Having problems with erratic speedometer?

William K.

Just bought a '92 4runner, 3.0liter, 4wd. After I got it home, the speedometer started intermittently working. Then I noticed that it started really acting erratic and jumping all over the place. At the same time, I could here something cycling underneath the hood. So I parked, tried to listen for it, but unfortunantly it stopped as well as my speedo stopped jumping around. At the same time as the speedo was jumping and something electronic sounded like it was cycling, it seemed like the transmission was slipping. Also, the speedo was jumping around, just while parked. Any info you could provide would be appreciated.































Thank you.... Bill

Terrence B

The speedometer cable needs replacement. The speedo gears are going bad. My $.02.

The Speedo Repairman

Hi there!































One of my old girlfriends had that same exact year vehicle.































The speedometer in mechanical and is driven by a cable and housing and gears in the transmission.































It is possible that the speedometer and cable are binding causing the tranny gear to go bad!!! ???































Here is how to check it all.































Get on you back and unscrew the cable and housing from the back of the transmission on the passenjer side.































Turn the cable with your fingers. Is it hard to turn or real easy?































If it is hard to turn, then the cable and possibly the speedometer need repair or replacing. You must first repair these items before you can troubleshoot the rest of the system.































If ( after the cable and speedometer are all good ) you hook it all back up and it is still erratic, then the gear in the tranny has worn down and will also need replacing.































I repair about one a month for similar problems.































If i rebuild speedometer and replace cable; the charge is about $180 with two year warranty.































I hope this helps. Good Luck!