"Speedometer Noise Problems on 1986 Honda Accord LXI"

White 1986 Honda Accord LXI Right Side View

First of all this is a 1986 Honda Accord LXI 2.0 fuel injected. I was having speedometer noises and erratic speeds, sounded like something loose on left side of car. I replaced the cable and noise went away temporarily as did erratic behavior. Both have returned. Could it now be the speedometer itself? The car has 311k miles. I should also mention that I used the lube that came with the cable instead of white lithium grease. Could that also be causing this? the original cable itself was fine, but casing was bad, bad wear places.

Answer: It certainly sounds like the speedometer cable is noising. Check the routing of the cable make sure it has no tight bends. Disconnect the cable at the speedometer end end and see if the noise changes. Try re lubricating the cable before abandoning that cable. If noise still remains the speedometer head is your next most likely problem. Sorry forgot to mention drive car first with speedometer disconnected from the speedometer head to see if noise goes away or changes in any way. If it goes away totally the problem must be in the speedometer head.