Speedo Stopped Working

[tgripper]

Road out to work this morning for several hours, then left to return home and noticed Speedo was not working. Everything else including fuel, and warning lights, along with signal and light indicators are good. So obviously not looking at the plugin under the tank. Bike is an 01 1500 Cal. model, with 18k miles. Has been no problem before now. Did install TFI several months ago, with no problems, and all were working after completion. Have not taken a look at fuses yet, but would figure should shut down the rest of the monitoring system on top is was the problem. Any ideas or short cuts to start. Thanks, Gripper

[cactusjack]

Is that maybe a mechanical speedometer? If so, I'd check the speedo drive cable.

If it's electronic, check your wiring harness and make sure the connector is tight.

[tgripper]

I am pretty sure it is electronic. There are only two brake lines going to the front, with no indications of a cable. As I mentioned before the tank was lifted to get the TFI connected everything worked after the installation, up until today. The only think out on the instrument cluster is the speedo. Will double check anyway. Thanks

[Stump]

I have an 01 1500g and my speedo is cable , Iam not sure if the cal model is different or not but mine is cable so I'd suggest checking the cable if it eletronic than I'd look at the fuse.

[cactusjack]

The differences between a CA bike and a 49 state bike wouldn't be the speedometer.

[jd01]

I have a 2001 1500G3 and the speedometer is cable driven off the front wheel. Mine quit operating once and I found that it had come loose from under the nacelle. Took nacelle loose from tank to reach under and tightened it back tight. No problem since. Haven't seen a 2001 Nomad that didn't have a cable driven speedometer. Maybe there is such an animal. :)

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Then it sounds like the cable is loose at the top or the bottom. Should be easy enough to check.

[vidornomad]

I have a 01 FI and had the same problem. I replaced the sensor and still did not work. So I pulled the tank and started to look for damaged or worn wiring, I did not actully see anything wore so I tiewraped all the wires back together and it started to work and has been working for a few years. So The only thing I figured it was a loose connecter. I even used my garmin a few months till it was fixed.

[macmac]

There is both electronic and cable driven speedos on 2001 models. The unit could be bad, but I doubt it. If it were mine I would unplug and plug in the 2 connectors a couple times each, then test.

If that fails I would check the speed sensor for a signal, and it is located under the left dry engine cover. Ya gotta pull the shifters and board off to get there.

[tgripper]

Thanks Mac, found out today they have both types. Speedo was on and off while riding on Sat. so I am going to go for the plug in inder the instrument cluster first. Had the tank raised for the TFI install a while back. As far as the signal at the sending unit, do look for voltage with the power,or am I looking for continuity in a gate type sensor or loop circuit, and is there a test point. Thanks

[macmac]

There is no specific test point I know of. I am kinda betting crud is in the connectors, and that by pulling them open and pushing them back together you will clean the connections.

I am no fan of raising the tank still wired up, which can pull a wire out of a connector, and leave it looking as if it is intact. Might be you just broke a connection that way, but I don't know. Start with easier and work to harder.

In ohms mode, I would pick off the wires each and make a go/no go test between the connectors at the the pick up to the last connector in line at the speedo connector.

Another place to check is the bend at the harness just behind cly 2. There is a TAB RELEASE nylock there holding the wire loom to the frame. YOU can UNDO that connector, and reuse it so many times as you want. DO NOT CUT IT ..........like I did

This is a know chaf thru area, and who knows what wire will be first to chaff thru on the frame. So looking at the harness from the top is usless.

[VulcanE]

I have an '05 1600, and about a year or so ago, my speedo started acting erratic. Only the speedo, everything else worked perfectly. You could be traveling at 60 mph, but the speedo would only be reading 30 ,40, or something other than actual, then after a mile or so, it would jump up to actual speed. Another thing it would sometimes do was, when you turned the switch on, instead of the speedo needle going all the way over, then coming back to "0" before you hit the start button, it would just flop between 10 mph and "0". I replaced the speed sensor under the left engine cover, but that didn't help. I then got out the repair manual, and it tells how to check everything, and it turned out that my speedo gauge itself was bad. I bought one off ebay, and installed it, and has worked fine since. I also lost ~23,000 miles on my bike too.