EAC88lUde4Ws

Hey everyone. been a while since i posted but read a lot. well i recently got my 88 lude 4ws up and running real good but i have had the speedometer common problem of it not working. i took the upper cable the cable that goes to the cluster out and re-lubed it and it worked fine for a bout a day or two and then it quit working. so i relubed again and it worked for a few days and what not and now i have relubed it and it doesnt work at all but the odometer works fine. to my understanding the cable must be spinning right to turn the odometer but the speedometer is not working now. it was working great and now it doenst work. i was hoping i didnt have to buy a new speedo cable and i didnt know which half either but after thinking about it since the odometer works fine doesnt that mean my speedometer cable from the transmission to the other half that goes to the cluster spinning and working? i am start to think its my speedometer guage/needle thats not working but im not 100% sure because its odd taht the next time i drive it it might start working again. and if i pull the cable out relube it it might start working it might not. its odd. i dont want to replace the both halves of cables $70+ at the dealer and then find out its not the cable but the speedometer gauge itself. has anyone had this same problem where teh speedo doenst work or sometimes works but the odometer works all the time. i have searched and read other posts but most say when their speedo quits the odometer quits too or the odometer doesnt work but the speedo does. thanks for your input and advice guys i would like to get this fixed aspa thanks again.

EAC88lUde4Ws

anyone have any insight?

EAC88lUde4Ws

just a quick update. the day before yesterday i was out and the speedo was working fine till about noon or so and then it quit working while i was driving. the odometer seemed to work the whole time whether the speedo was working or not. so when i got home i posted this post as well as try to work on the speedo cable by re-lubing it and all. i couldnt get it to work again but it was also int he upper 80s really hot and humid here. so yesterday i ddrove it again last night and it had cooled off much lower temp then the day before and wanst in peak heat in midday. last night was probably in the 70s really cool without the sun out of course. and the speedo worked fine. the speedo works real well with little bouncing like it used to do before i had relubed it and all. when it does work it works well but sometimes it just doesnt work. im thinking it is heat related with ambient temp with this summer hear. does that sound familiar to any of you and any of you had this problem when it would work when it was cool outside but during the day when the sun is blazing and humid the speedo doesnt work? lmk asap thanks again.

Countryb101

Hello, I have the same problem with my 88 prelude. It seems to be that the speedometer works when it wants to and doesn't when it wants. I have been unsuccessful in trying to find a solution to this issue. Have you been able to find a solution?

90-91ludesinark

if the odo works 100% of the time yet the speedo cuts in and out it is the gauge itself, country if yours is the same then this would apply to you, if not check the cables or electric unit if applicable to you. im having similar issues myself, yet mine are starting to seem like a wiring issue. my odo wont work if my speedo isnt, but mine is the electric sending unit. hope this helps.

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91 Si
91 Si ALB
90 Si 4WS

missing my 86 BAA

Colfax

You didn't mention if the odometer is working or not. Like 90-91ludesinark said, if the odometer is working correctly all the time, then your cable is fine.

Your problem would either be the vss or the gauge itself if you determine the cable is fine. On 88/89 ludes, the vss is in the gauge cluster instead of mounted to the transmission. Even though you have a speedo cable, the actual speedometer gauge is electric.

I would suggest that you hit the nearest junkyard and grab a spare gauge cluster to use for troubleshooting. Or you could just skip the troubleshooting and use the spare cluster. You can swap the odometer section of your cluster into the new one if you want to keep your mileage accurate. If you don't have a junkyard near you then ebay or Car-Part.com--Used Auto Parts Market or craigslist would be your best bet.

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89 Prelude 2.0Si 4WS
91 Prelude Si - SOLD

Countryb101

Colfax, Thanks for all the info, very helpful. When the speedometer works it works. When it doesnt work, the speedometer stops working however the odometer continues to work.

I did attempt a junkyard however, I could not find a cluster that had a location for me to put the speedometer cable from the trans. Is there any other year prelude that I can use to try and find a cluster that would work in my car?

One other thing, If I have a speedometer cable why would my speedometer be electric?

Colfax

You can use a gauge cluster from either an 88 or 89 Prelude. The 90 and 91 ludes had the vss mounted directly to the tranny, and didn't use a speedometer cable.

To clarify what I said in my last post, in 88/89 clusters, the vehicle speed sensor (vss) is located in the gauge cluster, and the cable connects into that from the tranny. The vss converts the rotational movement of the cable into electrical signals, then sends those signals to the speedometer through an electrical connection. That is how you have an electric speedometer.

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89 Prelude 2.0Si 4WS
91 Prelude Si - SOLD

Countryb101

Thanks for all the input! Very helpful!

Azriel

88 Prelude 2.0 si Fi 4ws 5speed my odo and speedo just quit working on top of that the car won't pass emissions because of high nox any correlation? :I have many people tell me that the vss is built into the emission controls. I have just replaced the cat, both 02s, egr, spark plugs, wires valve cover gasket still high nox any ideas?