i am having an issue with my speedo. the past four months my car has been sitting next to my house waiting for a day without salt and snow, so today was the day (still 20 deg. but clear) and i got it out to get some of the dust out of my engine. it started beautifully but when i start to go the speedo makes a kinda of whining/rubbing/grinding sound that gets louder as speed increases. i have guessed the speed to be off about +10 to +15 mph but its hard to tell b/c the needle bounces around a little more than usual. nothing was wrong before i parked it in november so i dont know if the cold michigan winter did something or what might be wrong. looking for input. its a 89 rs.

 

sounds like the speedo cable is rusted or damaged. try spraing some lube or grease down the cable. if that dont work you will most likelyneed to replace it. if you do nothing it will eventually break

 

anyone else have this problem?

 

I've had it in a few cars and trucks and it was always the speedo cable.

 

Warning, Will Robinson!
Do not use oil, grease, or any dino based lubes on the cable. That will make matters worse.
A bouncy needle usually means your cable is gummed up.
Pull the cable from the outer housing, clean it real well with a solvent such as brake cleaner, lube it back up with a speedo cable (graphite based) lubricant, and slide it all back together.
It is possible that your cable could be frayed, but being gummed up is much more likely, especially if someone else may have already "oiled" it in the past.

 

not likely that it has been "oiled" up before because the people before me were not car savvy people. o well a new cable cant be too bad to fix. or is it?

 

It's not hard, but you might not need a new one. Just remove the cable housing from the speedometer and pull the cable out to give it a look. If it isn't frayed, clean it and lube it back up.

 

well i got my car out again and the speedo works like it should, so i am guessing that it had to do with the cold weather more than anything, but thanks for the help