Thread: Strange Speedo readings TD5 Defender

Originally Posted by discowhite

hijack!

nothing to do with speedo's but maybe zook may know???
somethines when i start my 90 first thing in the morning the vdo tacho takes up to 10sec to read???
but not always???

ideas....


cheers phil

Does the signal come from the ECU or the W terminal of the alternator ?

If it's the alternator, I'm guessing that's how long the alternator is taking to get excited (working) and so isn't sending a signal. It'll correspond to how long your alternator light takes to go out.

If it comes from the ECU...

mine sits right on zero, yours is definitely lower.

Originally Posted by Xtreme

I'd suggest that the needle has slipped on the shaft. I'm not familiar with the Td5 speedo but probably the same as the 200 Tdi (unless they've gone electronic) in which I had to 'reset' the needle once. It's just a press fit on the shaft.

It sounds like the severe corrugations shook more than the fillings from your teeth!

This is more than likely the problem.
All speedos have the pointer pressed (lightly) onto the spindle. You can fix it yourself. Pull it apart and re-postion the pointer to line up with zero (it should be loose and just pull off, if not, give it a twist below zero and it will come loose). Once lined up with zero, use a screw diver handle to lightly tap it back on (hold the screw driver up-side-down like a pencil, not a hammer).

Does the signal come from the ECU or the W terminal of the alternator ?

straight from the ecu!

cheers phil

On comparing your tumb nail photo to my 2001 defender speedo yours does appear to be sitting a lot lower. Mine sits spot on the Zero marker.
I found simular difference in between the GPS and the speedo. -Speedo 100km/h GPS 95km/h.(pre needle position change)
Now that we are restricted to 130km/h on the Stuart Highway I might just get over the speed limit with a tail wind!! Oh what a feeling- breaking the speed limit in a defender! Yes I know the design brief did not include speed but when you have hundreds of km of open road(NT) just once in a while you wish the defender had a higher cruising speed!

Thanks Crump , and ExtremeDefender. That is what I wanted to know, If a
TD5 Defender speedo sst on Zero when stationary. Do you have a pin that the speedo needle stops against, because if you do when mine has gone missing??

Thanks

Mal

Following the excellent advice in this thread I can tell you that the TD5 Defender speedo is electronic, however the needle is a simple press fit, and mine shifted about 25km below zero.

Remove the instrument panel, disconect the wiring from the speedo, unscrew the colar that holds the speedo to the panel (hold the white bit and turn the black bit). The speedo comes out and you can very gently prise the black metal sleeve that holds the glass in place off the white plastic shell. The glass can then be gently pried free, don't worry about the odometer button it will come with the glass.

Gently pull the needle off the spindle put it back in the right position (on 0) then gently tap it on to firm it up.

Refitting is a reverse of the removal.

I've just done the test drive and all is good again.

Snapper
130 TD5

Got the same problem as well, will try the solution