Electronic Speedometer Kit (MPH) [Vanagon]

Electronic Speedometer Kit (MPH) [Vanagon]

GPS Antenna & Sensor
$200.00
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Electronic Speedometer Kit (MPH) [Vanagon]
Product: GVW-SPEEDO-KIT
Works With: 1980-1991
Manufacturer: GoWesty
Availability: Good Stock
Wrench Rating: Requires some hand & power tools and minimal mechanical knowledge.

$200.00

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Electronic Speedometer Kit for Miles Per Hour (MPH) Vehicles.

Looking for KPH?
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Replace your tired and broken original cable-driven speedometer with a modern all-electronic speedometer! Our GoWesty Electronic Speedometer is a drop-in replacement and uses the same mounting as the original unit. We styled the instrument face to match the original late-style speedometer. Modern technology with that original look.

The odometer (the common failure part of the original speedometer assembly) has no moving parts, so it will work like new for years to come with zero maintenance. This speedometer relies on your choice of vehicle speed sensor (VSS), see details below. Whichever VSS you choose, your speed will be perfectly accurate, no matter what size tires (and/or final drive ratio if you have a Syncro) you decide to run!

Kit includes:
• Electronic speedometer - MPH (and smaller KPH) face exactly like the original speedometer
• Illuminated LCD digital odometer/trip display – Selectable for Miles or Kilometers
•
Illuminated needle
• Plug and play wiring harness
• Your choice of Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) - See details below
• Complete step-by-step installation instructions - Including steps to set the odometer

Important model application notes:
• Direct replacement for all 1980-85 speedometer types with the original blue printed circuit foil, or fitted with our Replacement Kit for Printed Circuit Foil.
• Direct replacement for all 1986-91 speedometer types ONLY when fitted with our Replacement Kit for Printed Circuit Foil.*

*The GoWesty electronic speedometer interferes with the mounting of the original dynamic oil pressure circuit, originally located in the speedometer housing assembly on all 1986-91 models. Our Replacement Kit for Printed Circuit Foil includes a much smarter dynamic oil pressure warning system eliminating the need for the original speedometer-mounted circuit that is notorious for false alarms resulting in incessant buzzing during your entire road trip!

GPS Antenna vs. Axle-Mounted VSS: The GPS VSS is the way to go for 90% of users, hands-down. However, there are three issues you need to consider:

• Speed reading delay: There can be up to a 30-second delay (typically less than 10 seconds) for the speedometer to read speed upon initial start-up every day. This issue is extremely minor and is basically a non-issue.

• GPS-challenged locations: In far north or south latitudes and/or extremely mountainous and/or lots of long tunnel driving, the GPS VSS may not be for you. Note: GPS+GYRO VSS option will be available in late 2025 and will greatly improve the GPS VSS performance in these conditions, but even this option will not be as reliable as an axle-mounted VSS system.

• Cruise Control Compatibility: The GPS VSS is not compatible with the original Volkswagen or aftermarket cruise control. If your van has a cruise control system driven by the original VW, speedometer-mounted VSS, choose one of our axle-mounted VSS systems (make your selection in the drop-down menu) to replace the speedometer-mounted VSS.

  • 5 stars: 35 (92%)
  • 4 stars: 1 (3%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 2 (5%)
Some of the reviews shown are from related products the merchant grouped with this one.
M
MrSmithGarage

Works great. Super easy to install on my 81 air-cooled Vanagon

w
william c.

So far so good, i like the speedo and tach. I didnt have a tachometer before so its great.
Not complaining, just exclaiming. it is a bit pricey. But it certainly does the job.

T
Ted F.

I haven’t yet installed the item, and so I can’t comment on its function. It was delivered promptly, and appears to be as advertised.

D
David R.
Great replacement & financially smart

This is a great product, especially for the cost. Many generic GPS units are baseline $100 so getting one that’s custom made to look and behave like the OEM product is a bargain. Especially when you consider the effort that went into the design and engineering to work with the T3’s unusual wiring setup.

