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Written by Curt Ingraham
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Tuesday, 06 June 2006 |
If your speedo still works, but the odometer has stopped paying attention, you have the classic 2002 odometer failure. You can take it to a speedo shop and pay $75-150 for a repair, or pick up a used instrument cluster at a swap meet or salvage yard for less than half that. Chances are, if you are skilled with tools and patient, you can fix it yourself for free.
The back of the instrument cluster.
Repair Instructions:
- 1. Remove instrument cluster from dash.
- 2. While speedo is still in cluster, loosen big nut on back of speedo.
- 3. Remove speedo from cluster. Handle carefully. Resist temptation
and do not touch needle or face.
- 4. Remove big nut and washer from back of speedo.
- 5. Remove speedo from back plate.
- Notice that:
- a) Speedo cable input on rear drives speedo;
- b) Shaft from speedo to odo drives odo number wheel shaft;
- c) Odo shaft drives a big aluminum-colored gear at
the end of the odo number wheel stack;
- d) Odo is not turning because that big gear is slipping on
the number wheel shaft;
- e) Number wheel shaft is held in position by friction with big gear.
- 6. Gently slide the number wheel shaft back and forth a very small
amount to verify that it is loose.
- 7. Find a temporary replacement shaft of slightly smaller diameter,
such as a nail or machine screw.
Here is a lollipop stick being used to drive out number wheel shaft.
- 8. Replace number wheel shaft with temporary shaft as follows:
- a. Identify end of number wheel shaft withOUT the gear.
- b. Place end of temporary shaft against end of number wheel shaft.
- c. Slowly and carefully press temporary shaft in, forcing
numberwheel shaft out.
- d. At this point, temporary shaft is in, numberwheel shaft is out,
and numberwheels are still in place.
- 9. Locate position on numberwheel shaft where big aluminum-colored
gear normally sits. A polished band likely exists there. Verify
gear location by holding shaft against numberwheel frame.
- 10. With a center punch or cold chisel make a very light impression
on shaft at gear location. This distortion should be large
enough to fit tightly in gear, but small enough to pass through
numberwheels using finger pressure.
- 11. Try replacing numberwheel shaft in odo frame. Keep numberwheel
shaft end against temporary shaft end.
- a. If numberwheel shaft won't go through odo frame or is tight in
numberwheels, distortion is too large. File slightly.
- b. If numberwheel shaft slides all the way in easily, distortion
is too small. Punch it again.
- c. When distortion is just right, shaft will stop sliding when
distortion reaches gear, and will not go into gear with finger
pressure.
- d. Use channel-lock pliers or a small vise to press shaft firmly
into position in big gear. Leave a very small gap between odo
frame and small brass gear at other end of shaft.
- 12. Verify that numbers on numberwheels align correctly with
rectangular hole in speedo face.
- 13. Remove shaft between speedo and odo by removing one screw. Turn numberwheel shaft with fingers and verify that wheels
turn smoothly, and ten's digit advances when one's digit goes
from 9 to 0. Replace speedo-to-odo shaft.
- 14. Replace back plate, washer, and nut (finger tight) on back of
speedo.
- 15. Clean speedo face with careful puffs of canned air. (If more
cleaning is needed, use water and lens tissue.)
- 16. Replace speedo in cluster, engaging trip odo reset shaft.
- 17. Reassemble cluster.
- 18. Tighten big nut on back of speedo, noting alignment of speedo
face.
- 19. Reinstall cluster in dash.
- 20. Test speedo and odo.
- 21. Reinstall underdash panels.
Please note: I had previously advised fixing gear to shaft with super glue, but that repair doesn't last nearly as long as the distortion method
above.
Curt Ingraham
72 tii
Oakland
*Images courtesy of: John Mills
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