How do I change speedo mileage?

[Rick Lee]

I'm getting a new speedo. Of course, I want to transfer my original speedo's mileage reading to my new one - not because I'm an honest, law-abiding citizen, but because I am very meticulous about keeping track of work I do on my car, at what intervals, time of year and mileage. My car has 83k and change on it and the new speedo has 50k and change. How do I do this? Thanks.

[Milu]

During my misspent youth the approved technique was to remove the speedo and adjust the numbers with a matchstick, carefully checking for notes and sticky labels saying "oh no, not again!". The numbers often ended up out of alignment with each other after a few miles so I don't think this is the method for you.

[Doug E]

Don't know but your "not because I'm an honest, law abiding citizen" statement is a classic!

[Rick Lee]

I keep a log book of everything I do to my car with mileage and date. So I'll have no problem backing up my speedo reading. I just want to keep it correct when I change it out for my own purposes. My log and a few shop maint. records should easily assuage any doubters. Not that I plan on selling soon.

[juanbenae]

in my mispent youth i did just the opposite, i use to roll back mileage off my dads cars and trucks that i would joy ride while he was out of town. a drill hooked to the tranny side of the speedo cable and put on reverse did the trick. buy a cheap drill and after installing the speedo remove the cable from the tranny and hook it up and go forward with the drill. set the drill on and watch the miles run away.

just so you know, my dad did eventually catch me, my life was spared and we laugh about it now. it did cause the speedo in his 69 camero to get a little jumpy below 25 mph. moms noticed it while driving and pops investigated it and found the vise grip marks on the speedo cable inlet nut. hell i was 16, at that time if a cresent wrench did not work the vise grip always did.

thought, but not smarted then pops

[emcon5]

Best way is probably to send it to a speedo shop and let them do it.

What is wrong with your old speedo anyway?

Tom

[Rick Lee]

Actually, I need to ADD mileage to my new speedo - like 33k miles. We did this trick on my old BMW 2002 with a drill and tiny tube. But I'm not sure where to connect such a gizmo on my 911. Is there some electrical trick I can work without opening the gauge?

[Rick Lee]

Perhaps this should be its own thread, but I went with the grey gauge face conversion, did it myself and now wish I hadn't. I wrecked my tacho in the process, I think I made my speedo a little inaccurate and the lighting got worse instead of better. Of course, since I got the faces that are epoxied onto the OEM ones, I cannot go back to black. OEM VDO faces cost as much as the complete sets of gauges I've seen around here and Rennlist classifieds, and I'd rather not do all that work again. I did round up a very nice used OEM black face tacho to replace mine with and planned to send the broken grey one out for repair. But this is turning into a money pit and I think I like black better. So I'm keeping the black tacho, rounding up the other gauges and may try to sell my grey ones on eBay.

[Chris Lovell]

Wayne's 101 projects details the procedure very well. Looks too delicate for heavy handed craftsman like me.
CL

[Jim Richards]

Best way is probably to send it to a speedo shop and let them do it.

I think Tom is on the right track. Seems like they should be able to preset it for you.

Jim
1995 Black 993 Coupe

[Eric Coffey]

I also concur with Jim and Tom. I would send it out to a place like North Hollywood Speedometer or Palo Alto Speedometer. If you have a speedo shop do it, you eliminate the risk of damaging the gauge (gouging the bezel, breaking the needle, etc.). Also, it will probably come back in better shape, and recalibrated. The biggest advantage is that you will have solid documentation that way.

[Early_S_Man]

Richard,

Your speedo doesn't use a cable ...

www.speedometer.com