SPEEDO NOT WORKING HELPPPPP!!!!
Moderator: martauto
Hi, speedo has never worked in my e30 since ive had the car. so.. been trying to fix it tried a few things. New sensor in diff new wiring tested etc. checked fuses. getting a bit stuck now. can anyone help or point me in the right direction. thanks
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maggspower
- Turbo Farmer Tractor Driver
- Posts: 2376
- Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Nowhere near South Wales, ok butt
Do the miles rack up on the odometer?
Contact: theengineshedonline@gmail.com
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maggspower
- Turbo Farmer Tractor Driver
- Posts: 2376
- Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Nowhere near South Wales, ok butt
In that case it is more likely that the signal is not reaching the dash, rather than the dash being broken.rob4x4s wrote:no mate?
Contact: theengineshedonline@gmail.com
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maggspower
- Turbo Farmer Tractor Driver
- Posts: 2376
- Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Nowhere near South Wales, ok butt
Check the fuse, and the power from it as it also feeds the stereo. No. 12 I think.
Contact: theengineshedonline@gmail.com
- Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member

- Posts: 49358
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
The two wires from the speedo sensor are the brown wire on pin 8 and the brown/red wire on pin 12 of the white plug to the cluster.
Connect a continuity meter or ohm meter on a low range to the pins (don't damage the buckets in the plug by forcing in oversize probes!), and let the car roll over or back a short distance.
The reading should go from zero to open circuit several times for a complete turn of the rear wheels.
I have seen a burnt out component on an E30 speedo board, but this only affected the economy meter, not the operation of the speedo itself.
Take the speedo out of the main board and inspect it - burnt components should be obvious. Just undo the screws on the back of the housing and pull it out. Any electrical problem on the speedo circuit board is usually as a result of dry (cracked) solder joints on the pins that plug into the main board on it.
Where are you located? The easiest way to sort this would be to borrow a known working cluster from a friendly zoner near you.
Connect a continuity meter or ohm meter on a low range to the pins (don't damage the buckets in the plug by forcing in oversize probes!), and let the car roll over or back a short distance.
The reading should go from zero to open circuit several times for a complete turn of the rear wheels.
I have seen a burnt out component on an E30 speedo board, but this only affected the economy meter, not the operation of the speedo itself.
Take the speedo out of the main board and inspect it - burnt components should be obvious. Just undo the screws on the back of the housing and pull it out. Any electrical problem on the speedo circuit board is usually as a result of dry (cracked) solder joints on the pins that plug into the main board on it.
Where are you located? The easiest way to sort this would be to borrow a known working cluster from a friendly zoner near you.
- e30pickup-rob
- E30 Zone Newbie

- Posts: 6
- Joined: Wed Aug 31, 2011 11:00 pm
Hi brian. Thanks for your help. Im in wigan. Was thinking of buying another complete cluster but wanted to be sure it wasnt a more simple issue. Ill do a test with the multimeter tomorrow. Ta
hi brian, tested the wires today with a multimeter on ohm setting and im getting something going on so tells me its reading right?
im told the speedo unit has a 12v feed to it so ive looked for one going in and im getting a purple wire on the white plug with a 12v reading. does this sound about right. thanks, rob.
im told the speedo unit has a 12v feed to it so ive looked for one going in and im getting a purple wire on the white plug with a 12v reading. does this sound about right. thanks, rob.


