I hate my gauge cluster.

[BDSax]

you have to take out the cluster to find out what gears are needed to buy. there are different sets. MotorMeter, and like 4 different VDO sets. call Odometer Gears, he will walk you through it, i did 2 e30s and a e28 at the same time.

My grandfathers e30 have no odo and speedo. we replaced the speed sensor in the diff, nothing. then changed the cluster, works fine now.

Aslo you can test the speed sensor with a magnet for conntinuity

[B0ND]

If the speedometer still works, this problem will be the gears that drive the odometer or an electronic failure within the speedometer. The SI board can't be responsible for this particular failure.

You really only have two choices here. You can spring for the gears and take the cluster out once, or you can pull the cluster and verify a gear failure and then pull the cluster again when you get the gears. I'd say to go ahead and purchase the set of gears. If the problem does turn out to require replacement of the speedometer the odds are very good that the replacement will need gears.

Thanks jlevie, now I just need to decide which gears to buy...

[B0ND]

I had the same problem with my odometer where the speedo worked just fine. There is a lubricant inside of the gearing mechanism that causes the gears to become soft and eventually they break apart.

To correct the problem I went to a hobby shop and bought an assortment of plastic gears and matched up one of the new plastic gears to my broken gear. I ended up having to drill out the center hole so that it would fit on the shaft. The whole pack of gears ended up costing me about $10 and I was back on the road with a working odometer in about an hour.

I had gone to several junkyards ripping out clusters in search of one that didn't have broken gears. It seemed like every unit had the same problem.. the littlest gear that is connected directly to the main shaft was the the one that was always broken. I probably could have gotten that gear by itself for about 40 cents but I didn't want to take any chances of getting the wrong size or needing the larger gears and not having them.

Was there a reason why you didn't just buy new gears from odometergears.com?
How long ago did you make that replacement? Does it still work?

Question for everyone: who has used the gears from odometergears.com in their car and how have they held up?

[Jscotty]

I had the same problem with my odometer where the speedo worked just fine. There is a lubricant inside of the gearing mechanism that causes the gears to become soft and eventually they break apart.

To correct the problem I went to a hobby shop and bought an assortment of plastic gears and matched up one of the new plastic gears to my broken gear. I ended up having to drill out the center hole so that it would fit on the shaft. The whole pack of gears ended up costing me about $10 and I was back on the road with a working odometer in about an hour.

I had gone to several junkyards ripping out clusters in search of one that didn't have broken gears. It seemed like every unit had the same problem.. the littlest gear that is connected directly to the main shaft was the the one that was always broken. I probably could have gotten that gear by itself for about 40 cents but I didn't want to take any chances of getting the wrong size or needing the larger gears and not having them.

[MikeE30325i]

I have to smack my dash too, to get the gas gauge to read right.

i havent had to resort to these methods.................yet. lol

[E30 Reaktionär]

do you have the same problem with the temp?

No..

[Jesse30]

I have to smack my dash too, to get the gas gauge to read right.

do you have the same problem with the temp?

[E30 Reaktionär]

haha soldering isnt a good time. my guage cluster likes to tell my i have a full tank. till i smack it and then it reads correctly. hahah. my temp needs to get smacked back into line too, along with my tach. pretty much all that works correctly on my gauge cluster is my speedo. odometer went out at 131xxx and i have just been too lazy to get the new gears and fix it. :) my fist fixes everything else that goes on the fritz.

I have to smack my dash too, to get the gas gauge to read right.

[Jesse30]

haha soldering isnt a good time. my guage cluster likes to tell my i have a full tank. till i smack it and then it reads correctly. hahah. my temp needs to get smacked back into line too, along with my tach. pretty much all that works correctly on my gauge cluster is my speedo. odometer went out at 131xxx and i have just been too lazy to get the new gears and fix it. :) my fist fixes everything else that goes on the fritz.

[MikeE30325i]

Mine does this sometimes, but the way i gather it the sodering joints need to be reflowed on the circit board.

Sounds like a day of fun. lol

[E30 Reaktionär]

what if your speedo and odometer dont work? what is the culprit then, and how do you fix it?

Mine does this sometimes, but the way i gather it the sodering joints need to be reflowed on the circit board.

[MikeE30325i]

Ok thanks dude. i am pretty sure the gauge is broken, just wanted to see if their was a simpler solution

[Jesse30]

hmm your gauge cluster could have just taken a crap on you. considering the condition your car was in when you first bought it. its very likely its no good :)

maybe idk, im not too great with electronics. i just know how to do simple things. talk to the stereo guy. i think his name is luke. he'll probably be able to diagnose it better than me.

[MikeE30325i]

sender from the diff. thats most likely your problem.

I looked at it after i got the car and it is snug and clean, and i dont see any visible breaks in the wire.

[Jesse30]

what if your speedo and odometer dont work? what is the culprit then, and how do you fix it?

sender from the diff. thats most likely your problem.