Amazingly well documented Odometer Fix

Onelove · Post by **Onelove** » 18 Mar 2006, 20:44

Great write up. I used it today and finished up in about 2 hours.

dohm · Post by **dohm** » 10 Jun 2006, 20:49

This project is very well documented. I just finish it today. And I've Qs. for you guys. Since My odometer was not working for 2 years, and I just got it fix. How can I increase the mileage to match the actual one? If it not possible in mechanical way. What is another option you will suggest? So when i want to sell my Volvo, My buyer would be happy.

Second Q.: Where can I get that in-dash light bulbs?

Thank you.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 10 Jun 2006, 22:37

I've heard of using a drill bit with a piece of rubber hose pushed on it and the other side of the rubber hose pushed over one of the gears on the odo...then just turn the drill on until your miles match were they should be.

Look in the S70 or 850 section's Data base section (I believe it's there) for how to tell your true mileage from your ECU codes (if you don't know what your true miles are).

Good luck and let us know how things go.

gbaygents · Post by **gbaygents** » 18 Jul 2006, 14:35

What are the odds that this broken gear is, in fact, the cause of my problems? I'd hate to spend the money on the gear and put time in pulling all parts out to discover that the gear wasn't the problem.

Also, I have priced the 15-tooth gear at odometers.com for $25. Do I just need the one? What about the other type? I read one person spent $50 on the gears and I'm curious where the additional $25 came from.

Thanks all!

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 25 Sep 2006, 19:30

Fantastic instructions!

I would have punted at the point where you pry the instrument cluster face out.

I made the repair this afternoon.

My only additions are to reset the odometer to the correct mileage. I ordered both the large and the small gear from odometersgears.com and I am pleased that, at least for 1 mile, everything works flawlessly. The small gear had a bad tooth but the large gear looked OK. At the end of the day I replaced both gears.

My 850 had 171,271 miles on the broken clock but a dump of the brain (See MadeInJapan's fantastic link for the instructions) indicated that I really had 179,976 miles on it. Now, how do I add 8,705 miles to the odometer?

I was hoping that the individual gears could be advanced but no such luck. Every revolution of the large gear, however, will advance 1 mile. I twirled it for about 10 miles and figured that I would be ( I'm now 47), 60 years old or so before I got the correct mileage on the odometer. Time for power tools!

I chucked up a pencil with a good eraser into a battery drill so as to speed up the mileage change.

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The odometer corrector tool!

I then put my old large gear into the odometer assembly and used the pencil eraser as a friction drive to advance the large gear. In order to advance the odometer you need to set the drill to run counterclockwise. I ran it at a speed that clicked off roughly 10 miles per second and, with rest stops, I ran off the desired miles in under 30 minutes. Don't overshoot because the opposite direction will not turn the odometer backwards. I did the last 5 miles or so by hand.

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The light speed odometer advancer in action.

The old "big gear" survived the 8700 mile test and likely would have run another million miles, but, since I had a new one, I replaced it and rebuilt the entire unit as I took it apart.

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The correct mileage on my odometer.

All of my 3 Watt lamps were burned out as was the time / temp lamp so I took the opportunity to replace them. The W3W cluster lights were available at the Advance Auto Parts store down the road but the 1.2 Watt bulb was not. I have a stick and I noticed that the cluster had the Up Arrow light bulb in its appropriate position. Since that lamp will never, ever, come on in this car I swapped it with the burned out 1.2 Watt bulb in the time / temp assembly.

Now I know that around 210,000 miles I should install that timing belt that I already purchased.

...Lee

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 25 Sep 2006, 19:49

Fantastic! Nice pictures and great write-up! Glad you figured out how to advance your miles on the odo too!

Matthew needs to pin this one!

Post by **Sperry** » 29 Nov 2006, 17:32

Stopped at 76K here. Still under 85K, though.
Maybe it is time related, rather than mileage.

Thanks for the details. Maybe in the spring I'll try it.

Emmette · Post by **Emmette** » 20 Dec 2006, 10:26

I agree with removing the entire dash in order to have easier removal of the instrument cluster as well as preventing breakage of the plastic where the dash meets at the windshield. There are two additional torx screws that need to be removed. One is behind the side air vent and the other under the speaker cover. You also need to remove 4 bolts that hold the air bag in place to the dash as well as carefully disengaging the plug from underneath the air bag unit. Odometers.com was great.Told me that if I had any problems that I should not hesitate in calling.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 20 Dec 2006, 10:33

Just remember to disconnect the battery and have the radio code if you're working around or disconnecting the air bag. So often people forget and then they end up with an SRS light and can't get their radio back on. The SRS is a dealer only reset...the radio will come on if you have the right code.

calbrit01 · Post by **calbrit01** » 02 Jul 2007, 14:17

Step 24, in order to remove the odometer unit, you need to undo the 3 screws on the back first.

This was a non turbo model strip down. Note that the turbo boost gauge stays in situ when you pop the instrument cluster off - the needle subsequently comes off when prising the instrument cluster off - be aware, it gave me a heart attack when it first happend, but it goes back on just fine.

P.S. dont make my mistake of thinking i could save money at the scrap yard. Unit I purchasd had the same fault - DOH !