic is melted.

As everyone else has said.. when you pull the gauge cluster take some pics so we can see https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emthup.gif

Re: (Jimmy)
 

I have a LS manuel cluster for $20 if you need one!!

Re: (jdmeg6118)
 

wow.. maybe someone decided to take a soldering iron to your cluster? other than that its hard to tell what could do that. your gonna have to take it off, propably take it apart, and start tracing wires.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone! https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emthup.gif
I will keep this thread updated with what I find out.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmeg6118 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That is weird is that a 92-93 GSR cluster look's like it.Sorry man.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes it is...I doubt I'll be able to find another one. https://honda-tech.com/forums/images/smilies/emsad.gif

haha. damn that sucks . sorry but its pretty funny. ur needle died..

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this? (htxb)
 

Maybe whoever removed the speedo cable applied heat/electricity to it which conducted towards the speedo, and melting it.

It's from too much vtec.

No, but it looks like a short in the circuit - pull the cluster apart and check the board, see whats burnt..

XSi cluster time?

Re: (ex1z7)
 

Man. You really need to SLOOOOW DOWN! I'm guessing either the rapid acceleration caused an overbearing amount of friction on the needle, or that your needle was pressed so hard against the peg that it fried the whole system. At any rate, you're going to need a new gauge cluster!

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

It looks like you took a picture of my car.
Just bought a 90 Acura Integra Sedan for 185. The seller said it only needed a fuel pump.
It had a broken ignition switch and they had obviously been using a flat head screwdriver to start it.
I dropped the gas tank n found out the fuel pump was fine. Changed the fuel main relay and installed a salvage ignition with a lot of electrical tape.
I finally got the sucker to start and while I was parked letting the car run then speedometer needle melted off after turning bright red and the milage numbers melted to and then it just stopped glowing. Soon afterwards I replaced the pos. and neg. battery cables it is acting a little better.
The heater blower hasnt worked fuses are blowing left and right and the rpms will surge the car has to driven with one on the break one on the gas to keep it idleing and its eating up gas like crazy and overheating. I would like to fix this car though I call her onyx so anyone have any suggs:)

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

VTAKKKK!
hardcorejdmpowayo!

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

I have a 93 Integra. Mine just did this yesterday too! Pulled the whole dash apart and cluster out. Cluster looks goo but Everytime I start it with 15 seconds my speedo cable gets hot until its glowing red. Never seen it before. I need ideas to fix it. Fuses are good brand new batter alternator starter. Found a short but fixed that problem. Not sure what else to do

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

Anyone figure out anything to solve this problem???

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

lol..get a new cluster?

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

Fixed it!!! There was no ground from the tranny to the chassis.

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

must not have had an engine ground either then?

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

this just happened to someone else so though I would bump it for the newer guys, even an engine ground that is dirty, can cause some current to flow through the cable, and try to find ground in the cluster, if a cable is missing, the starter and alternator, and everything else electrical on the engine, will try and go to ground through both the speedometer cable (mechanical speedometer) and the throttle cable. It's an oddball problem that is mainly in the older cars before they went to a VSS

Its still called a vss, but its a cable driven vss.

Ive seen this happen a few times, all because the car had missing grounds and ended up passing high current through the speedo cable.

As a side note, whenever someone says their gauge is goin nuts (temps randomly jumping, both turns+high beam flashing, etc) its usually because the speedo cable isnt seated all the way, or is missing.

For whatever reason the cluster uses the speedo as a ground even though its not supposed to afaik

Re: What would cause my speedometer to melt like this?
 

if you look at the way the circuit board is designed on most of the old cars with a mechanical speedo, you can see how current would travel up the cable and through the speedometer housing. I guess youu call it a vss, but on the older cars it's purely mechanical, some of them have a flying magnet inside the speedometer that creates a pulse for the ECU and for the cruise control