Hi
I've heard this is a common problem on the Cinquecento.
I have an early 93 model. At first I thought it sounded like a fan was stuck on but have since read about the speedo cable.
Does anyone know where I can obtain a replacement and how difficult are they to fit?
Many thanks

try Big Mick at EuroCarCare.net - sure he will be able to sort you one out.

If you go swapping the cable I strongly advise you get a new worm drive that goes in the gearbox end, I've had several fail in the past and its so easy to replace it..

Fitting speedo cable is pretty simple job, certainly a DIY job

blu73 said:

try Big Mick at EuroCarCare.net - sure he will be able to sort you one out.

If you go swapping the cable I strongly advise you get a new worm drive that goes in the gearbox end, I've had several fail in the past and its so easy to replace it..

Fitting speedo cable is pretty simple job, certainly a DIY job

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i found changing the clutch easier than the bloody speedo cable!!!

first you have to remove the battery and that infernal matting stuff on the firewall. then the routing of it isnt great and the cable was pretty tight to run.

if you get a cheaper cable you find it is so noisey that you think a jet fighter is taking off behind the dash.

once you finally finish messing about with it you realise its easier to memorise the speed based on rpm and gearing rather than refit that awful matting.

never found it that hard myself, hardest part is getting the sound deadening off the bulkhead cause the screws are always rusty as hell.

taking battery out takes it 2 seconds, then remove the sound deadening. Unscrew cable from gearbox. Then inside take the plastic trim round the cluster off, take the clocks out. Pull old cable out from engine bay side and feed new one in, bit of wd40 on the seal so it pops in easier. Then put dash back together, then put cable in gearbox and tighten up the cap by hand. Done. Certainly easier than a clutch swap lol, just about anything i can think of is easier than a clutch swap .

To change the plastic worm drive thing, once the cable is out the box if you look down slightly from where it slots in, on the rear of the box there is a bolt (10mm iirc), undo that but not all the way or the oil comes out - undo it a bit and keep trying to pull the bit the cable screws onto up, it will come out before the bolts backed all the way out. Then you can pull the worm drive out and replace everything.

Of course before doing all of that you could just unscrew the cable from the gearbox and cable tie it out he way so its not flapping about, then go for a spin and see if the noise has gone away without the cable spinning. Its possible its not the cable in which case don't bother swapping it, just put it back.

best trick is to pop a hole and run it direct before the speedo. This becomes like a 5 mins job!

That's what i done when i chaneg from 899 to 1242!

ycming said:

best trick is to pop a hole and run it direct before the speedo. This becomes like a 5 mins job!

That's what i done when i chaneg from 899 to 1242!

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Did that in mine too, it was a tip from a friend in Fiat.

Blimey! Thanks for all the comments and replies. Maybe I should just put up with the whirring!
Are there any knowledgeable Cinquecento owners or specialists in the North West who might be able to help with this? It sounds like I could also do with someone confirming that it is definitely the cable before I do anything.

take you 2 mins to disconnect it from the gearbox... there is decent pics in the haynes to locate it but basically its a bottom rear of the gearbox so you have to go under the car to get to it. It literally just unscrews, many cars I have not even needed a spanner or anything to undo it. Once out the box the cable won't spin so that will prove or eliminate it.