The speedometer in my '92 Mazda MPV recently started making a very loud whirring sound and the needle started to bounce up and down when I would reach about 30 mph. I took it to my mechanic and he said it was the speedometer cable and he replaced it. For $200, part & labor. I had it back for two days when the sound and erratic needle bounce returned. It's back at the mechanic's and I think it must be the speedometer itself causing the problem, not the cable. My question is this: If he replaces the speedometer and that takes care of it: should I just pay the additional cost for the speedometer and labor and let things be? Should I ask him to deduct the cost of the speedometer cable replacement because he misdiagnosed the cause of the problem initially? What would you do?
What would you do?
- Thread starter Evil Ron
- Start date
- Status
I think that would be his call, not yours.
It's up to him to do you the favor if he values your continued business. Honestly, I wouldn't mention anything.. Unless you want to possibly plss him off and worry about the future quality of the work he does for you.
It's up to him to do you the favor if he values your continued business. Honestly, I wouldn't mention anything.. Unless you want to possibly plss him off and worry about the future quality of the work he does for you.
I'd pay for the speedometer (cluster), but not the labor to install it. That's fair, and they're not very hard to replace.
Incorrect routing of the speedometer cable can cause this problem too. It might not be the cluster.
I don't know anything about this car, but on my 1990 and 1994 Honda motorcycles it was frequently the nylon speedometer cable drive gears near the wheel. Easy to replace on a motorcycle. You may be able to trouble shoot this by disconnecting the cable at the drive end and connect to electric drill and see if the speedometer is the problem?
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,793
I'd say play straight up with the guy and say (without attitude)"What can you do for me here? I've got $200 into this already
".
There's some situations where you're both in a pickle. For stuff that I can't/won't do ..or my buddy doesn't want to do ..I do have another buddy who does the legit priced work. He's always busy ..so it's no skin off of his behind for me to use althernative means for the light stuff.
He's totally upfront about stuff that's intermittent and stuff that the definitive diagnosis is impossible. He says that he'll try and do the job as cheap as possible ..but if he has to resort to parts replacing ..he'll start with the cheapest "usual suspects" first. He also doesn't hammer you with full rate if the part doesn't solve the problem. It's, more or less, fair to both parties. So you deal with a situation that has no good solution to it (potentially) and he does everything he can to make it the best-bad solution that he can.
There's some situations where you're both in a pickle. For stuff that I can't/won't do ..or my buddy doesn't want to do ..I do have another buddy who does the legit priced work. He's always busy ..so it's no skin off of his behind for me to use althernative means for the light stuff.
He's totally upfront about stuff that's intermittent and stuff that the definitive diagnosis is impossible. He says that he'll try and do the job as cheap as possible ..but if he has to resort to parts replacing ..he'll start with the cheapest "usual suspects" first. He also doesn't hammer you with full rate if the part doesn't solve the problem. It's, more or less, fair to both parties. So you deal with a situation that has no good solution to it (potentially) and he does everything he can to make it the best-bad solution that he can.
On my old Jetta i had a similar problem. Instead of replacing the speedometer the dealer service rep (who was actually a really decent guy) recommended a place nearby that could rebuild it for 1/2 the cost, PLUS the mileage would continue to be correct, which was important to me.
That was at about 30,000 miles. I never had another problem with it for the next 200,000 miles.
That was at about 30,000 miles. I never had another problem with it for the next 200,000 miles.
I think I would pitch what Earl Filter recommended, that he put the part in, you pay for the part, but not the labor or that he credit the labor charge for the cable replacement towards the speedo replacement.
There was probably a pretty good chance the cable needed replacement anyway on a 1992 vehicle. I think in both my motorcycle examples the cable was worn and probably contributed to the gear failures.
I don't know about the 92 Mazda MPV, but the plasticky speedometer gears are a known issue on my 94 Mazda MX-3 with manual transmission and a K8 V6 (which may actually be a similar drivetrain if the MPV has the KL 2.5Litre V6 whichs the same block)
- Status
