Speedometer

[Txskyski]

Hey everyone,
Towards the end of last season both of my speedometers on my '07 Outback went from working perfectly to staying on 0 regardless of actual speed. I checked the paddles as well as the wiring behind the gauges but I couldn't see anything wrong. Does anyone know what the problem could be and how to fix it?
Thanks a lot!

-Josh McMillan
Houston, TX

[mustangairchair]

it is probley the paddle wheel did you perfect pass quit to?

[Txskyski]

I unfortunately don't have perfect pass... I have the moombacruise but I haven't used it since the speedo's went out. Both of the paddle wheels are intact and spin easily. I heard that there might be a hose that connects the assembly where the paddle wheels are up to the speedometer and that if you blow through it you might be able to get it to work. Has anyone heard of this or have any other suggestions?

Thanks!

[kaneboats]

I haven't heard that with respect to the paddlewheel models but it was true with the old pitot tube ones. Water would sometimes get up in there so you could disconnect at the back of the speedo and blow it back out the bottom. Anybody do this with paddlewheel speedos?

[moombadaze]

checked for a loose connection at the paddle wheel also? its all electrical.

[kaneboats]

That's what I thought. Paddlewheel is a much different system. If they are both out it is more than likely electrical-- loose connection or fuse or something.

[Txskyski]

Come to think of it, yes Ed. I went out to Lake Travis in Austin for the 4th of July and it worked fine... It was about a 4 hour drive back to Houston and it hasn't worked since then.

[moombadaze]

Ed, why towing? only reason im asking as ive towed this one to georgia 4 times now and its 5-9 hrs freeway driving oneway, and sometimes ive hit 75-80mph--course that was headed there--driving home are usually at 60mph.

[moombadaze]

Allways wondered what that was for--Thanks

[viking]

WOW - learn something every day! I've never heard that. I thought the speedo insert was in case you f'd up the paddle wheel and you could replace it with the other insert. Seems like alot of work if you swapped out every time you tow :(
Since I have to tow everywhere to find water!!

[zabooda]

Good catch Ed.

[viking]

so why did they include the insert? They should have included a roll of duct tape :)

[LSV_Flying]

I had this same problem mid-season last year. I replaced the paddle wheel and still nothing. I was going to try and reset the perfect pass this year (she is in storage now) via some stuff i read on the web. My boat stays on a lift so towing wasn't an issue.

The guy who sold the paddle wheel (I went direct to the manufacturer b/c it is 1/2 the cost) said they do have a tendency to fail.

Regardless, if anyone has a solution to fix (not just avoid) this issue, I think you would be helping a lot of boat owners.

[Txskyski]

Ok, I figured it out. The plug took on water so I dried it out but it still didn't work. I noticed that one of the wires (the red one on the paddle wheel side of the plug) was loose and it pretty much fell out of the hole. The water that had entered through the plug corroded the wire to the point where it broke free. I cut the plug out and attached all of the wires with those little crimp connectors then ran heat shrink over them. I zip-tied the wire up so it won't get wet. Now it works like a charm. I would assume that this is the cause of the failure for others as well.