Speedo not working and hold light flashing

[BONGODADDY]

Hi all,

Went out in the van earlier, drive normally parked up for approx 10 mins, restarted van and on route noticed speedo and mileometer not working?

I then also noticed that the hold button had started to flash on and off, are these two things related or is it a coincindence that they have both happened at the same time

Oh and also what do i need do
Can't see how fast the beast is travelling at the moment

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Paul.

[missfixit70]

Good chance the alternator is on it's way out, or it could be the speedo chip if it's been chipped. Loads of threads recently in Techie on just this if you have a look, search under "hold and light and flashing".

[BONGODADDY]

Thanks Kirsty,

I saw you were on , so hoped you could point me in the right direction,
As far as i can tell you it has been chipped as the speedo does record miles per hour as the dial has the "k" blacked off which i presume was to save any expense changing the dial?
If it is the alternator can this be checked at somewhere like Halfords ?
Thanks again
Paul.

[missfixit70]

Halfords???? How dare you I wouldn't trust them to refill my washer bottle personally. If you've got a voltmeter, check the battery voltage when standing, should be 12.something, then once the engine's running, the alternator should be chucking out 13.8 -14.5ish volts which should be read across the battery, if you've got a leisure battery, check that kicks in on the charging too.

[BONGODADDY]

Point taken Kirsty, they are probably not ideal on reflection, i don't have a voltithingy but will see if a local garage can do as you have suggested,if it is the chip is this something that is easily identified (would i be able to tell or just replace?)
Thanks again for your help.

[missfixit70]

Does your speed & milometer read in miles? if so then you've probably got a chip, as I said check some of the other recent threads, it's all covered There's a way of interrogating the hold fault if you look in the fact sheets too, as it could indicate a gearbox problem.

[patnben]

Hi all,

Went out in the van earlier, drive normally parked up for approx 10 mins, restarted van and on route noticed speedo and mileometer not working?

I then also noticed that the hold button had started to flash on and off, are these two things related or is it a coincindence that they have both happened at the same time

Oh and also what do i need do
Can't see how fast the beast is travelling at the moment

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Paul.

As Kirsty says, when you are moving, the speedo sends a signal to the ECU which will
flash the hold light when the speedo frequency is faulty.

If your speedo shows a maximum of 180 mph then you will definitely have a "Chip" fitted.

For testing purposes you could simply remove the "Chip" and revert to reading kilometres.
Not difficult to reconnect the original cables, although you would have to estimate your
speed in MPH.........30 Mph = 48.3 Kph.............Ratio = 1:1.609344.

If it runs OK without the "Chip" then I have a decent one you can have for free.

I would prefer to change the faceplate, much easier to read 30 MPH or you could
stick a plastic sticker on the front to comply with the law until you have the time
to do the job properly.

Ben.

[BONGODADDY]

Hi Ben,

Just checked and yes it reads 180 on the dial, i have never took any notice of it before, so if i change the dial to mph then does this work alongside the chip or is it then no longer required ?
Cheers
Paul.

[Alacrity]

Also could have an output speed sensor electrical failure on the transmission. Do as Kirsty says first though, alternator & speedo chips are notorious for these sort of issues.

[Doone]

so if i change the dial to mph then does this work alongside the chip or is it then no longer required ?

If it's chipped and you change to a mph face, you need to remove the chip. It's not too difficult to put the new face on and take the chip out. If you remove the speedo clocks, you'll see the chip either connected to the back of the speedo head or via the wiring loom.

[dandemann8]

Hi all,

Went out in the van earlier, drive normally parked up for approx 10 mins, restarted van and on route noticed speedo and mileometer not working?

I then also noticed that the hold button had started to flash on and off, are these two things related or is it a coincindence that they have both happened at the same time

Oh and also what do i need do
Can't see how fast the beast is travelling at the moment

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Paul.

"VAN" what's a VAN I drive a "BONGO" ,take pride in your chosen transport

[BONGODADDY]

Hi Doone,

That's great thanks for your advice.

I think i will change the dial and remove the chip as this seems like one less thing to go wrong

Cheers
Paul.

[Bongoplod]

Just has exactly the same problem....chip replaced.....all sorted under £60 fitted

Brian