1995 FLHTC Speedo Not working but Odometer does

[boggart]

Hey Guys,

New here, but not new to forums.  I have searched the web, and this site, for this but am not turning anything up.  I just purchased a 1995 FLHTC with 24k miles.  The only oddity about it is that sometimes the speedometer seems to work fine, but most of the time it doesn't register, and sometimes it will register erratic speeds.  The odd thing about this is that at all times the odometer keeps rolling.  This makes me think it's probably not the cable, but I figured I should ask the question and see if any of you have run across this before.  Any help is appreciated.

[harley_cruiser]

Humm i thought by 95 they had gone electronic.
Well I am not a speedometer expert, but have taken a few apart.
The odomiter is gear driven, so not a lot to go wrong, the speedometer on the other hand would just go around in circles if it was hooked up like that, so at the end of the shaft is a magnet that spins. Next to it is a metal disk/magnet with the speedometer needle on it. This disk can only turn so far and it has a spring on it to give it resistance.
The faster the speedometer shaft spins the farther it pulls the speedometer needle disk.
Have you lubed the cable/gear?
If it is jumping then this will throw off the calibration.
I have also taken them apart to lube the inside, but that is pretty advanced, might want to look for a pro.

[boggart]

I haven't done anything to it just yet.  I just got it a week ago and my priority was to get the lowering blocks off of it before I did anything else.  Now that I have that done, I'm on to the speedo.  I wasn't able to wrap my mind around why the cable would work for the odometer but not the speedo.  What you say makes sense, I'll lube the cable first before I start buying speedometer drives, a cable, or a speedo.

I think that some 95's may have had the electronic speedometer, perhaps the Ultra and the other FLH's in '96, which is what is making this research project a little more difficult.

[harley_cruiser]

Speedometers used to be very serviceable, until the odomiter laws laws and electronics took over, most could be taken apart lubed.
It is a good sign that it works part time, the gears in the odomiter are a little tricky but you should not have to get into that.
I would use spray silicone, or the old timers would use grafite on the inside. You can test it by spinning the stub on the back with your fingers, or put a small screw driver in the square slot and spinning it.
If you can get it open they are pretty easy to work on.

[Xanadu]

I had a problem with an erratic speedo for many miles, then the odometer trip meter knob fell off, I was able to buy just the odometer parts, separate part number and it worked for a while after that, I tried lube which seemed to fix it for about 100 miles or so, then erratic speedo needle.  I even tried the pickup at the front wheel, no effect.  finally I bought a new speedo and that fixed my problem,  I was getting probably 30K miles out of a speedo.  its the vibrations at that part of the bike that just kills them after a while.

[boggart]

Well, I was able to make some time to pull the fairing and lubricate the cable yesterday.  It appears that the cable is in working order, no kinks, breaks, or anything.  It did seem to register more often, but still not accurate.  I fear it's the head.  I was able to find a stock replacement on the net once, but have since lost it.  I'll have to find that again.

Would it be worth replacing the speedo drive?  I'm really thinking it has to be the head since the odo works.

[harley_cruiser]

Can you service the speedometer? Take it apart and lubricat the gears with a silicone spray?

[Xanadu]

you cant open that speedo without ruining the trim ring.  a new speedo is less than 200. so to ship the thing out for rebuild is not cost effective.

In my situation the speedo was vibrating so much the thing just fell apart inside.  I tried several different speedo cables, then drive units at the wheel before getting a new speedo.  the problem would go away for 100 miles after lubing the cable, but always came back.  My issue was an erratic needle above 65 mph...  the new speedo fixed that problem, been 18K miles so far...

[boggart]

We must be talking about a different speedo.  There is no trim ring

[Evo160K]

Xanadu is referring to the ring that holds the glass face onto the body, some call it a bezel.

[boggart]

Gotcha.  I tried lubing the cable, no change.  I have found a replacement speedo head for $95 that arrived today, I'll post back if that fixes my issue.

[Wicked]

Well, I was able to make some time to pull the fairing and lubricate the cable yesterday.  It appears that the cable is in working order, no kinks, breaks, or anything.  It did seem to register more often, but still not accurate.  I fear it's the head.  I was able to find a stock replacement on the net once, but have since lost it.  I'll have to find that again.

Would it be worth replacing the speedo drive?  I'm really thinking it has to be the head since the odo works.

It's not the drive or the cable....  It's the head.

Paul

[boggart]

You are correct.  Just got the new head installed.  Working as it should.  And bonus, now I have a bike with 3 miles on it!  SMH