My speedometer needle shakes when the car is under 20mph but is fine above that.

I searched and didn't find a solution but I think the problem is the speedometer cable is stretched too much (?). Is this correct?

Is there a fix for this?

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-Dan
1983 240D AT, 163K running on VO, "The Patience Tester"

I think they all do that. Is there a fix, is it a problem?

An annoyance perhaps

It is however a problem if it interferes with cruise control; haven't got to that point yet

Was just wondering if it was an easy fix

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-Dan
1983 240D AT, 163K running on VO, "The Patience Tester"

I doubt it interferes with cruise.
An easy fix would be to change your socks, more likely you'll need to change the speedo cable or maybe the speedo head .
My old '87 300TD jumped around, more in winter than summer. My present E320 jumps around a little all the time. Seems to be a Benz thing.

Mine quit waving "bye, bye" when I got some lube on the cable -- white lithium grease. I didn't even pull the cable -- just got some worked in from the top. Anybody know if the inside part slides out of the sheath if you detach from the tranny?

Back in the days, Preparation H was recommended as a speedo cable lube.
That was when the cable could be drawn out of the sheath.

i read before that the cable does affect the cruise control, and i have the same symptoms. it jumps around at low speeds and my cruise control will surge to the point where i have to turn it off. i would really like to know how to fix that, and how to lube the cable. anyone have a pictorial?

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Grey '91 350SDL 214k Dad's car
Beige '81 240D 4 Speed 254k SOLD
Blue '82 300D 225k SOLD
White '95 E300D 46k SOLD
Blue '87 190D 2.5 Turbo 315k SOLD
Brown '80 240D 4 Speed 716k SOLD
Beige '80 300D N/A 119k SOLD
Blue '85 300D Model 186k T-Boned

Two years ago when I had an 84 190D daily driver my speedo started bouncing and eventually quit. Instead of replacing the cable I popped out the gauges unscrewed the cable and sprayed on some white lithium grease....PRESTO...a working Speedo!

Cheap easy fixes like this are my favorite!

I had the same "problem", some WD-40 fixed it for a little while, grease fixed it for good.

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'99 S420, 155k
'91 VW Vanagon GL, 150k
'85 VW Vanagon GL, 120k
'82 VW Westy, aircooled, 165k

I had that problem once and it just turned out to be that the cable had been pulled taught towards the speedo or towards the tranny, making the innards tighter within the sheath. You might check this first- pull or push from the tranny side.

Rick

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)