The install was very easy for me. In less than one hour, I had the old Speedo swapped out with the new one along with the wiring and odometer setup. The most difficult part of the install was choosing where to install the odometer button which allows you access to the trip odometer reset functions as well as access to the odometers computer for modification (MPH/KPH, etc)

The instructions were quite clear. I think it’s smart for GoWesty to use QR codes for the instructions. This allows them to update the instructions and keeps the install modern as the product develops. It’s not a hassle in the slightest and honestly I wish more companies would do this.

If you consider the cost of a speedometer cable replacement and the labor involved, it actually makes financial sense to do away with the whole thing by getting this GPS unit. Do it once and forget about it for the lifetime of the vehicle.

Be sure to document the vehicle odometer swap with photos. I took photos before/during/after and those go into the “file” with other paperwork. Later down the line if you have to sell, there is proof that the odometer reading is factual so there should not be a discrepancy on the title.

My only “gripe” if I can call it that is when I start to move, the needle “floats” up to 10mph even though I’m going 5. It doesn’t seem to handle the lower speeds with accuracy but after 1st gear, it levels out and is quite smooth.

I highly recommend this product.

J
John C.
On the road remedy

I’ve been on the road since March 1st touring the southwest US. My 5th mechanical speedometer/ odometer decided to stop working early on in my trip. After having someone recommend the GPS speedometer I found myself stopping by Go westy on my way south to purchase one. 2000 miles later I couldn’t be happier. No issues, easy install, love it!

E
Eric Z.
GPS Speedo

Great product! I installed this in a 1988 Syncro with the dynamic oil pressure system. I did not purchase the GW instrument wiring harness. Its a lot easier to install than it looks. a few plugs, a few wires, and works great.

A little slow to get to the satellites, when starting out, but other than that it works great. No more cables, to deal with. The needle looks like its lighted at night. Very cool...

B
Bill P.

Very well made kit and great improvement over the mechanical speedo. Especially paired with the foil replacement kit.

S
Steven F.

I want to thank GoWesty for helping me resolve my GPS Speedometer issue and replacing the head unit under warranty as they did not have to do that. This new head unit fixed the issue which was causing the speedometer to peg itself at about 35mph and set off the over speed alarm. I can't thank them enough or give them enough stars. THANK YOU.

J
Jay

GoWesty really knocked it out of the park with this one!
I am extremely happy with this. My original speedo was always 10mph off no matter what size tires I ran, and insanely loud and getting worse.
Pros:
-Great install instructions/fairly straightforward install especially if you've messed with the instrument cluster before.
-Accurate speed no matter what size tires you are running
-Very close to OEM appearance
-Easy to program odometer to original mileage
-Great value
-No more obnoxious speedo cable noise!!!

Cons:
-GPS signal is a little more laggy/delayed than I would like, especially compared to my Garmin GPS or iPhone. They do offer a physical speed sensor that would alleviate this, but I'll probably leave it alone.
-Cluster plastic corners will probably break during install due to age, but GoWesty has fixes for that.
-Original speedo cable was a pain to pull out, but I would've had to do this anyway to fix my failing speedo cable.
-If you used the GoWesty speedo sensor adapter for cruise control you'd have to install a speed sensor on the axle.

I'm so grateful they came out with this. I think some other vendors have offered different gauge setups but they don't look OEM and are crazy expensive. I see now that they also have the tach with fuel and coolant gauge, once mine gives me trouble I'll get this one as well.

Thanks GoWesty!

A
Anonymous

Very good product

C
Cameron

Works perfectly! Plus I love that the needle lights up as well.

N
Noel M.
CEO Protea Design and Mfg

We haven’t installed the unit yet but it seems to fit very well and the look is as close as OE as it comes .
Thanks

A
Armin S.
Electronic Speedometer Kit

Easy to install works great

A
Anthony S.
Must have

I love the updated, but classic look, wiring was straight forward. I opted for Vss for future CC option. Couldn’t get the speedo to read correctly, a quick call to costumer service and they instructed me to mount the Vss as close as possible to the tabs even though it says it has a 4mm range. Once I did that it worked like a charm. Thank you GoWesty!

