Speedometer Issue
Speedometer Issue
Hi Guys -
I am a new proud owner of a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville GXP. I totally love my new car but there seems to be an issue with my speedometer and I can't figure out what is wrong. There are so many answers out there. I thought I would bring it to the people that actually own the same car.
The speedometer on my car works when it wants to. If it is very hot outside it will no longer work. In the morning it is fine but when it sits in the sun all day. It no longer works on my ride home :-(
We just purchased this car and I thought it was the VSS but since I don't have any shifting issues or anything like that and the HUD still works with no problems. Do you think this could be a instrument cluster issue - Like the stepper motors. Is the speedometer supposed to sweep like all the other gauge do on the car? As, mine does not. I was thinking of sending it in to have the stepper motors replaced by this guy.
http://www.speedometerrepairguy.com/ ( I have heard good things about this guy.) and the GM has some pretty bad steppper motors. He guarantees them for life if they were to fail again.
But we really don't want to speed the money if this will not cure the issue. I called the dealer and they want an arm and a leg to diagnose it and I don't want put too much more money into it to figure out the problem. So, I am looking to you for insight on this one. Should I check fuses - MAF - VSS - So confused! HELP
Any ideas or thoughts on this one will be much appreciated!
Thank you
Witchy
I am a new proud owner of a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville GXP. I totally love my new car but there seems to be an issue with my speedometer and I can't figure out what is wrong. There are so many answers out there. I thought I would bring it to the people that actually own the same car.
The speedometer on my car works when it wants to. If it is very hot outside it will no longer work. In the morning it is fine but when it sits in the sun all day. It no longer works on my ride home :-(
We just purchased this car and I thought it was the VSS but since I don't have any shifting issues or anything like that and the HUD still works with no problems. Do you think this could be a instrument cluster issue - Like the stepper motors. Is the speedometer supposed to sweep like all the other gauge do on the car? As, mine does not. I was thinking of sending it in to have the stepper motors replaced by this guy.
http://www.speedometerrepairguy.com/ ( I have heard good things about this guy.) and the GM has some pretty bad steppper motors. He guarantees them for life if they were to fail again.
But we really don't want to speed the money if this will not cure the issue. I called the dealer and they want an arm and a leg to diagnose it and I don't want put too much more money into it to figure out the problem. So, I am looking to you for insight on this one. Should I check fuses - MAF - VSS - So confused! HELP
Any ideas or thoughts on this one will be much appreciated!
Thank you
Witchy
Woot! I love my Bonne!
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00Beast
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Re: Speedometer Issue
Being it doesn't sweep, yes it's the stepprr motor in the cluster.
Bye Bye:

RIP sandrock

RIP sandrock
Sirius wrote:Think about it. You’re tooling down the road in your Prius, knowing full-well that this thing being green is as big a sham as federally mandated ethanol-enriched gas, Russia pulling out of Ukraine, and Obamacare.
Re: Speedometer Issue
Great- thanks for the info. I will pull it out and send it in.
Rock on
Witchy
Rock on
Witchy
Woot! I love my Bonne!
- Bvill_GXP
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Re: Speedometer Issue
do you have an after market warranty? i had whole gxp cluster replaced last year bc the fuel gauge was a lair!! lol
2005 Bonneville GXP Fully Loaded


- repinS
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Re: Speedometer Issue
Sounds like classic stepper motor failure to me. When hot, my speedo would only move up in speed and not down - eventually maxing out no matter how fast I was going 

Jerry /// Past: 95 SSEi (June 2010 COTM) -- 04 GXP (July 2011 COTM)
91 Honda Civic Wagon DX 2WD (fuelly) -- 208,000km -- 92hp -- Autocross Warrior
09 Lexus LS460 AWD -- 94,000km -- Daily Driver
09 White Hot G8 GT -- 155,000km (fuelly) -- LS3 Cam -- GM LS3 CNC Ported Heads -- Kooks 1 3/4" Long Tube Headers -- Solo Catback Midsection -- Hooker Maxflow Mufflers -- Pat G Tune -- Rotofab Intake -- Tein S-Tech Springs -- GXP FE3 Dampers -- BMR Subframe Cradle Inserts -- BMR Subframe Connectors -- Forgestar F14 Gold 18x9 +40 -- Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/45/18 -- Maverick Man Carbon Fiber Spoiler
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Xenawise
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2009 G8 GT - Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Re: Speedometer Issue
Just an FYI, only the 4 smaller gauges sweep when you turn on the car, the speedo and tach do not sweep. My coolant temp gauge was starting to wig out so I changed all the steppers out and the cluster bulbs while I was in there. Not a big deal for me, took about an hour to do the work. Congrats on your new Bonne GXP. Got mine finally about a year ago and I love it. There is nothing quite like it out on the roads today.
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PaulyGXP
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Re: Speedometer Issue
My gauge cluster does about the same thing as yours. It works correctly until a hot day comes along, and then the temperature and battery gauges go off the charts. It doesn't happen every hot day, but it is annoying. You'll get used to the gauges in the GXP and will have a love hate relationship, kinda like everything else on the car lol.
~Pauly~


