and exhale...

Got my new speedo cable the other day, and fitting it as most of you that would have tried is next to impossible, this is the only thing that im aware of that will cause my car to fail its mot, I just want to get the car booked in and have it mot'd, could I use another digital speedo? or even the sat navs system?

P.S
Any tips on fitting the speedo cable would be very much appreciated!

Speedo doesnt have to work for the MoT. In fact in the last couple of years I've had 2 cars with a broken speedo (one being the 360) and both passed.

Hello, which end of the cable is giving you grief. I had one that wouldn't go through the hole in the wheel bearing - the plastic on cable too thick. However, a different cable was a very easy fit at this end.

Fitting it to the back of the speedo itself is a trial. Push the driver's seat as far back as you can and lie with the arch of your back over the drivers' door sill (a cushion helps)!! Have your head in the drivers' foot well looking upwards. Push both hands up under the dashboard and use both of them to refit the plastic nut onto the back of the speedo. I seem to remember marking the side of the plastic nut so that one of the knobs on its inside would line up with a groove on the back of the speedo. I think the main thing is to get both hands on the job and then you can feel when the plastic nut is parallel with the speedo fitting and its very much easier that way.

I hope some of this helps, bogbasic.

Its the bit on the actual hub itself, its a bleeding pain! I just cant seem to guide it through to the square bit, if its not needed for the mot, im not to worried about it now but I would really like to have a working speedo.

IIRC take the wheel off after supporting the car on axle stands etc blah blah........ then remove the circlip holding the square drive bit in place and withdraw the square drive, then push the cable through from the back, you should then be able to see said cable to guide the square drive onto it through the hole in the grease cap. If not, remove the grease cap carefully with a flat bladed screwdriver and if required pack some grease in there if it looks a bit empty, and then add the square drive through the hole and you might find it easier putting the cap onto the drive and back in place easier. The rubber grommet or hole that the cable fits into can be really tight sometimes, so some gentle force may be required or lubrication!

Pete

And, not bought one myself, replaced a couple, but I remember James said something about some newer cables being different on the ends and might require an adaptor or modifying.

I'm not sure if this is something affecting a genuine Volvo part, as they may have discontinued the orginal part and are adapting another model, or whether it's an aftermarket one......

Pete

Hello, the early cars had a different fitting at the speedo end due to having a Smith's speedo. You're right - I vaguely remember there being a difference at the hub end, too. The pin with the square end was a different size on the early cars - I remember getting the wrong one!

It's not just early cars, Volvo changed the drive at date x, I bought a new drive, and ended up with a brand new cable in new packing as well as a brand new old stock cable in old packing, both with the older sized drive. You can take the dust cover off and check the end fits in it.

To get the cable into the hub, smear it with washing up liquid, plenty of lube

chris is right, I did this the other day. Ridiculously frustrating but it only needs lube and a bit of brute force (not much can go wrong)

Yeah the tip is wrong on mine and it needs to be modified, so lots of lube and brute force, give it another go when it warms up abit!

got away with using the old one after all, just hope it keeps working for a while, the fairy liquid worked wonders!

Washing up liquid is not the stuff to use. It eats rubber and also has salt in it so causes corroision. Vaselien or similar would be a better bet

Nadgers... better redo mine then...

I've done this job twice. Neither time could i get the cable through from the back of the hub no matter how much lube and brute force I used. So I just shaved off a piece of the plastic sheath and it went in straight away.

Volvo supplied cables should come with an adaptor on the hub end so that it will fit the grease cap of all 300's. I can't remember exactly how it works.

Fitting the cable at the dash end is a hell of a lot easier if you just remove the sterring wheel. Engage steering lock, 24mm socket and it's off.

The hub drive clips in with a lil circlip, the drive then falls out!