What is the white thing on the speedometer for?

**LNMRMN** · 08-11-2008, 10:10 PM

Mike, it is a 69 skylark custom with metallic light green interior which is a bitc* to find. Buick 350 4 barrel automatic on the column and split bench seat with armrest. The white line speedo buzzer thingy, 2 door. The car was made with no vinyl top. AM radio, air conditioning and I cant think of anything else. One thing I did notice is on the back domelights, the lenses have the buick symbol on them. The ones that year one sells dont have the symbol embossed in them. Do you know if yours have the symbol in the lenses? Also, there is a piece of rubber in the trunk that is shaped like a rectangle and a hole in the center of it. I have no idea what that thing goes to. It almost looks like it should be on the outside and the hole is cut out for the trunk lock or something. If I think of any other options it has I will let you know. Thanks for the info on the buzzer. The buzzer for the door doesnt work, so that may be why the speed alert doesnt work.

**gag67sky** · 08-12-2008, 03:51 AM

Hi, didn't try at this time by myself but I seem to have the same option on my older generation 67' skylark. Did the key buzzer figure on this year too? (it doesn't work but as I have to fix the door contact for the inner lights I think it work together....).
As it should not be a cruise control system, does any know about my electric little pump on the throttle puller of the carburetor???? Heeeeelp !!!

**Special_Deluxe** · 08-12-2008, 05:06 PM

Okay I'm 95% sure I tracked down that buzzer on the '69 Today.

It's mounted to the underside of the top of the dash, passenger side, rectangular silver box with a two wire connector on it. About in line with the glove box latch as far as left-to-right is concerned, and to the right of the radio speaker. They sure did hide it away....probably to keep folks from disconecting it

Wasn't able to reach it but pressed a wooden dowel against it and could feel vibration from the buzzer. Pulled the key out and the vibration stopped. Call it 90% certain to be on the safe side, I guess. I imagine it's serviced thru the glove box, really no other way to get up in there...

The rubber thing in the trunk- Is it about 17' long and looks like a flattened paper towell tube? If so, it's a storage sleeve for the bumper jack, slips over the end that goes in the rear corner of the trunk to protect the paint. A good thing to have most seem to have been lost a long time ago.

I can't help with the interior light question. Mine is the standard Skylark and doesn't have the light group option so all I've got is the one dome light on the roof.

I've got the standard full width seat and 2bbl 350/th350, but also power windows, a/c and a power seat, but no power brakes. She's also got the third backup light in the bumper but I think all Skylarks had that in 69? I like the unusual combinations of options in older cars.....my 68 Special 4 door has radio delete and rubber floor mat (no carpet) but also the 350-4bbl and dual exhaust.

Anyways, best of luck with the buzzer, hope this helps.

**Special_Deluxe** · 08-12-2008, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by gag67sky

Hi, didn't try at this time by myself but I seem to have the same option on my older generation 67' skylark. Did the key buzzer figure on this year too? (it doesn't work but as I have to fix the door contact for the inner lights I think it work together....).
As it should not be a cruise control system, does any know about my electric little pump on the throttle puller of the carburetor???? Heeeeelp !!!

I've never had a '67 so can't really help about the buzzer

As for the thing on the throttle linkage, what does it look like? If it looks like an old spinning top turned on it's side it might be a dashpot (anti-diesel solenoid)? Part of a Cali emission package, maybe?? But this is only a guess....not really sure they had electric dashpots in '67 but it's all I can think of.

**gag67sky** · 08-13-2008, 12:40 AM

Hi, thanks for info Dlx, it looks like a small aluminium square box connected by an electrical wiring to the throttle , seems to react to the position of the pedal and seems to be abble to push on the throttle by itself ???? 'will try it on friday

as we're off in france and then tell you.

Thanks again !

**Special_Deluxe** · 08-13-2008, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by gag67sky

Hi, thanks for info Dlx, it looks like a small aluminium square box connected by an electrical wiring to the throttle , seems to react to the position of the pedal and seems to be abble to push on the throttle by itself ???? 'will try it on friday

as we're off in france and then tell you.

