Odometer not working (tried gears, different odometer, etc), ideas?

[dhahlen]

91 318is

I purchased a VDO gear kit to replace the gears on my current ODO. I verified everything functions by manually turning the gears. Reinstalled, still didn't work.

I then picked up another ODO off ebay, checked gears, plugged it in, still didn't work.

All of the other gauges funtion (fuel, water temp, speedo, tach, mpg), still no ODO.

Does anyone have suggestions? I am not too concerned about the actual miles on the car, but the miles I am accumulating. Thanks

[Ryan.]

I too have a '91 318is with the same problem, havent looked into it much but i am curious as to how you fix your problem cause I would like to keep up to date on oil changes

[dogsbark26]

Iirc there is something wrong if you can manually turn the gears with the odometer in your hand. I think maybe that tiny one still turns but you'd have to turn it a zillion times to get any movement in the mileage.
How many gears did you replace? Which ones? That tiny one is especially important and must lock onto the shaft I think.

[scottinAZ]

Darren, am I to assume that the speedo itself is actually working, or is that dead as well. Speedo functioning but ODO not working is likely to be internal to the speedo itself, as it gets the signal for the stepper motor from the speedo portion. if neither is working, check the connection at the back of the diff housing (where the speedo signal is derived) if this is good, and still no speedo/odo, then wiring is likely the culprit.

Scottinaz

[dhahlen]

Thanks man, speedo is working fine on both odometers. Maybe it's the board for the cluster itself?

[dinanm3atl]

Darren, am I to assume that the speedo itself is actually working, or is that dead as well. Speedo functioning but ODO not working is likely to be internal to the speedo itself, as it gets the signal for the stepper motor from the speedo portion. if neither is working, check the connection at the back of the diff housing (where the speedo signal is derived) if this is good, and still no speedo/odo, then wiring is likely the culprit.

Scottinaz

Have this problem... still can't get it working. How can one test this stepper motor?

[scottinAZ]

Have this problem... still can't get it working. How can one test this stepper motor?

replicate a VSS signal into the speedo. only way I know of to test.

Darren, you can try a main board (sold one to Tron a few meets ago), and see if that helps, but IIRC all the signals are internal to the speedo.

one other thing to check, and it is what did mine in, was grease coagulated in the plastic around the stepper shaft. (nasty green shit grease) if that doesnt turn FREELY then you wont get a working ODO with good gears. bad news is that if you need to remove the shaft to clean it out, you will most likely lose the small odo gear.

[robrez]

'91 318i, same problem. Everything else works. New odometer gears turn easily by hand, but plug the cluster in and the odometer is the only thing not working.

[Robotin]

hit up mike at mkcman17 here on r3v...

he fixes ODO's for a great price... great guy.... he will sell u a full working cluster as well...

[Quincy56]

Was there ever a solution to this issue? I have an odometer that quit. Replaced the gears even though they looked fine, no go. Everything else is working.

[Gregs///M]

If the speedo works, and the odo does not, it is either incorrect odo gears, poorly made odo gears, electrical trace cracks on circuit board or poor installation of odo gears.

Electrical trace cracks on VDO brand odometers is extremely common.