[alfa] Re: GTV6 speedo problems

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

One might also check for droopy needle syndrome, or DNS. This malady is 
caused when the interior of a GTV-6 repeatedly exceeds about 150 
degrees F, on hot summer days. The stresses in the molded plastic 
needle pointer cause it to contract unevenly when it cools down after 
being heated by a hot interior. This uneven setting of the 
thermoplastic causes the needle to bend in toward the face of the dial 
and can touch it. This accounts for most of the sticking speedos and 
tachometers on these cars. The fix is to remove the instrument, take 
the face off (easy to do once it's out, and, on GTV-6s, these 
instruments are VERY easy to take out - just remove 4 screws each) and 
pry off the needle (its just force fit on the shaft) use something like 
a pair of needle-nosed pliers or dikes to get on either side of the 
shaft and provide equal leverage on both sides of the needle as you 
pry. Once the needle is removed carefully hold it over the kitchen 
range with a burner turned-on high until the needle is hot (not too 
close though or you'll ruin it). Then put it flat side down on a cool, 
flat surface with a weight on it immediately, and leave it to cool 
thoroughly. That should take the droop back out of the needle. Push it 
back on to it's shaft with pointer against the fully anti-clockwise 
stop, and then reassemble the speedo and re-install it. That should fix 
it. The same procedure applies to tachometers as well.

George Graves
'86 GTV-6 3.0 'S'



On Nov 11, 2004, at 12:28 PM, alfa-digest wrote:

>
> Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 03:51:31 -0500
> From: "Brian Shorey" <bshorey@domain.elided>
> Subject: RE: [alfa] GTV6 speedo problems
>
>> A couple of recent inquiries about GTV6 speedo problem (what
>> could be the problem?  They either work, don't work, or read
>> wrong, right?).
>>
>> After X period of time and history goes by, electronic
>> problems happen in the GTV6 speedo and it needs to be sent to
>> a good speedo shop; when this happened on my 84 car a couple
>
> I have found, in more than one GTV6 speedo, cold solder joints on the 
> main
> circuit board.  Simply resoldering these connections have fixed any 
> speedo
> problems in any that I've opened.
>
> I personally believe that whomever supplied the GTV6 speedos had a 
> quality
> problem, and suggest that one might open up the gauge and inspect the 
> solder
> joints on the circuit board before sending it out for service.
>
> HTH,
>
> bs
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided