How do you fix a speedometer and odometer on a 1971 VW Beetle?

Answer 1

In neither the speedometer or odometer work, then the best place to look is the cable. Jack up the left front of the car so that the left front wheel is not touching the ground. Take off the hubcap if it hasn't already fallen off. Take a close look at the 'grease cap'...it is at the very center of the wheel/hub. In the very center of that grease cap is a small cable. That cable drives the speedometer. Inspect the connection where the cable runs through the grease cap. There should be a wire cotter pin running thru the end of the cable to hold it in place. If you don't see anything poking thru the hole in the greas cap, then you probalby found the problem. You will have to try to fish the speedo cable end thru the grease cap hole, and fasten it with a wire cotter pin. Give the wheel a quick spin...as fast as you can. Take a real close look at the center of the grease cap...where the cable attaches. Verify that the cable is rotating with the revolution of the wheel. A common thing to wear out is the grease cap. It has a square hole in the end that the cable fits into. A common scenario is for the square hole to get rounded out, and also for the cable to round out...or even both will wear. This is the easiest thing to check. If the cable is not moving with the wheel...then you found the problem. Replace the grease cap and/or speedo cable. If the cable DOES turn, then have a friend look at the speedo and verify it hasn't started working. The next place to look if you have verified the cable is being 'driven' by the wheel is to look where the cable hooks to the speedo. Leave the front jacked up for now. Pop the hook open, and remove the dash cover...usually a black cover attached by a couple small nuts. You will be able to spot where the speedo is right away. Don't bump any wires or anything while you are mucking around in there. Unhook the speedo cable from the speedo by unscrewing the cable from the speedo. Pull the cable away from the speedo, and have your friend spin the wheel. Verify that the cable is turning. If it isn't turning...and it was turning when you checked the grease cap connection...then that means the cable is broken. You would need to get a new cable in this case. But...if the cable is turning, then we can now deduce be elimination that the speedo internally is hosed up. Don't bother trying to fix it...you would need to replace it. Get a used one from a junk yard. Pay close attention to which wires go where. Take a piece of paper and draw out which color wires run to where. Draw it as you see it looking at the back of the odometer. The speedo is attached by 2 screws or bolts on the sides. Loosten them, but not all the way. Twist the speedo...counter clockwise if I remember correctly, and it will come unlatched. Putting it back in is straight forward. Just reverse the dissasembly process. Finally, be careful when working around a vehicle that is jacked into the air. Don't put any part of your body that you don't want smashed under the vehicle at any time.