Notes & Photos of K speedo.
Click on a thumb nail to open another window of full image.
The back of the instrument cluster, with the rear cover removed, early model.
The connections from the flexible board (blue stuff with redish lines) to the connection pins is done by rivets.
This connection is subject to oxidation, this problem can be reduced by painting with a conductive paint.
Easiest place to get this conductive paint is at an automotive store,
ask for conductive paint used to repair rear wind screen demisters (or heaters).
Later model photo coming ...later :)
The three brass slot head screws holding each of the two meter movements signify an early model,
later models have brass hex bolts.
Must do a photo of the conductive paint application.
Note the 3 wires connecting the amplifier board (long thin board)
to the meter board. These wires should increase the reliability of the unit,
by providing redundancy on one set of connectors.
The other 3 wires connect the meter board to the stepper motor.
The stepper motor drives the odometer and the trip meter.
The wires are normally two pink and one yellow,
these were replace due to failure near the soldered stepper motor connections.
The stepper motors' coil was found to be loose on the core, and was secured with silastic.
The trip meter is between the speedometer and the amplifier board. It is normally held on by 2 screws.
Must do some graphics on the photos ...
Shows meter movement, top hair spring. Trip meter removed.
Observe layout of the 3 extra wires referred to above.
Be very careful of the hair springs!
The top pivot point of the meter movement is adjustable for end play.
If you must adjust it, leave some slack in it as the plastic dimensions change with temperature.
I found the top hair spring broken in one K speedo, just past the point where it was soldered to the
steel post that goes to the meter board connection. I resoldered it,
VERY CAREFULLY as the steel sits in heat sensitive plastic.
Note that the hair spring may fail again near any sharp bend, due to the constant flexing.
The clear plastic housing on a unit was broken, I used model aeroplane glue to join the bits.
Test a bit of glue on a unused area and see if it makes the surface tacky. If it does then you have the right stuff.
More graphics to come.
K Speedo adjustment variable resistor, just visible at the lower left corner.
Access to this is very limited, you need to remove the instrument cluster from
the housing, remove the speedo meter section from the rest, then you have access.
If the variable resistor were rotated 90 degrees then adjustment
could be performed from the bottom of the instrument! Who engineered this?
A very good example of what not to do. And this is a 1993 model that should have all the improvements?
The white stuff near the meter board is silastic that I used. The board was showing some dust
from ware due to corrugations (USA = washboard). The silastic should reduce the ware, and
reduce the possibility of connector failure.
I do hope they have done a better job on the R11s? A simple single circuit board with all the components and taut band movements would make the whole thing simpler and more reliable. The cost might be more due to the taut band movements, but the unit would not require the shock mounting, so may end up being cheaper when assembly costs are included.
Back to my home page Dated May 2001.