W
Will B.
Gps speedo

Worked well so far.

H
Hiram B.
speed cluster

with this unit install . my van will updated . thank you guys

G
Gerard D.
Very simple install

This product dropped right in so easily. I now now have a speedo in mph instead of km. I don't have to do the conversion on the fly

D
Dan E.
Now I know

My spedo cable didn't work and eventually I will upgrade wheels so I figure this was the best way to see how fast I was going

L
Larry P.
Mostly good, with a few caveats

With over 550,000 miles on my Westy, I've replaced my share of broken speedometer cables. (My least favorite repair job, by the way.) Furthermore, I've learned to live with the fact that many of them will bounce all over the place at certain speeds.

So I was intrigued by this GPS speedometer.

The good: Relatively easy to install (with great advice from GoWesty support.) Very stable and smooth movement. Seems accurate while maintaining speed. (Please note the word "maintaining." See below.)

The not-so-good: There is a definite lag when accelerating or decelerating. The faster you speed up or slow down, the more pronounced the lag. GoWesty support says that this is because the speedometer averages speed over time. For example, when I come to a quick stop, the speedometer will continue to read 20-30 mph for a few seconds after the van stops moving. The same lag is there when accelerating quickly, but hey, this is a Westy, so quick acceleration doesn't happen very often. Still, when I'm entering a freeway, I'll be at 65 mph (based on indicated tach readout) while the speedometer is still reading 55 mph.
This really isn't a problem, just an observation. I don't need a speedometer to tell me if I'm going too fast or too slow for a given situation, nor to tell me when my van has come to a stop.

The only real issue is that, over the years, I've developed a habit of watching my speedometer out of the corner of my eye to tell me when to shift gears (in order to keep the tach in the green.) Shift into third by 30 mph, and fourth by 50 mph. But now, with the inherent lag, this means I'm overshooting the RPM out of the green zone before the speedometer catches up to my actual speed. I'm sure I'll learn to keep my eye on the tach instead, but old habits die hard.

Overall, a good addition to my Westy.

P
Pierre S.
A great upgrade

After living with a noisy and inaccurate speedometer for years I decided to go the GPS way. The installation is not simple but with patience and the will to follow the instructions provided it works. the speedo works great and is accurate so far, (I've only had it for a couple of months). only drawback (if you can call it that) is in a long tunnel the speedo reads 0.

M
Matt M.
excellent fit and function

glad to have this for my 83 with gw merc-style wheels to get the mph right

M
Mike K.
Does not work in Alaska

Install was easy. But it only works intermittently this far north. Customer service assured me it would work up here. But sadly it does not.

Hi Mike, adding the Axle Mounted Vehicle Speed Sensor Kit will remedy poor or non-existent GPS signals in remote locations. Give it a try!

C
Christian R.
Perfect!

Perfect upgrade for your broken Speedo!

H
Hayden C.
great

I am running 16" wheels and tires on my Westy TDI conversion. This is the ONLY way to get a true measure of your speed. I have checked it against a speedo app on my phone and with roadside radar and the speed and distances are perfect.

J
Jake F.
Nice upgrade

If you're running bigger tires or a taller gears this kit will help get you an accurate speed without jumping through a bunch of hoops. It's nice that it keeps a stock look on the dash

M
Michael H.
Finally a Speedometer!

Mechanically easy to install just take your time and don’t rush it. If you’re like me your Vanagon probably has had many modifications to its electrical but even so it only took a very casual 1.5 hrs to install on my 1985.
Most difficult thing was to remove the unexpected O2 sendor on the speedometer cable on my 2wd.
Works excellent and accurately and looks great. No more monthly repairs that only lasted a few days.

c
chris c.
A must buy

I wish I had upgraded top this a few years ago. Awesome piece of kit. I decided to install this and the foil circuit replacement kit at the same time. I highly recommend doing both at the same time, you will not be sorry.