One question- is this device located under the hood by the carb, or is it under the dash near the gas pedal?

If it's under the dashboard it might be a kick-down switch for the auto trans, it's located there on my '68 (2 speed auto).

If it's under the hood I'd have to say I'm stumped.

Something to do with the choke maybe?? But that's just a guess too

**gag67sky** · 08-13-2008, 12:46 PM

This quite complex system is located on the driver side of the carb, just up by the intake manifold, there are 3 distinctive parts and several wires that come (or go) from (or to) the regulator, a switch on the throttle linkage, what's maybe a position sensor on the main flap of the carb, and elsewhere under the engine where I can't see... I'll try to take pics on friday and post'em here so you can keep on helping me.
Thanks a lot dlx and others, keep on having good spirit as usual....

**LNMRMN** · 08-13-2008, 03:34 PM

I found the buzzer to the right of the radio and somebody cut one of the red wires on the switch. I wired it back up and the buzzer constantly buzzes whether or not the key is in the ignition or the door is open or closed, so I know why they cut the wire, so now I have to figure out why it is doing that so I can fix it. If the buzzer goes out would that cause it, or does it sound like an electrical problem?

**Special_Deluxe** · 08-15-2008, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by gag67sky

This quite complex system is located on the driver side of the carb, just up by the intake manifold, there are 3 distinctive parts and several wires that come (or go) from (or to) the regulator, a switch on the throttle linkage, what's maybe a position sensor on the main flap of the carb, and elsewhere under the engine where I can't see... I'll try to take pics on friday and post'em here so you can keep on helping me.
Thanks a lot dlx and others, keep on having good spirit as usual....

Yikes! That does sound complicated. Have no idea what that could be but looking forward to seeing the pics

Wondering if it might be the remains of an aftermarket cruise control setup? They were kinda popular here in the 70's.....there was one called "Compu-Cruise" that also had a trip computer built into it as I recall, and a few others.

BTW, was your car built by GM Europe or was it shipped over? I've been told they built some Buicks at GM-E but not sure if any were Specials or Skylarks...

**Special_Deluxe** · 08-15-2008, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by LNMRMN

I found the buzzer to the right of the radio and somebody cut one of the red wires on the switch. I wired it back up and the buzzer constantly buzzes whether or not the key is in the ignition or the door is open or closed, so I know why they cut the wire, so now I have to figure out why it is doing that so I can fix it. If the buzzer goes out would that cause it, or does it sound like an electrical problem?

If it's buzzing with the key out it's probably not the door buzzer circuit. The manual suggests unplugging the driver's door switch to double check, though.

I've never worked on a speed warning myself but just looked in the 1970 Shop Manual (my '69 Manual appears to be misplaced

) and the description they give is pretty good:

"the Speed Alert electrical circuit starts at the battery. It feeds through
the fusable links to the starter solenoid, to the buzzer contacts. After
passing through the buzzer contacts, a very small amount of current
goes through a resistor to ground and the rest of the current passes
through a pink wire to the connector located on the speedometer case"

"In the speedometer, current is conducted from the seperate buzzer
connector through a wire to an insulated pin in the lower end of the
buzzer pointer. As the speedometer neede moves upward to coincide
with the buzzer pointer a light grounding hair spring on the lower end
of the speedometer needle makes contact with the "hot" insulated pin
on the speed alert pointer"

"This completes the circuit, causing the buzzer to buzz"

Thinking maybe a bare spot on the pink wire is allowing current to reach ground someplace after the buzzer but before the speedo? Or maybe the "small amount of current goes through a resistor to ground" has become a large amount of current because the resistor is burned out?

Only things I can think of unless the spring-switch itself is broken. But I must admit that electrical circuits are a weak point for me so it's possible that my electrical theory is way off base.

There's a wiring diagram in there too, needless to say I couldn't make head or tail of that

But I can scan it and post if it helps...