# Speedometer wire broken...maybe?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-wire-broken-maybe/83962>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** geo\
**Created:** [February 28, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-wire-broken-maybe/83962 "2014-02-28T21:34:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tracker\_Lover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@Tracker\_Lover](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tracker_Lover)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-wire-broken-maybe/83962/1 "2014-02-28T21:34:26Z")

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I have a 1997 Geo Tracker (which was not a listed model option - guess I have the only one left on the road). About 4 years ago I was driving and the car began to make a horrible, LOUD whirring vibrating noise and the speedometer needle pinned, and while driving around trying to find a mechanic (I was out of town) the needle finally popped off. The noise essentially stopped, and I drove back home to my mechanic.

He diagnosed a broken speedometer wire. Said it would be too expensive to fix. So, I didn’t. For the last four years, it has always made a slight squealing/whirring noise from the speedometer area. Not too loud. Able to ignore it. Until now…when for no apparent reason, it has begun making the horrible, LOUD, whirring/vibrating noise which is deafening, and is present all the time no matter the speed/weather, etc.

My questions; 1. Is it really a broken speedometer wire? Because if its broken, why is it making all this noise? 2. Is it really that expensive to fix. Is there a less expensive fix that I can do just to make the noise stop? 3. Am I hurting the car by driving it this way? It sounds like it’s going to explode.

Thanks!!  
Tracker Lover

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**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-wire-broken-maybe/83962/2 "2014-03-01T04:57:55Z")

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I’d be sure it’s the cable rather than the gear in the speedo. Sounds more like the gear is broken and the cable keeps spinning it as it slowly deteriorates into a zillion pieces… like the stars in the sky. It’s working more like a “juicer” than a speedo right now.

It won’t explode. Nor will it hurt the car. It’ll keep making more and perhaps louder noises until it suddenly fails completely.

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 5:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/speedometer-wire-broken-maybe/83962/3 "2014-03-01T05:17:37Z")

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You might be able to get the noise to stop by asking your mechanic to disconnect the speedo cable at its source, usually the transmission.