Really, there is no way of knowing which move to make for mere mortals like
us. The speedometer is probably the only piece of a car I have never had in
complete pieces in my hands. I know how they work in theory but don't have
any practical knowledge of them.

Send it to a rebuilder, it's not that expensive and they generally do a
very good job.

Jim

On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 6:09 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>    So, what?   A gentle push on the needle to put it closer to the magnet,
> or something?
>
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 4:04 PM, Jim Felder <jim.felder@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Any car can do that, pretty much. Think of the cable/odometer/speedometer
>> as a drive train--the transmission or wheel (in the case of a Vanagon)
>> drives the cable. The cable drives the odometer, which is a very
>> directly-geared device. It also drives the speedometer, which is a
>> magnetically-coupled device and any little think wrong with it can take the
>> needle, which is softly connected, out of whack with the odometer, which is
>> a hard connection.
>>
>> If you could reach into the instrument housing while driving and touch
>> its various components, your pinkie could stop the odometer needle, but it
>> would lose skin if you stuck it into the odometer.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 5:42 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>    I've not heard of a Vanagon speedo losing it's speed function and
>>> keeping the odometer, but that is just what mine begin doing this
>>> afternoon
>>> without any warning or prior indication of problems.
>>>
>>>     I had the odometer wheel problem and I also had a bad cable before
>>> but
>>> now the speedo needle sits unmoving on "Zero" while the miles click off
>>> just fine.   I know from my tach how fast I am going but the speedo is
>>> also
>>> pretty handy and I'd like to restore it's function...if anyone has a
>>> hint....thanks,
>>>
>>>   Don Hanson
>>>
>>
>>
>