Spedometer Whine - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

McRoth · #1 10-23-2002, 12:19 PM

For the past couple of mornings my spedometer has been making an AWFUL whinning/vibrating noise. It starts at about 10mph & will stop when I get back under 10mph, but only after the car warms up. If I don's slow down it will keep whinning until I do.
I figure I just need to take the cable off the back & put some oil on it, but I just want to make sure before I do it. What type of lube would be best? WD40, heavy oil, silicone lube, graphite, etc...? I assume that I need to lube the inside of the spedo housing too?
This is on an 82 240D.

Thanks!

lrg · #2 10-23-2002, 01:47 PM

What you are hearing is probably the inner cable binding slightly in the outer cable jacket. Sometimes you'll notice your speedo needle bouncing around a bit as it makes noise. Graphite is the ONLY lubricant you should use on a cable. WD-40 will not last and heavy oil will load up with dirt/wear crud and ultimately make the problem worse. The best fix is to pull the inner cable out from the instrument end and throughly inspect it and wipe clean (don't use a solvent, just a clean, lintless rag). If there is any obvious wear or fraying of the wire replace it. A speedo shop can make a new inner cable pretty cheaply. If you can't find a speedo shop in your area look in Hemmings for a mail order place. Reinsert the cable (make sure you put it back in the way it came out) and add a small amount of graphite to the inner cable as you go. You'll probably need to twist the cable a bit, especially at the very end, to get it in all the way. I got somebody to help me with this because the cable was still a bit dirty and I didn't want it all over my interior. Once the cable is in all the way add a last little bit of graphite at the top end and reattach to the instrument cluster. You are done. I'd leave the Speedo alone unless the problem persists. If the cable and outer jacket are in good shape it should last for another 20 years. If it doesn't then the cable has become kinked or damaged and you'll need to replace the whole thing (a bit of a PITA). The clean and relube above should work though. Good luck.

190dee · #3 10-23-2002, 02:00 PM

Does the pitch of the sound change in steps? I've been experience the some noise during winter time but I believe it is from the cluster gear. Not sure...keep us updated and good luck with the cable.

McRoth · #4 10-23-2002, 02:03 PM

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll try to take a look at it tonight, after I get some graphite.

McRoth · #5 10-24-2002, 08:48 AM

Well, I got some graphite last night & just put it on the end of the cable and into the hole in the spedometer & so far this morning it was nice & quiet! It's running a lot smoother now than it was even before the whine started. If it starts up again, I'll try to pull the cable out & lube the whole thing, but hopefully the graphite will work its way down by itself.
Thanks for everyone's help!