Wobbly speedometer in cruise

[renzema]

Hi all,

I get a slight wobble in my speedometer when in cruise at low speeds (circa 30-40 km). Has anyone else noticed this or have any ideas? Tachometer is rock solid....

Wobble is minimal - just +/- 1 mm or so, but annoying...

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[Alfaspider]

I noticed that too. I don't believe it was there from start. I'm planning on asking my dealer about that on next service interval.

[renzema]

I was thinking about doing the same, but the dealers in Sweden are a total ripoff... I'm due for my 90k km (60k mile) service and the dealer wants upwards of 700€ for it (€450 alone for the air filters, diesel filter and brake fluid flush). Independent garages only want €250-300 for the same job (including the long life service)

But they don't have the same knowledge about the little quirks... :(

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[wokwon]

I'm not sure the degree of wobbling that you are seeing, but consider that the speedo needle is driven by an electric stepper motor or servo.  These things have a designed smallest-step-size and cannot make movements below that step size.  So if your speed is varying by 1-2km/hr then the needle will jump in steps to show the speed (plus the safety margin that the computer adds).

 

If you bring up the digital speedo in the MFD, is it varying too?  If you have a scangauge or similar, or VCDS, or use the climatronic diagnostics to show your speed with at least 1 decimal space, is that jumping around too?  All of these displays are driven by signals from the ECU which gets them from an average of the ABS wheel speed sensors.  This would help to show if the sensor is sending wrong or unstable readings, or the servo unit itself in the clocks is failing.

 

I'd point out that the Bosch motronic in the Superb has very different cruise control parameters that the older models (I previously had a MKV Jetta with BKD diesel engine).  The motronic in the Jetta was great, up hill and on the flat would keep the speed to within 1 km/hr but the parameters in the Superb seem to feel that +/- 3 km/hr is fine.  It's like the sensitivity has been decreased, or the hysteresis has been increased or something.

[trundlenut]

What sort of revs is the engine running at at that speed?

[renzema]

Engine is about 1000 rpm... Essentially idle.

As for the digital speed, it is steady. I have a columbus with the diagnostic menu. I will take a look at it today and see what the speed with the decimal is.

I think my real speed is not fluctuating, and if it is, not nearly as fast as the wobble. I would be seasick if it was.

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[Pesmog]

Mine also wobbles a very small amount, but as the wobble is so small I have decided that its a feature and will leave it for now and review towards the end of the warranty period.

[ILOVEMYSUPERB]

Mine too, moves about the width of the tip of the needle, maybe 1/4mph. Didn't notice it before reading this thread.

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[renzema]

Well, glad to hear that I am not the only one.

I checked then CAN readout in the Columbus, but seems that it only displays to the nearest kph, no decimals. It just mirrors the maxidot, and both are stable.

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[wokwon]

Well, glad to hear that I am not the only one.

I checked then CAN readout in the Columbus, but seems that it only displays to the nearest kph, no decimals. It just mirrors the maxidot, and both are stable.

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Sorry, don't have my VCDS near me but maybe check in ABS controller measuring blocks.  That's where the road speed is measured, maybe it shows decimals?

[Robbo Cop]

Same here, noticed a slight movement in it at around 70 mph ...

Rob

[psycholist]

Not seeing a wobble, but over longer time periods, especially when going up and down hill the speedometer needle does move a km/h or two on cruise. This is at 100 km/h in 6th on a CR170 Engine. The digital speed display on Maxidot matches this movement. The cruise on the PD engined Octavia I had before this was rock steady set to the same speed on the same routes. There is a car setup menu option I've heard about in the new Octy where you can set how hard the car accelerates to return to the preset cruising speed - I wonder if this has been set a little softer on the Superb so there's no obvious jerk as the car hits its preset speed. If this is the case it may be a matter of finding the VCDS setting.

 

The worry for me is that I spend a lot of time at exactly 100 km/h (105 on the speedometer), so if the car drifts a bit over that and there happens to be a speed check, I could be in trouble. The whole point of cruise control for me is to go at exactly the allowed speed without having to worry about going over it, so my journeys take as little time as legally possible (I drive a lot at night on empty A roads).

Edited 14 May, 2014 by psycholist

[wokwon]

 I wonder if this has been set a little softer on the Superb so there's no obvious jerk as the car hits its preset speed. If this is the case it may be a matter of finding the VCDS setting.

 

The worry for me is that I spend a lot of time at exactly 100 km/h (105 on the speedometer), so if the car drifts a bit over that and there happens to be a speed check, I could be in trouble. The whole point of cruise control for me is to go at exactly the allowed speed without having to worry about going over it, so my journeys take as little time as legally possible (I drive a lot at night on empty A roads).

