MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG MGF Technical - Speedo cable update...

About a month ago, my speedo stopped working: the cable had snapped on the way home from the Goodwood Revival Meeting.

This weekend was the first opportunity that I've had to tackle this job- and this is where we enter a "good news, bad news scenario"

Early MGFs have a total of three cables dove-tailed together: Upper (that feeds into the back of the instrument), intermediate (that runs most of the length of the car), and a lower (that feeds into the gearbox).

I had no idea which one had gone. Fortunately, the upper cable is pretty easy to check - you just need to remove the front bulkhead shroud from inside the front bonnet compartment. Then disconnect the intermediate cable, which allows you to withdraw the drive cable from its sheath. In my case, the upper cable was in fine fettle.

Which means that it was a toss up between the intermediate and the lower cable.

I now have a cunning way of checking the intermediate cable: having disconnected it from the upper cable, and also from the lower cable, detach the cable from its retaining clips under the car (you'll need to support the car on one side with axle stands if like me you don't have access to either an inspection pit or hydraulic ramps). This means that you can then rotate the inner cable with a pair of plyers to see whether the other end turns. In my case it did.

Which is where the bad news comes in: I'd bought a replacement intermediate cable!!!! Arrghhh!

The good news for me is that the intermediate cable requires you to remove the underbody crossmember, which is a pain in the bum if you don't have the aforementioned inspection pit/ramps...

In my case it is definitely the lower cable: I've withdrawn the centre cable and yes, it has snapped cleanly somewhere close to where it enters the gearbox.

So now I need to order another cable, and endure at least another week with out knowing what speed I'm travelling (officer!) and without EPAS...

Hope these cable testing hints come in use for someone else! :o)
Rob Bell

Rob

Well at least in the manual it looks a straight forward job to replace. Any clues as to what caused it to go?

Chris
Chris

Rob,

bad luck, didn't you know the rear is the almost snapping ?

However, just a correction. The very early had _two_ cables until VIN 510. Then they where always three parts until the change to electronics.
Dieter K.

Hi Dieter/Rob,
<Then there were three parts until the change to electronics>.
Does this mean my MY2000 VVC does not have a cable at all and the speedo-cable has been replaced electronically? Or is mine a 3 cable job.
Cheers
Chris
C F Jones

Chris,
Do you have mechanical or digital odommeter ??
Geoff F.
G. Farthing

Hi Geoff,
<Do you have a digital or mechanical odommeter>.
I have a digital one fitted in my speedo.
Thanks.
Chris
C F Jones

Chris, yours has an electronic sender :o)

>>Any clues as to what caused it to go?<<

No, none yet Chris. I'll order the cable and have a look when I replace it. I presume that it is because the cable had to take a sharpish bend...

>> bad luck, didn't you know the rear is the almost snapping ? <<

Thanks Dieter ... now I know that the lower cable is the one that always snaps... d'oh!!!

>> However, just a correction. The very early had _two_ cables until VIN 510 <<

Ah- ha! Thanks for the 2-cable clarification :o)
Rob Bell

>Thanks Dieter ... now I know that the lower cable is the one that always snaps... d'oh!!!
;-)

However, snaped is snaped.
We should swap the cars. You do my gear cable and I ...

OK, I get my coat.
Dieter K.

LOL ;o)
Rob Bell

This thread was discussed between 16/10/2004 and 19/10/2004

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG MGF Technical BBS now