Speedometer dead

[Father of 5]

I have a 98' Outback. One sppedo works one doesn't. I cleaned the tube between the speedo and the back really well and blew through it. The speedo will move like this, but what is the brass looking piece (1" dia. x 12high) beside the fuel tank. Is this piece servicable? What does one costs.

[zabooda]

I recently worked on my 98 Mobius speedos and the information I got was it is a expansion tube to protect the gauge from rapid changes in pressure when speeding up. Make sure the connections are tight and no water in the tube or lines. If there is no break in the tube (usually from water in the tube and freezing) then it is OK. Take off the line that goes to the gauge and blow into it. If the needle on the gauge moves, then that line including the guage should be OK. Reconnect the line and pull the line off the pitot tube and blow into the tube and check to see if the needle moves (You'll need a set of eyes top side for this one). If the needle moves then the culprit and 90% guilty is a clogged pitot tube. The reason I say most of everything is OK is a small pinhole leak somewhere will throw the reading on the guage off (less speed indicated) then it is a matter of finding it.

I made the mistake of blowing out the tube from the speedo end and knocking off the rubber tube off the expansion tube and water came in from the pitot tube onto the floor in the back. The speedo setup is a real pain as the pitots seem to get clogged all the time. Good luck on yours.

[NH Moomba]

My kids keep kicking the pitot tube up into the horizonal position (where there is a detent) when they climp up on the swim platform. I just snap it back down. Mine is a 2000 outback LS. It took me a while to figure it out because it looks just fine and there were no leaks.

Andy

[zabooda]

They need to be vertical so water doesn't enter the lines to the speedo. Mine are next to the gas tank on each side and protected by the seat back.