Speedometer and Odometer Stopped Working

[mclewis]

I took my ‘68 280SL for a ride on Sunday to enjoy the beautiful late summer weather and about 3 miles into the drive I saw the speedometer needle drop to the peg and the odometer stopped turning. The car was and still is running and shifting fine. Up to the point where the speedometer and odometer died, all gauges were functioning perfectly and I did not hear any unusual noises.

What would cause this?  I am guessing it has something to do with the speedometer cable.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you

Marc

[enriquegarcia]

I am no expert, so I've been reluctant to reply. But your problem is almost certainly a broken speedometer cable (or less likely, loosened nut at the back of the speedometer). Same thing happened to my '68 280SL, manual transmission, about one year ago. A new cable from PelicanParts for $36 fixed my problem. An added benefit was that my speedo had been "bouncy" at low speeds and that also went away (I had feared it was the dreaded slipping drive at the transmission). Replacing the cable is fairly easy.The worst part is accessing the back of the speedometer at the dashboard, but that has been throughly discussed in this forum. Good luck!
-Enrique Garcia

[mclewis]

Enrique, Thanks for the advice.

Marc

[ctaylor738]

Suggest that you take the speedo out and see if you can turn the cable by hand.  If you can, the cable is most likely broken.  If not, drive the car and see if the cable turns to check the transmission gear.  If it turns, something has gone wrong inside the speedo.  I've had good service from North Hollywood Speedometer.

Good luck,

CT

[Markdavie]

If I remove the Speedo instrument, and the cable is not moving when I drive, and I’ve checked it’s correctly fitted to the transmission, where is the problem likely?

[Garry]

Mark,


I think Chuck Taylors response is where you need to go to check if the cable can be turned and if so, and you are sure it is fitted correctly in the gear box, then the cable is probably broken.
Just remember if buying a new one to ensure you get a RHD cable as they come in two lengths for LHD and RHD