So my speedo work intermitantly. I've already checked out the VSS and it's good. I'm pretty certain it's the circuit board on the back of the speedo. I've read that you can try and fix the solder joints on them but I can't find pictures anywhere. I have no idea which solder joints I should be looking at. Anyone got any leads on some pics of this?

Also, would I be better off trying to find another speedo and just switching the board?

 

I posted about this a while back. Do a search to read about it.

Some people had success trying this. If you are comfortable soldering, then it is worth a shot.

The part that could have bad solder joints is the green circuit board that is part of the speedometer. You will have to take apart the cluster and remove the speedometer to access that board. If you know how to solder, I would redo any solder joint that you can access with your soldering iron.

Here is thread from another site discussing this. Just copy and paste it into your browser.
honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2209241

 

Thanks for the tips. I was trying to search the site on my iPhone but it wasn't working. Computer made it happen. Think I need a better soldering iron.

Either that or send it off to get fixed. I want my mileage to stay the same. Thanks.

 

My daughter bought a 1996 Accord EX V6, automatic - speedometer not working. I went thru a bunch of threads and fixed it today, so I thought I'd share the knowledge. The problem was the speedo was stuck and bounced around at 15-20 mph, never went above or below, except if you turn the car off it dropped to zero. Turn the car on and speedometer went right to 15-20, even before the motor was even started! Check engine light was not on, and the cruise still worked fine, so I started with the speedometer circuit board re-solder repair, and IT WORKED! If you have the CEL lit up, and the cruise is NOT working, try the VSS repair first.

There are threads in various forums, with pics and detailed instructions, but here is a list of the steps involved:

- Start at the center console cubby between the front seats - remove the rectangular plate at the bottom, then 2 screws.
- Pull the cup holder up, remove 3 screws under there. Slide that whole thing back
- Remove 2 screws holding black plastic trim at rear of shift lever.
- Remove ashtray, then 1 screw behind that.
- Plastic trim now comes off, disconnect wire harnesses for cig lighter and hazard switch, alarm had no disconnect so I left the trim hanging.
- There are 2 screws that point up, above the radio. They are kind of hard to see, 2 little black Phillips screws, they hold the bottom of the A/C controls in, remove those.
- Pop out the rear defrost button and remove 1 screw back there.
- Pop out the rheostat (dimmer).
-Pop out the Cruise / Roof button and remove 1 screw back there.
-Remove 2 screws pointing up into dash pad, in front of the cluster.
- You can now take out the bezel trim. pull it forward and work it out of there, the A/C controls are still attached, disconnect harnesses or just let it hang out of the way.
- remove 4 screws holding cluster.
- pull the cluster forward and disconnect 3 harnesses.
- FINALLY, remove cluster to workbench.

- Remove 2 screws from back of cluster, also remove the 1 light with the wiring in the center, then pop off the white plastic back-plate.
- Pop off the clear plastic front, and remove the overlay panel. You are now left with just the instrument cluster with a big PCB covering the back. Be careful not to damage the PCB, or any of the instrument needles, they are delicate!

-The speedo is held in with 4 screws, these also make an electrical connection from the big PCB to the little PCB on the speedo itself. Remove screws, and remove speedometer.
- Pull the little PCB off from the back of the speedometer. There are 8 little pins that are a push-fit, it just pulls off.
- I started by re-melting all the solder points on the little PCB, every single one except not the integrated circuits. Tested it and that didn't work.
- Next I re-melted all the pin connections on both integrated circuits. AND... I noticed when reassembling this time that there appeared to be some corrosion under the heads of the four speedo mounting screws, so I cleaned and remelted the solder at those 4 locations on the big PCB. Tested it and it worked PERFECT.

Hope this helps someone out there, it totally worked for me!

 

So I have the exact same problem--down to the last detail.
I gave this method a shot yesterday--however--I do not know
nearly anything about soldering or circuitry. I bought an iron, read
a few tips, and searched high and low for specifics on the re-soldering process, especially pictures, but to no avail. So I winged it. I simply touched the tip to as many of the metal blobs as I could get to (on the back of the Speedo PCB, not the big cluster one) until they started to pool then I released. After so much guesswork, I gave up and decided to rehook it to see if it'd work. Alas, it is still at 20mph. Now, also, my dash light won't come on and my fuel meter is stuck on full (when my tank has been near E since yesterday). I'd like to get my fuel meter working again, and I'd like to see if anyone had any specifics for me on the circuit board process. Maybe I'm far too amateur for this, but I'm 22 years old and broke, dammit. I have to at least try!

 

You probably don't want to repeat this, but can you take some pictures of the board that you were soldering. This problem comes up so enough, that it would be good if we could have a DIY with pics. Maybe washfit can point out where he repaired the solder.

You may want to check that you didn't pinch a wire when you put the cluster back into the dash. Maybe re-seat the fuel gauge into the main PCB.