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I took apart my cluster to find out what was the problem.
My speedometer gauge works fine but odometer stopped working, I tried a new buffer box...... NOT, new VSS...... NOT. Checked the wiring, nothing wrong.
Well, like I was saying I took apart my cluster and found the first plastic gear connected to the motor was broken in multiple pieces.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Huh, I will have to check mine out I bet I thats my problem too. My speedometer/odometer works but my tripometer (?? haha) does not. It rolls the tenths but when the miles go to roll it just...doesnt. I bet its a stripped gear or similar after looking at your pictures here.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by hiwastar
Huh, I will have to check mine out I bet I thats my problem too. My speedometer/odometer works but my tripometer (?? haha) does not. It rolls the tenths but when the miles go to roll it just...doesnt. I bet its a stripped gear or similar after looking at your pictures here.
hiwastar, posting the year, make and model of your car is helpful for those who wish to assist. For example, should you have a Camaro, the trip fix may be quite easy.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by JamesC
hiwastar, posting the year, make and model of your car is helpful for those who wish to assist. For example, should you have a Camaro, the trip fix may be quite easy.
JamesC
It is an issue that really doesnt bother me since I rarely use the tripometer. But, it is an 88 RS with the 305TBI motor. I will search for this trip fix and see how much effort it involves as, like I said, it really isn't a big deal to me and I don't want to hijack the OPs thread. I had never bothered to take the cluster apart and look into the inner workings so the OPs photos are a nice reference for me without having to do any actual work. Bonus!
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
I just noticed the same problem (working speedo, non working odometer) on my 92 Camaro. She is no longer showing her age...lol. What are the steps to fixing this.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by hiwastar
It is an issue that really doesnt bother me since I rarely use the tripometer. But, it is an 88 RS with the 305TBI motor. I will search for this trip fix and see how much effort it involves as, like I said, it really isn't a big deal to me and I don't want to hijack the OPs thread. I had never bothered to take the cluster apart and look into the inner workings so the OPs photos are a nice reference for me without having to do any actual work. Bonus!
The guts are considerably different between your cluster and the OP's. The following fix is for mechanical speedos:
I have posted on other threads about odometer not working, 1989 Firebird Formula 350 700R4. Mine stopped working 3 weeks ago. I was told by a speedo gear manufacturer that mine was controlled by an electric motor. After seeing the worm gear on a small motor posted above makes me wonder if that's what my problem is!
Thanks in advance!
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by Gadp74
I took apart my cluster to find out what was the problem.
My speedometer gauge works fine but odometer stopped working, I tried a new buffer box...... NOT, new VSS...... NOT. Checked the wiring, nothing wrong.
Well, like I was saying I took apart my cluster and found the first plastic gear connected to the motor was broken in multiple pieces.
I have the exact same problem. I bought a new instrument cluster from a local junkyard and tried to remove it's planetary gear so I could replace my broken one. Turns out it was just as old and flimsy and broke on me with the touch of a screwdriver. I plan to buy a new one, but I can't figure out how to safely remove the gear. I tried removing the peg that it was on with a screwdriver and a hammer and failed miserably. I've completed all the steps up until removing the actual broken gear and somehow sliding a new one on in its place. Any suggestions?
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by rcyoung
I have the exact same problem. I bought a new instrument cluster from a local junkyard and tried to remove it's planetary gear so I could replace my broken one. Turns out it was just as old and flimsy and broke on me with the touch of a screwdriver. I plan to buy a new one, but I can't figure out how to safely remove the gear. I tried removing the peg that it was on with a screwdriver and a hammer and failed miserably. I've completed all the steps up until removing the actual broken gear and somehow sliding a new one on in its place. Any suggestions?
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
bump.
anyone come up with a replacement to these little gears? i took apart one in the junkyard, it looked good and rolled by hand. so took it home, pulled mine apart and notices the gear wasn't broken but wouldn't move. so double checked my junkyard part before installing it. when i rolled the motor gear, it took the teeth right off the little gear. some how it froze up in like week of sitting around. so i went to try and lube the old one up and nothing would get in there, then i broke it too haha. i even tried heating it up. but nothing.
after the gear was broke, i got a chance to inspect it. and it seems like the grease gm used has turned into glue. sticks really good and wont let the gear spin.
i'm sort of at a loss, its not like its easy to get that stud out, and if you did it would never go back in.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by ???
bump.
anyone come up with a replacement to these little gears? i took apart one in the junkyard, it looked good and rolled by hand. so took it home, pulled mine apart and notices the gear wasn't broken but wouldn't move. so double checked my junkyard part before installing it. when i rolled the motor gear, it took the teeth right off the little gear. some how it froze up in like week of sitting around. so i went to try and lube the old one up and nothing would get in there, then i broke it too haha. i even tried heating it up. but nothing.
after the gear was broke, i got a chance to inspect it. and it seems like the grease gm used has turned into glue. sticks really good and wont let the gear spin.
i'm sort of at a loss, its not like its easy to get that stud out, and if you did it would never go back in.