Re: Speedometer Issue
How much does he charge to change out all of the stepper motors?Witchy95 wrote:Hi Guys -
I am a new proud owner of a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville GXP. I totally love my new car but there seems to be an issue with my speedometer and I can't figure out what is wrong. There are so many answers out there. I thought I would bring it to the people that actually own the same car.
The speedometer on my car works when it wants to. If it is very hot outside it will no longer work. In the morning it is fine but when it sits in the sun all day. It no longer works on my ride home :-(
We just purchased this car and I thought it was the VSS but since I don't have any shifting issues or anything like that and the HUD still works with no problems. Do you think this could be a instrument cluster issue - Like the stepper motors. Is the speedometer supposed to sweep like all the other gauge do on the car? As, mine does not. I was thinking of sending it in to have the stepper motors replaced by this guy.
http://www.speedometerrepairguy.com/ ( I have heard good things about this guy.) and the GM has some pretty bad steppper motors. He guarantees them for life if they were to fail again.
But we really don't want to speed the money if this will not cure the issue. I called the dealer and they want an arm and a leg to diagnose it and I don't want put too much more money into it to figure out the problem. So, I am looking to you for insight on this one. Should I check fuses - MAF - VSS - So confused! HELP
Any ideas or thoughts on this one will be much appreciated!
Thank you
Witchy
-
stevenmamos
- SE Member

- Posts: 22
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- Year and Trim: 2004 Pontiac Bonneville SE
Re: Speedometer Issue
I just bought a 2004 Bonneville 2 days ago. As I was driving home today, I noticed my fuel gauge was not functioning...it was still at the point when the car is turned off. Then after making another trip today, the temperature gauge went off the charts!! It points at 6 o'clock. Then, my speedometer was giving inaccurate readings. From what I'm finding online, it looks to be the stepper motors like you guys describe, am I correct?
Have you sent yours in to the guy you referenced to in your first post? If so, what was the cost?
Have you sent yours in to the guy you referenced to in your first post? If so, what was the cost?
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stevenmamos
- SE Member

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Re: Speedometer Issue
I went ahead and sent my instrument cluster to the Speedometer Repair Guy, who was mentioned in a previous post. I called and told him my issues and he said it was a stepper motor issue. He charges $105 to replace all the stepper motors and ship it back.
It was VERY simple to remove the cluster. I followed instructions from another thread (http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 6&p=208934) and it helped a ton.
I'll let you know my experience with the Speedometer Repair Guy.
It was VERY simple to remove the cluster. I followed instructions from another thread (http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... 6&p=208934) and it helped a ton.
I'll let you know my experience with the Speedometer Repair Guy.
Re: Speedometer Issue
I just sent the cluster in to this guy in Winona MN and I should have it back in a few days. - He will be replacing all the stepper motors for all gauges. No warranty for me this vehicle was purchased from out of state and shipped to me. Yes, I bought it without laying my eyes on it and I love it!!
The cost to send it in to him was a $66.99 from ebay - His name is mandigital and has done almost 18,000 transactions with a 100% feedback :-)
Here is his repair procedure:
Repair procedure......
· The cluster will be Dis-Assemled and cleaned.
· I will replace all stepper motors (bad ones X C5 168) with the updated version….
· I will replace all backlighting ......
· The speedometer will be calibrated when done..
· This comes with a Lifetime warranty on the work that was done to it…
I hope this will fix the problem - we will see and if you like and I report back on how this worked for me.
Have a good one!
Witchy
The cost to send it in to him was a $66.99 from ebay - His name is mandigital and has done almost 18,000 transactions with a 100% feedback :-)
Here is his repair procedure:
Repair procedure......
· The cluster will be Dis-Assemled and cleaned.
· I will replace all stepper motors (bad ones X C5 168) with the updated version….
· I will replace all backlighting ......
· The speedometer will be calibrated when done..
· This comes with a Lifetime warranty on the work that was done to it…
I hope this will fix the problem - we will see and if you like and I report back on how this worked for me.
Have a good one!
Witchy
Last edited by Witchy95 on Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Woot! I love my Bonne!
Re: Speedometer Issue
I have this back already and it seems to be working great. Waiting for a hot day to see how it does in the sun all day. It seems quieter when sweeping on start up.
The guy that repaired it must have received it and worked on it immediately and shipped it back to me the same day. I highly recommend his services!
Witchy
The guy that repaired it must have received it and worked on it immediately and shipped it back to me the same day. I highly recommend his services!
Witchy
Woot! I love my Bonne!
Re: Speedometer Issue
Hot day today - Yes - this issue is completely fixed. The car sat in the MN heat all day and the speedometer worked perfectly. YAY!
Have a great weekend!
Witchy
Have a great weekend!
Witchy
Woot! I love my Bonne!
- repinS
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Re: Speedometer Issue
Great to hear. My cluster had some contact seating issues when I reinstalled it - through no fault of the rebuilder - a few attempts to reinstall and some love taps on the dash made it work itself out. 

Jerry /// Past: 95 SSEi (June 2010 COTM) -- 04 GXP (July 2011 COTM)
91 Honda Civic Wagon DX 2WD (fuelly) -- 208,000km -- 92hp -- Autocross Warrior
09 Lexus LS460 AWD -- 94,000km -- Daily Driver
09 White Hot G8 GT -- 155,000km (fuelly) -- LS3 Cam -- GM LS3 CNC Ported Heads -- Kooks 1 3/4" Long Tube Headers -- Solo Catback Midsection -- Hooker Maxflow Mufflers -- Pat G Tune -- Rotofab Intake -- Tein S-Tech Springs -- GXP FE3 Dampers -- BMR Subframe Cradle Inserts -- BMR Subframe Connectors -- Forgestar F14 Gold 18x9 +40 -- Michelin Pilot Super Sport 245/45/18 -- Maverick Man Carbon Fiber Spoiler
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stevenmamos
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- Year and Trim: 2004 Pontiac Bonneville SE
Re: Speedometer Issue
Witchy....we sent ours to the same guy! The "mandigital" is the same guy as the Speedometer Repair Guy! Got mine back today and it's working like a charm! I too would recommend his services!

