Ok, so I've been without a working speedometer for about 3 months now (naturally I've not been driving the car at all, as that would be illegal) -- I had found that the previous cable was snapped at a kink in the gearbox end. I managed to get hold of a new cable from Fiat, with some difficulty, as the ones mentioned in the eper for my model are all discontinued. Luckily, they found another part number covering a cable which the guy said he always used for unos in the past.
So anyway, I finally found some time (and weather) the other week to do all the horribleness of removing the old cable through the grommet and over the heater, then insert the new cable back the same way, dislocating my arm in 3 places to do so. But unfortunately, the cable still isn't turning when I have it attached to the gearbox and I try driving the car forwards and backwards...
It seems to be to do with the connection to the gearbox. When I ordered the cable initially (before it emerged it was discontinued) the Fiat guy at Mervyn Stewart suggested that I also get a small "gear" part that fits into the gearbox with the cable - I didn't really know what he meant as I figured it was just a straight cable replacement, but agreed to order it. Then when all the trouble with discontinued parts came about, the gear didn't get ordered anyway, but I was told it should be fine whenever I just collected the replacement cable by itself.
Anyone know about this gear-type thing? My replacement cable has an end which is flattened down into a square, and a sheath which screws down around the outside of the gearbox connector. The sheath thread fits fine, and I have tried pushing the cable down as far as it goes onto the socket before screwing on, but still it won't turn when driving. Unfortunately the socket's so difficult to get to that I can't even make out what size the cavity is inside! Feeling around with an allen key and a pin though it seems to be larger than the square end of the cable...
Anyone know what I'm missing?
So anyway, I finally found some time (and weather) the other week to do all the horribleness of removing the old cable through the grommet and over the heater, then insert the new cable back the same way, dislocating my arm in 3 places to do so. But unfortunately, the cable still isn't turning when I have it attached to the gearbox and I try driving the car forwards and backwards...
It seems to be to do with the connection to the gearbox. When I ordered the cable initially (before it emerged it was discontinued) the Fiat guy at Mervyn Stewart suggested that I also get a small "gear" part that fits into the gearbox with the cable - I didn't really know what he meant as I figured it was just a straight cable replacement, but agreed to order it. Then when all the trouble with discontinued parts came about, the gear didn't get ordered anyway, but I was told it should be fine whenever I just collected the replacement cable by itself.
Anyone know about this gear-type thing? My replacement cable has an end which is flattened down into a square, and a sheath which screws down around the outside of the gearbox connector. The sheath thread fits fine, and I have tried pushing the cable down as far as it goes onto the socket before screwing on, but still it won't turn when driving. Unfortunately the socket's so difficult to get to that I can't even make out what size the cavity is inside! Feeling around with an allen key and a pin though it seems to be larger than the square end of the cable...
Anyone know what I'm missing?