Tale of woe, help please! (rover 400, 1400cc, petrol, manual)

Start with mileometer not working stuck vertical downwards, would occassionally spring back to life when doing over 60, which is not often.

Decided to change complete instrument cluster, ordered new (second hand) from ebay. Wrong one, blue plug not yellow, slight different rev counter (no red band, different indicator bulb position no alarm indicator). Agreed to send it back will put in post tomorrow.

Refitted original cluster, fuel guage no appears to be stuck at half way house, which is about right but it stays there when ignition tuned off, which from memory dosen't seem right - is it?

Believe I have to contiue and find replacement cluster to fix speedo issue, if I can find the right one (Agreed? Any suggestions please as to what to look for, specification?) meanwhile any thoughts on fuel guage?

Thanks in advance.

Fuel guage should stay where it was with the ignition off.

Thanks Stu, just to double check that I understood corretly, I don't want to run out of juice on top of everything:-

I remember car was half full or there abouts before I started "working" on it, it still shows half full even when the ignition is turned off, which is as it should be, or as best we can tell, since fuel gauge should not return to zero.

I'll obviously keep my eye on it just to make sure it gradually drops as I clock up the milage.

Thanks again, one problem off the list. Any takers on how best to spec. the instrument cluster?

Should have added earlier that I disconnected battery before dismanteling instrument console, thought that best just in case I disturbed air bag stuff; interested to know if that was essential?

For others how might want to get the instrument cluster out and as I coudn't find details elsewhere, I dismantelled by:-

- disconnecting battery as above
- remove two screws under inside top of instrument cowl (short phillips screw driver) - the cowel will not come off at this stage! (I had slight problems fathoming the next bit)
- gentle prise out switches/blanking plates either side of steering column, thers is an undercut underneath each to help. In my case right of column is a full blank, left is rear fogs and a half blank but this will vary by model (small flat bladed screw driver did the job),
- remove switches, in my case rear fog, held by grey plasic connector which needs lug squeezing and then a gentle tug (bit tight so go carefully) leave wires and plastic connector in place but to one side.
- shine torch through hole left by swiches/blanks and approx. 100mm back (4 inches in old money) there is a phillips screw holding plastic "arms" of the cowl, one either side of steering wheel, these have to be unscrewed. (magnetic phillips, go careful dont drop them). Now remove cowl to expose instrument cluster.
- remove three phillips screws, one top one to either side.
- lift out cluster, I dropped steering column to its lowest position and with drivers door open took cluster out on right hand side of steering wheel; care since there are wires attached!
- if wanted disconnect cables, squeeze lugs, and gentle pull off, once I mastered the knack of squeezing lugs the connectors came off quite easily.

Reassemble in reverse order, those screws 100mm back are a pain, I've dropped one and lost it!

Worked for me, apologies to the experts.

As Stu says the gauge shows the level even with the ignition off.

I doubt your speedo is at fault. I bet it's the speed transducer in the gearbox or the wires to it. Its a known weakness for corrosion and the transducer is plastic and the internal part metal so you can guess what fails first.

Thanks Sejin, maybe should have said that rev counter is still working, which has lead me to think its a problem with in the cluster, interested to hear your thoughts on this.

I would be surprised I it's your cluster. I would unplug the speedo connector and clean the contacts and see how that goes.

If you have a multi meter you can measure the resistance on the sensor.

But I'm 99% sure that it will be the sensor and not the cluster that's at fault.

Sejin, Not had the opportunity today but tomorrow will try what you say (before I rush off and buy a cluster!) have multi what am I looking for where to where please? Millometer and trip still working if that means anything Thanks again.

Still not back to car, could be weekend now, will post outcome

Still not got back to speedo weather has got the better of me and car, dont want to bump my own post but had another problem with it not starting, thought for a while it had a frozen head (where have we heard that before on a k series!) but no as it turns out battery was blown, fixed that but now running lumpy under load. Patience for a while understand this could be one of many possible, so far tried the simple 'dry leads' no luck, will get back to speedo ASAP.

For those interested speedo still comes back to life when I do over 60, but then after a while jumps "over the top" to point vertically down, seems from other threads this is a known fault - has any one ever found out why?