Speedo head/cluster how do I replace the speedo head/cluster

hey and oldie but goodie.
why not post the full symptoms. ????

Speedo dead, makes noise, bounces? what? stuck high? what?
odometer dead.
CEL glows running, the check engine light glows, running
and you insert the 1cent paper clip in the DLC connector and you get
code flashing. code 24, VSS dead?
http://www.fixkick.com/CEL/CEL.html

if yes, the cable has snapped. (fell off at either end)
if not VSS dead, then the speedo is dead
if both odometer and speed are dead and VSS are dead the
snapped cable, or cable fell off rear of speedo head.
if VSS is not bad. (no 24s)
and only speedo is dead but , odometer is good
then that means the actual speedo clock inside the head is bad.

to repair a dead speed/cluster, you replace the whole head
if real frisky then you do this.
suzuki even sells new clocks, but are very expensive
what i do is find a used head. and use that. (car-parts.com) or at fleabay.
sometimes i mix 3 heads to get one, good head.
that is all you can do, on old cars unless rich, and $200 head is pocket change.

http://www.fixkick.com/sensors/speedo/unsafe-at-any-speed.html


tell more get more, ask.

Do you mean by the speedo head the VSS or vehicle speed sensor that is on the tail shaft end of the gearbox with two wires coming out of a connector and which sends an electronic signal to the instrument cluster which displays a reading onthe speedo?

check the signal at the sensor with a multimeter. Most have three wires, one is a 12volt feed, one is a ground and the third is the signal wire. This wire is usually only 5volts and is grounded and ungrounded by the sensor in precise timing intervals as the sensor rotates. This means that to check its operation, make sure it has the 12volt feed and the ground, then, Jack up one rear wheel and chock the rest. Select neutral and release the parking brake.
Turn the ignition on BUT DONT START THE ENGINE. Reconnect ALL the wires to the sensor and then backprobe the signal wire you found earlier with a multimeter. Once you have the wire probed, slowly rotate the wheel by hand. The meter should show the 5 volt drop to nothing, then back to 5volts, then nothing, then 5volts and on and on as long as you rotate the wheel. If this 5volt is not present, check the instrument cluster as this 5volts comes from the speedo head. If the 12 volts is not present, check all fuses WITH A TEST PROBE - looking at the fuse is not enough and check the wiring to the sensor. If the ground is missing, check the earth point on the chassis under the rear of the cab and under the bonnet and repair and issues found.If all these tests show good and you have the alternating 5volt voltage, check the same signal wire at the cluster, if it still alternates when you turn the wheel by hand, repair the speedo head. If the 5volt signal feed from the speedo head is missing, check the wiring to the speedo head, if the signal is not present at the speedo head, repair the speedo head.

Your question is a little vague.
The '86 Vanagon instrument cluster comes out as a unit.
Simply sit in the driver's seat and reach over the housing. Find the indentations and lift the rear of the cover until it loosens (about 2 inches). Then pull housing forward about 1/2 inch to disengage and lift off.
Cluster can then be removed for service/replacement of gauges by unscrewing 4 Philips head screws at corners, carefully disengaging wiring harnesses, unclipping speedo cable and lifting off.

ok iif the instrument cluster does not work.. before i give a solution can you tell me if it have atach and temp gage not a temp gage witha idiot light but a actual temp gage.. because if temp gage and fule gage hands are not in their proper place like if yo uhave a 1/4 tank of gas and it reads way past full and the temp gage is gone out of site way past say 240 degrees then it is your speedo head .. have this trouble the other day on a chevy 2002 cavalier.. replaced the head and wahla the car started. it seems the speedo head is tied in with the computer system on these cars.. and if the tach is not working you need not worry if you cannot find a head with a built in tach.. a normal speedo head with out the tach part will also work.. just when you change the head count the pins on the old one and compare it to the new one if they match then just plug it in and car should start..

you might want to check the speedo drive gears at the transmission and make sure they are in good shape and the gear that drives the electrical portion is spinning freely as any damage here will cause intermittent speedo operation.also if this is an electrically sent speedo from the tranny check the electrical connections.there is also a speedo buffer in the dash that rarely goes bad but is still a possibility.and lastly it could be the speedometer head thats the problem.when the speedo stops working does the odometer still work.if so then the problem is in the speedo head.i don`t remember which ones or what year they changed them but some you could just replace the speedo head and not the whole cluster assembly.

THE SERVO IN THE HEAD MAY BE BAD..THIS IS KINDA A HARD FIX SO WHAT I WOULD TRY IS A NEW USED HEAD(PULL SPEEDO CLUSTER REMOVE SPEEDO)...OR TRY EBAY ,LKQ OR YOU LOCAL SALVAGE YARD ,FIND A WHATS CALLED A SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER (HEAD) THAT HAS ABOUT THE RIGHT MILES ON IT SHOULD BE AROUND 50$ GOOD LUCK REMEMBER TO VOTE FOR YER FAV FIX ! JAY THE PUMP WHISPERER

Replace your speedo head cluster Take the top of the dash and the plastic off from around the speedo head cluster and that you can take it out

Noise is probably the speedometer head and light switch can be replaced seperately Same with speedo head Try wreckers

The speedo head or cluster is the part that houses the speedometer and tach, etc. now it may be the speedo cable that comes from the transmission to the speedo head that has broken. If so replace the cable and your back in business. If it is the head you can get them from your local recycle yard.