 

Damn, I hope we can find this setting.  I find it frustrating how lazy the Superb's cruise is compared to my previous MKV Jetta.  I agree with what you say, our speeding tolerance here is 2km/hr for fixed cameras so I tend to drive right on 102 GPS indicated but with cruise have to back off 2-3k's due it's vagueness.

[Superb170]

Not seeing a wobble, but over longer time periods, especially when going up and down hill the speedometer needle does move a km/h or two on cruise. This is at 100 km/h in 6th on a CR170 Engine.

 

I'm with you on that.  My cruise varies by +/- 3kph but I have always assumed that it was due to winds/inclines etc.  It was the same on my last Superb so I assumed that it was normal enough but I do find it annoying.  I do tend to keep the cruise at the upper end of the tolerance level but I know that my speedo is reading approx. 3 to 4 kph above the actual speeds.

[Hoverurb]

I did a 300km run recently so had time to study this. My speedo needle does move a little but the cruise held speed exactly on the set speed according to the digital readout. I'll must check it again using GPS on the next long run. 

[mtl]

I have a car with the same problem. The actual speed is constant, but the speedometer wobbles around it. Has maybe anyone already found out what causes this?

Could this be connected to a battery problem?

[Fabia00]

I know this is an issue on the superb, but I have the same problem on my Fabia been experiencing it for the last few months the speedo needle waves but only seems to happen from 50 mph onwards its particularly bad at 70 mph but the speed itself is constant. Will follow this thread with interest if anyone can find a solution. Have already paid garage to look at it as its out of warrant and they said they couldn't find a fault but its definitely not right. 

David

[redbuta]

Same thing happen to my 2012 Superb after servicing and timing belt + water pump change yesterday.  

 

It wobbles slightly (1-2 tip width) when I cruise at low speed (20-30mph), not happening at other speed.  

 

I also set cruise control at 30mph, digital shows steady 48 kmh, but the needle wobbles.  So it's not my right foot... 

 

Will do a long run this weekend and see if this persists... 

[redbuta]

On 19/04/2017 at 20:05, redbuta said:

Same thing happen to my 2012 Superb after servicing and timing belt + water pump change yesterday.  

 

It wobbles slightly (1-2 tip width) when I cruise at low speed (20-30mph), not happening at other speed.  

 

I also set cruise control at 30mph, digital shows steady 48 kmh, but the needle wobbles.  So it's not my right foot... 

 

Will do a long run this weekend and see if this persists... 

 

A long delayed update - a few months after this post (Autumn 2017), the EGR valve was clogged and had to be replaced, costing 800+GBP together with glow plugs renewal... 

 

I was travelling for a meeting at 05:30am when the car went into limp mode on an A-road while overtaking a lorry.  Very dangerous as it suddenly lost power, and there was about 600 yds left before dual carriageway end.   The lorry driver must felt hilarious as someone trying to overtake suddenly decelerated from 70 to 50mph, and soon disappeared from the back...

 

The RAC roadside guy tried to clear the clog but the car limp again in 30 minutes.  Had to cancel the business trip and return home.  

 

After EGR replacement, the dial wobbling stopped.  

 

BTW, my car got diesel-gate software fix just before all these happened.  

[jafo]

@redbuta

 

If you had fix applied then you have 2 years extra cover / warranty for EGR and the rest - have you done it through Skoda service for free? 

[redbuta]

15 minutes ago, jafo said:

@redbuta

 

If you had fix applied then you have 2 years extra cover / warranty for EGR and the rest - have you done it through Skoda service for free? 

 

I didn't know this.  I did the EGR replacement at a local garage (with genuine parts) on the day it broke down because I need it for business travel.  

 

Is it too late now to argue with the Skoda Service? 

[chimaera]

12 hours ago, redbuta said:

 

I didn't know this.  I did the EGR replacement at a local garage (with genuine parts) on the day it broke down because I need it for business travel.  

 

Is it too late now to argue with the Skoda Service? 

You can try. You will at least need to show that Skoda parts or an appropriate equivalent were used.

[redbuta]

Ok, I knew they were going to say this...  "Given the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)'s approval, we do not consider that the issue which you have reported is related to the technical measure.  "

 

But more importantly... "Notwithstanding, we would like to offer financial support by way of a cheque....... as a gesture of individual goodwill."   

 

And there are a few more lines of legal disclaimer which is not important either.  

 

A cheque seems to be on its way (28 working days)!   

 

Now this makes me more than happy to wait patiently for the MY2019 Kodiaq price-list (after ongoing WLTP delay), rather than being tempted by a few quick-delivery good Volvo XC90 offers... 

 

Edited 30 August, 2018 by redbuta

[redbuta]

Cheque received and cashed - within 28 days from 1st contact, very reasonable customer service cycle.  Skoda UK