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My speedo started "singing" today - How to fix?

  • Thread starter Thread starter bgk
  • Start date Start date
B

bgk

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My bike is a 1979 GS1000L. A couple of months ago I took out the electrical harness and all associated electrical components including speedo and tach, and replaced them with a harness and parts from a 1981 GS 850G. I kept the GS1000 mechanical cables to the speedo and tach.

Today, I went out riding and the speedo started to "sing", and soon thereafter the tach needle just dropped to zero and stayed there. The singing sound is definately coming from inside the speedo, and is definately related to wheel speed, not engine speed. It stops "singing" under about 5 mph.

I removed the speedo cable at the speedo, lubed it, pulled the inner cable with the square end gently tight with pliers, carefully re-installed it in the speedo housing, but I still have the "singing" problem.

I removed the tach cable at the tach, lubed it, re-installed it, and the tach worked again for about 10 minutes, then quit again.

The instrument lights and gas gauge still work fine.

Should I just buy new speedo and tach cables, or should I buy new cables and fix/replace the speedo?

If I buy new cables, should I order them for a 1979 GS1000, or for a 1981 GS 850?

Anybody here ever have a "singing" speedo problem like this?
 
I ran into this last year once it got cold (below about -12C) and decided to ignore it. I've since had the speedo cable fail due to an unrelated problem and I'm hoping that my new one won't make the noise. I won't be riding again until the 6th of January so I can't say if a new cable will fix the problem. The main issue is probably the cold and a lot of people had this problem at about the same time last year. What's it like where you are riding?

Steve
 
It is definitely related to cold weather. The same thing happens to my bike when the temp gets cold which means 40s and sometimes 30s F in north Florida. It will sing that morning and by the afternoon when the temp warms up, it goes away. In your case it probably stayed cold all day.

I only remember this starting about 5 or 6 years ago. No singing for the first 16-18 years I owned the bike. I don't know the answer is but I sure hope someone else does. It has to be related to the cold temprature shrinking the cable length or somehow changing it's properties. Perhaps the less flexible cable is scraping up against the housing at one of the bends? It would be interesting to know if there have been any changes in the way cables are made in the last few years.
 
I can't help but think that if the sound is coming from the gauge itself then the problem is within it and maybe not the cable but the speedo itself. I sure hope not.
 
Turn the gauge upside down and fill the cable adapter with light oil and let is soak in
 
Hoomgar said:
I can't help but think that if the sound is coming from the gauge itself then the problem is within it and maybe not the cable but the speedo itself. I sure hope not.
Click to expand...

It is very hard to determine exactly where a sound is coming from, particularly if it is only around while you are rolling at speed. I don't suggest putting an ear on the speedo while riding. :)

Lubing the speedo sounds like the right place to start. It would either resolve or narrow down the problem and the cost is right.
 
Thanks for your responses. Here's the update. Last night, I removed the speedo from the bracket, turned it over and lubed the inside of the cable attachment housing with white lithium grease from a spray can. I removed the tach cable, found where it had detached from the end fitting at the engine, repaired it and re-installed it.

This morning, I installed the speedo and cable, and went for a ride. Voila, everything was fine, the tach and speedo worked perfectly and silently.

Then, after an hour of riding, the speedo started singing again. I've concluded, as you have suggested, that it's definately due to the cold (30 degrees F today). I'm not going to worry about it for now. Either the problem will go away in warmer temps, or I'm going to have to replace the speedo.
 
Watching for your solution

Watching for your solution

My tach started singing when the temp gets down close to 32F. Have you fixed your "singing" yet? Mine quits after things warm up and I am on the move. What is the preferred lube for tachs and/or speedos? ](*,)
 
dpep said:
It is very hard to determine exactly where a sound is coming from, particularly if it is only around while you are rolling at speed. I don't suuggest putting an ear on the speedo while riding. :)
Click to expand...

LOL! Good point :lol:
 
if your going to be riding in the cold dont use grease on any tach or speedo. go down to the auto parts store, or a car dealer and get the right cold weather lube. just tell them what your going to use it on thay will be able to get you the right stuff.

it may cost you a few bucks but it will pay off in the long run. I had a mech use bearing grease on mine when i took it in just befor winter for service. need less to say the first hard cold spell i rode my tach and speedo was shot. the grease jelled up and started striping gears in the speedo.

PS i dont use that shop any more.
 
The new cables come with a clear jelly in them. I have no idea what it is though. It isn't a preservitive though as clutch cables don't come with it.

Steve
 
Don't neglect to grease the speedo drive on the axle too. I had the singing speedo symptom on my Concours, it turned out to be a ruined speedo drive gearbox. Lubing this at tire change intervals would have saved me about 100 bucks. The Suzuki drive is somewhat different than the Connie's but check that too.
 
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