Why does my speed gauge go to the beat on my stereo in my car?

Question

just bought this car its great but the speed gauge only moves when i have the stereo on and it doesnt show my speed it shows the beat on the stereo any1 have a clue whats wrong it doesnt move at all any other time and it can top out when i have the stereo on its not a little wiggle thanks

Answer 1

must be shorting out through your foot :)

Answer 2

This tells me that you have an electronic indicating speedometer! I suspect that the radio is not grounded properly, -or the speaker may be "ungrounded" ..Some speaker setups are wired with only one wire running to speaker, and the other one grounded to the body (supposedly). However if the radio isn't properly grounded to the body, then the speakers are not properly "grounded to the radio" either! This may also subject you to a lot of static or distortion sometimes!

Check all the fuses in the fusebox too! Something could be "backflowing" through other circuits, becaust the power isn't coming in porperly (due to blown fuse)!

As for the speedometer, there is some sort of pickup that transmits the speed electronically ( via "pulses") picked up by a "sender" on the transmission! the computer "reads" the pulses and converts it to "voltage", - which reads on a voltmeter type guage! So somehow the computer (or the instrument panel) is picking up the "information" from the radio and converting it to "power to run the speedometer"!

So the things I would start out by doing is to "wiggle all the plugs and wires I could find around the radio (that I can reach), as well as check the plugs on the computer (to make sure they are making good connections. Since you don't say what kind of car it is , - I can't tell you where to look for the computer! ... You could try a wire run directly from the radio case to the metal portion of the dash, - or dash frame! As experiment, - you could maybe get a wire put alongside the control knobs -in metal shaft, and to the metal ring (frame) of the cigarette lighter! If this helps, - then you can get underneath and ground it properly from the case!

It might be to your advantage to get a Haynes auto repair manual for you model and year car, - it will tell you a lot about wiring, and where to look for speedo pickup and other electrical stuff! this will probaly run you less than $20,, - which is a lot cheaper than the minimum garage charge!

Answer 3

They hooked the power wire to your amp up in the wrong place. You're drawing so much current on the bass notes it's sucking the voltage down for everything else. You need to power that thing right off the battery or a relay going right to the battery. You need to have a heavy duty ground for it too. And make sure the ground wire between the engine and frame is in good shape.

Answer 4

I hope you can hear me! Thats what happens when you install a 3000 watt sound system it takes all the power away from everything else in the car. Just do what my son did he installed 37 car batterys in the trunk to power his sound system.

Answer 5

YOU LET TIMMY PUT THE STEREO IN(JIMMY WOULD HAVE DONE IT RIGHT.)I THINK I WOULD ENJOY MY SPEDO KEEPING THE BEAT(ADD SOME BLUE LIGHTS AND A DISCO BALL AND IT WOULD BE PURE HEAVEN)