See post #7. There are places that will rebuild but I could'nt find one that would sell just the parts.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
the link in post 7 seems to be about cable driven odometers. did i miss something in there about the newer stuff? mines like the one in the first posts pic.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by ???
the link in post 7 seems to be about cable driven odometers. did i miss something in there about the newer stuff? mines like the one in the first posts pic.
You're right! It's been a while since I looked at the applications. Mine is like yours, motor gear like the first post. I couldn't find anyone selling just the parts. The link I listed for repair will fix them. I found a place closer to me here in Texas but they all are asking around $130 to $150 to repair and reset your odometer to the point you want. Mine is still broke because spending that kind of money right now ain't going to happen!
Good luck with your fix!
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Did you figure this out? I have a similar problem. My speedo works but the trip meter stopped 2 years ago. The discovered my odometer stopped working last year. Took to a speedometer specialist and they said there is nothing wrong with the cluster side (gears and motor(s) work perfectly fine with direct power connected). They said if it were the speed sensor then the speedo would also stop working.
They suspected the circuit board in the instrument panel may be malfunctioning but he said it was only a GUESS as they are stumped...
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Thanks a lot for the info and pictures. I had a cluster with a 140mph gauge and speedo worked today I tinkered took it apart and replaced it with a 120 gauge from the salvage yard. The odometer still didnt work and speedo did this led me to believe it was the circuit board or something very complicated and expensive. After finding the thread though decided to check the gears and sure enough, the gears were striped on both gauges.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
How did you get another gear to fix the odometer? Sounds like I have the exact same problem as you did. Getting another instrument cluster and taking the part from it was an idea. But I figure that the gear on the new cluster would be about time to disintegrate also. Do you know of anywhere that specifically makes replacement gears?
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by 1989redfbird
How did you get another gear to fix the odometer? Sounds like I have the exact same problem as you did. Getting another instrument cluster and taking the part from it was an idea. But I figure that the gear on the new cluster would be about time to disintegrate also. Do you know of anywhere that specifically makes replacement gears?
Thanks!
Your best bet is to find a local shop that rebuilds things like this. There's one here in Louisville (name is slipping my mind). You can either have them rebuild it with new parts or purchase the parts from them.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
that was long ago haha and it isn't working now (only because the gear in my transmission broke my speedo and odometer. But the odometer itself would work.
I called around, had a place offer to fix it for like 300 because the gears would have to be special made... I think not. I went to pick n pull and pulled one out and took it apart to find the gears were good. I then just swapped it with the one in mine. So my car did go from 168k to 107k... but it's listed as mileage exempt and I heard it's not illegal.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Mine is broken in the same way, found this out by taking it apart and after putting my dash back together now my speedo is off by 10 mph and my tach is also not correct. Weird to me because i didn't drop it or anything, I did turn it upside down, I wonder if that did it. Does anyone know of a possible fix for this?
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by lambo5150
that was long ago haha and it isn't working now (only because the gear in my transmission broke my speedo and odometer. But the odometer itself would work.
I called around, had a place offer to fix it for like 300 because the gears would have to be special made... I think not. I went to pick n pull and pulled one out and took it apart to find the gears were good. I then just swapped it with the one in mine. So my car did go from 168k to 107k... but it's listed as mileage exempt and I heard it's not illegal.
What makes a car mileage exempt? just for my own knowledge.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by texascat2
You're right! It's been a while since I looked at the applications. Mine is like yours, motor gear like the first post. I couldn't find anyone selling just the parts. The link I listed for repair will fix them. I found a place closer to me here in Texas but they all are asking around $130 to $150 to repair and reset your odometer to the point you want. Mine is still broke because spending that kind of money right now ain't going to happen!
Good luck with your fix!
I'm in Texas and I need to get my odometer gear repaired. You said you found a place in Texas that could fix it? Can you tell me the name of the place please? Thanks!
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
I know that this is a rather old thread but I came across it while trying to figure out why my odometer didn't work. I wasn't really thrilled about the wait for sending the whole gauge cluster in or the unknown pricing so I decided to try my hand at 3d printing a gear. It wasn't very easy to replace I needed to tear down the whole cluster and bend the tabs holing the reels in place to get them out. That was somewhat unsuccessful so to get them all separated I had to bend the whole bracket outwards to get the pins loose from their holes. I couldn't get the pin holding the drive gear to come loose at all so it ended up breaking off and i soldered it back in place after grinding down the top lip so i could slip it on.
