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Speedometer not working?

20K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  Alex Ventura 2 
#1 ·
After months of waiting I finally got my car (I shipped it form LA to Dubai). The car drives like a dream and I'm really happy with it.

I had one brief incident though. One time the speedometer didn't work. After stopping and starting the engine again (I actually went and got fuel) the speedometer worked again.
The speedometer was working before and has been working ever since.

I tried to do a search on the forum, but couldn't really find any related posts.
Any ideas on what could have happened?

Thanks
 
#4 ·
I figured it probably is nothing to worry about. I was just wondering whether this is a common feature of the speedometers. Is on a 07 model the speedometer also connected through the 'fly by wire' concept? Could it be related to that?
 
#5 ·
I had the same thing happen but now it has happened to me several times. If I shut the car off, remove the key, and restart it the speedo works? This is now happening every 5th or 6th time I drive the car. Any thoughts?
 
#6 ·
I've used the car a couple of times since and so far it hasn't happened again. If the speedometer is also connected through the fly-by-wire concept I would suspect a loose connection somewhere.
Did it start after your car got turbo-ed? If it is fly by wire does the ECU control the speedometer? Maybe there is a bug in the ECU reflash?

(Please note these are just questions, not based on any real knowledge... ;-) )
 
#7 ·
the cluster has a shutdown mode if it detects problems in the can bus,but usually the whole thing shuts down,if you only loose the speed and not the rpm or fuel, then its not the can bus since the data for everything is encoded in one packet, so if its getting some, its getting it all.

so if it is just limited to speed either the wheel speed sensors aren't all working, intermittent connection or the cluster itself might be at fault the motors have been know to go bad.
 
#8 ·
I was having the same problem last year. Over the winter I put in a BWR supercharger so I had the ECU out for a new tune. This spring I have put on over 1000 km with no problems. Speedo worked fine, so I thought it might have been an ECU contact problem.
I drove the car to work yesterday for the first time this year and on the way home last night, no speedo. Everything else was working fine. The one thought I had was, could it be heat related? Yesterday was the first day this year that it got quite warm here. The car sat in the sun all day, while it normally hides in a garage. Last year I was having problems in the summer during hot weather. I think it just misses the cool damp English weather...
 
#9 · (Edited)
Similar Problem

I have a similar recurring problem on my 2000 Sport 160. The Speedo, generally works for the first mile or so of each day, and will then drop down to zero. Stoping and starting the car doesn't seem to have any effect. The fuel gague and rev counter always work fine. Is it likey that the temperature in the engine bay has an effect on this or could it be a short? I've noticed that the weather makes no difference rain or shine still the same.

Any ideas?

Cheers.

Dave.
 
#12 ·
Can anyone confirm this?

Speedo went out on me tonight...not a huge deal...and after reading this thread and considering it's been pretty hot out, I am thinking it's heat related...I hope.

Any suggestions? I'd prefer to attempt to fix it myself.
 
#13 ·
I just read that on the S1 models the speedo sensor is on the left rear wheel...and coincidentally I just swopped out wheels...

Could this be the problem? My car is an '07.
 
#14 ·
Had this issue as well. Situation was driving in stop and go traffic in 100* heat, got a CEL and no speedo as well. Next day speedo back and after a few ignition cycles no CEL. Have not had issue since.
 
#18 ·
SirLotus;

My 2005 manual labels F7 as "Ignition services". Is this the one you are suggesting?

If the instrument panel could be reset at the fuse, why would one do it at the battery, with all the inherent potential difficulties such a process could cause?

Regards,

d
 
#19 ·
F7 only controls the the warning light indications. R4 supplies power to the ECU of which the CAN bus output goes to the instrument cluster providing "speedo, fuel, MIL, oil press, tach, water temp, shift light and tire pressure.
Yes, you could just disconnect the battery.
Michael
 
#20 ·
Hi, My speedo hasn't been working for a while now. OBD2 can read the speed, so i don't think it is a speed sensor issue.

I tried reset, as well as re-connecting the Speedo wiring connection at the back, but still didnt' help. Tach and everything do work though.

Anyone has the electrical map for the S2 Elise/Exige? trying to see maybe there is a broken connection somewhere.

Thanks,
 
#22 ·
This is an old thread but since it started up again, I'll throw in my two cents....

A few years ago, my Speedo in my 05 Elise stopped working intermittently. I found that if I hit it, it would started working again. Seemed to me to be either a loose connection or bad contacts.

I pulled the instrument cluster out, reseated the connectors and tried that. Didn't work. Ended up taking the back cover of the instrument cluster off, taking a soldering iron to all the solder points on the circuit board I could reach to reflow all the solder. Put it all back together and it's been working ever since. Just a bad solder connection.

I fixed a buddy's old 87 911 the same way a while back. His car was intermittently stumbling and running rough. I pulled it his ECU and reflowed all the solder connections and fixed it. Dealer said it needed a new ECU.

Might not be your problem but it's worth a shot

Jose
 
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