If you'd like to try for yourself i've got the gear up on shapeways. http://shpws.me/MnHQ
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
I didn't take any pictures of the finished product unfortunately but I thought I'd include a little more detail the best I can. Originally thought I could just use a vise and some pliers and pull that pin right out. What happened to me was rocking the pin back and forth just ended up breaking it off right at the base. I considered several options to re attach it, figured some high strength epoxy
would work and looked into that but my experience with JB weld is that it always comes loose eventually. So what I decided to try was solder. I just used some rosin core 60/40 solder and got both the base and the pin hot using a 40 watt solder iron. Worked great and was easier than I thought, but i do have some limited experience soldering electronics. I had to use one of those 2 armed helping hands holders to keep it steady while i used the iron and the solder in my hands. I sat it perpendicular with each other with the pin vertical as best i could so the solder wouldn't run against gravity.
Before that though I used a Dremel and ground down the head of the pin so that it was the same size as the shaft. That way i could pop the gear on from the top. I considered putting epoxy to something at the top afterwards but the other gears seem to hold it in place and I didn't want to risk the gear getting stuck to it. Because of the extra height of the solder maybe 1/8 inch or less I did have to grind a little of the gear spacer of the bottom edge but sand paper took care of that.
Its all still working so far. I've got probably 100-200 miles on it.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by lightsaber2003
I know that this is a rather old thread but I came across it while trying to figure out why my odometer didn't work. I wasn't really thrilled about the wait for sending the whole gauge cluster in or the unknown pricing so I decided to try my hand at 3d printing a gear. It wasn't very easy to replace I needed to tear down the whole cluster and bend the tabs holing the reels in place to get them out. That was somewhat unsuccessful so to get them all separated I had to bend the whole bracket outwards to get the pins loose from their holes. I couldn't get the pin holding the drive gear to come loose at all so it ended up breaking off and i soldered it back in place after grinding down the top lip so i could slip it on.
If you'd like to try for yourself i've got the gear up on shapeways. http://shpws.me/MnHQ
I haven't torn mine down yet,so I don't know if the gear will fix it or not.But the gear is cheap enough that I went ahead and bought one,so I'll have it if it IS the problem....
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Just for grins and giggles, check the connections to the speedo circuit board. I have a '92 RS and the speedo works but the trip and OD don't. After I pulled the board I found very tarnished solder strips. Cleaned them up with 400 wet/dry sandpaper. I also found the one electrolytic capacitor, 150uf @25VDC was leaking. I'm mainly an electronics guy & ham radio operator, so these kinds of failures are a serious red flag. The liquid inside one of those caps can eat through foil paths and did on mine. I replaced the cap and ran a jumper wire to replace the bad foil path. Tomorrow I'll put a few drops of oil on some of the gears before reassembly. I also found that the copper foil paths on the plastic circuit board that connects the cluster to the connectors in the dash were tarnished also. Some of the tabs had came loose form the circuit film too. I super glued them back to the plastic film and cleaned them with 400 grit also. I'll post back when I put her back together and let everyone know if this procedure worked.
I'm new here and would like to thank everyone on these forums for sharing, I've learned a lot from reading your posts.
Ham call sign is : N8TCQ ...... look me up on QRZ.com
Thanks for reading this.....
More info....... I found a bad electrolytic capacitor on the small circuit board that drives the odometer and trip odometer along with a burned foil path. After replacing the cap and putting a small jumper wire in place of the foil path both work just fine now. Hope this might help somebody else.
Last edited by OldMuscleCarGuy; 07-23-2017 at 02:42 AM.
Reason: Additional info
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
No actually,my problem was the gear.It was seized to the shaft,and had actually begun to break where the drive gear contacts it.I finished breaking it off,cleaned the shaft up with some 600 grit sandpaper,and Viola! Pretty simple and cheap fix actually.Now,the Actia gauge panel in my motorhome..........
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Great work on the odometers..... it does my heart good to see someone who isn't afraid to take something apart and fix it rather than just "replace" it!
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Hi,
this product is produced as plastic or metal. according to consumer preference. it took a lot of effort to replace it.
the hole diameter of the thread was small and the stub in the main body was a problem.
I used a screw instead of a stud, then fixed it with adhesive. I use a stopper to keep the gear from moving.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
I just fixed both of my 89 Formulas last yr. Broken gear in both and 1 bad electric drive motor. I used shape ways too but went with the nylon gear. Ground off the pressed part of the stud, cleaned off the stuck on gear an old residue, put new gear on stud then stuck stud back In the hole making sure it was straight and gave it a quick zap w a mig welder on the back side.
Re: Speedometer works but odometer stopped counting
Originally Posted by chinlin0924
Hi all,
can this be used on firebird 88 v6's odometer's gear ? (non-trans am)
no guarantee as I've never seen a v6 speedo from the back but i think they should be nearly identical. unlike the tach that need different circuits for changed distributor timing the speedometer should be calibrated at the transmission so i think v8 and v6 should be the same.
07-14-2010, 08:49 PM
