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Odometer Fix/Cluster upgrade
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Raynor Shine
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:16 pm    Post subject: Odometer Fix/Cluster upgrade Reply with quote

Thanks to the link from VW vortex for this fix, though I'd share & it was relatively easy.

1) Remove intrument cluster & have a clean clear place to work. The speedometer has a plug that connects to the blue tape on the back of the cluster. ( I didn't know that at first). Use a small screwdriver to pry it up. & carefully pull the tape from the speedo. 3 tabs. Unscrew 4 screws that hold it in place. Remove speedo.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


2) Once removed, carefully move needle past the stop and to the mark on the speedo head.( small car instructions). carefully pull needle from sppedo.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


3) Remove screws from Speedo face plate. (this is when i put my white guages on)


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


4) Once the face is off, you can see all the gears, if the gray metal one furthest to the right spins, the miles will roll too. I read that a good odometer won't turn and the gears are pressed on to the the shaft. Mine was spinning., the other gear, furthest to the left , may spin also if broken, that one was OK. Remove the 4 screws that hold the plastic cover to the casing. this will loosen everything up enough to work on it.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


5) Turn speedo on its side gently slide the shaft just past the metal gear & the gear will come free. Don't go too far or the the other numbered gears will come off too & I'm pretty sure you don't want that to happen. I used a toothpick & a few drops of epoxy on the inside of the gear, put it back in place & lined the shaft back up & pushed it back in place. let it dry & re-assembled everything.

6) While this was out, I applied my white guages & installed blue LED's where I could. Test drove & the odemeter is working & I like the new look of the cluster.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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tsyn
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 8:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the step by step. This is one of the jobs I have been procrastinating to embark on.
Hey, looking at your new tach, you are not trying to tell us that your engine redlines at 7000rpm????
Kidding,
Cheers
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keithwwalker
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the white diagnostic strip in the center!
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goffoz
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Which method did you use to adapt the 3.3/6 to the vw tach?
How was it to do ...do you like the result?
.....my 3.3 is still on the stand
thanks
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ProvoCyclist
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

We need to figure out a way to brighten up the clock. Ive got a red LED in mine, and im bummed that its so dim.
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keithwwalker
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anyway you slice it, that clock is poop. Sliced poop. Hate to thread jack, but has anyone replaced that clock with something else?
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keithwwalker
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

How hard is it to replace the center diagnostic strip?
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Raynor Shine
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Couple Things- I would like to have the clock light brighter, but like how it looks. Any ideas on brighter lights?

The 3.3 has the correct voltage to run the tach, no mods necessary.

Diagnostic strip was pretty easy, you have to remove the plastic support, then there is one screw to remove & it slides out. You have to remove the speedo or the tach to get enough room. I removed the entire strip as I was redoing my faces. I was stoked to find the one in white with the check engine light as that is how I wired my check eng to run from the OXS sensor.
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tsombrero1
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

keithwwalker wrote:
Anyway you slice it, that clock is poop. Sliced poop. Hate to thread jack, but has anyone replaced that clock with something else?


Someday I plan to get motivated and put in a voltmeter. These guys have a few options:

http://www.martelmeters.com/products.php?cat=1&action=detail&id=55
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tencentlife
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

keithwwalker wrote:
Anyway you slice it, that clock is poop. Sliced poop. Hate to thread jack, but has anyone replaced that clock with something else?


Whattaya mean? I love the LCD clock. Mine keeps very good time. The clock in my Legacy gains time, probably a minute a month. The Vanagon clock is always right, or at least it doesn't change by a minute between changes of daylight Savings. That's pretty good, and it's right where I can always read it. Couldn't imagine a better clock, or better placement for it, than that one right where it is.

Send me yours when you replace it with something else.
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Dogpilot
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I diddled with my clock for a bit to see if I could make it more than it was. You can make it do 12/24 readout and that's pretty much it. I was hoping to invert the display, make the background black and the digits clear. I was thwarted on that effort as well. You can have a much brighter source, making the clock more readable, but not distracting. So I tried to fit the LCD from my Land Rover, which did it that way. The mounting area is kind of restrictive, so that was a no-go.

I tried using blue LED's for illumination, too dim, went back to the bulb. The ideal way to do it is with a EL illumination. That is kind of expensive, as you have to have an inverter to drive it. If you already have the EL's on your gauge faces, then you could do it. My big issue was finding Tyvek paper for printing the gauge faces on. It won't curl or shrink from humidity.

I did toy with the idea of pulling the display from a Golf. It has many functions, but it is too integrated with the cluster to make that practicable. So if someone want to make a small micro-controller to drive a small LCD for multifunction, I suspect many would step up to buy it. Then again too much tech in the Vanagon detracts from its springs, string and levers approach to function.
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Odometer Fix/Cluster upgrade Reply with quote

Raynor Shine wrote:
Thanks to the link from VW vortex for this fix, though I'd share & it was relatively easy.

1) Remove intrument cluster & have a clean clear place to work. The speedometer has a plug that connects to the blue tape on the back of the cluster. ( I didn't know that at first). Use a small screwdriver to pry it up. & carefully pull the tape from the speedo. 3 tabs. Unscrew 4 screws that hold it in place. Remove speedo.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


2) Once removed, carefully move needle past the stop and to the mark on the speedo head.( small car instructions). carefully pull needle from sppedo.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


3) Remove screws from Speedo face plate. (this is when i put my white guages on)


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


4) Once the face is off, you can see all the gears, if the gray metal one furthest to the right spins, the miles will roll too. I read that a good odometer won't turn and the gears are pressed on to the the shaft. Mine was spinning., the other gear, furthest to the left , may spin also if broken, that one was OK. Remove the 4 screws that hold the plastic cover to the casing. this will loosen everything up enough to work on it.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


5) Turn speedo on its side gently slide the shaft just past the metal gear & the gear will come free. Don't go too far or the the other numbered gears will come off too & I'm pretty sure you don't want that to happen. I used a toothpick & a few drops of epoxy on the inside of the gear, put it back in place & lined the shaft back up & pushed it back in place. let it dry & re-assembled everything.

6) While this was out, I applied my white guages & installed blue LED's where I could. Test drove & the odemeter is working & I like the new look of the cluster.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
Where do you purchase the overlays?
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jdbs3
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Raynor or anyone who has done this

RE: The speedometer has a plug that connects to the blue tape on the back of the cluster. ( I didn't know that at first). Use a small screwdriver to pry it up. & carefully pull the tape from the speedo. 3 tabs.

There are 6 silver contact points on the blue electrical ribbon you reference. It looks like they just stick through the blue ribbon. Do I just pull the blue ribbon away from them, and when I put the ribbon back just press down around them?

RE: Turn speedo on its side gently slide the shaft just past the metal gear & the gear will come free. Don't go too far or the the other numbered gears will come off too & I'm pretty sure you don't want that to happen. I used a toothpick & a few drops of epoxy on the inside of the gear, ...

If I understand what you wrote, the metal gear should not be spinning on the shaft. So after getting the shaft to stick out of the siding, use a toothpick to place a bit of epoxy on the inside of the gear.

Is this correct?

Thanks much. I've been riding without an odometer for too long.
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Raynor Shine
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

jdbs3- on the sivler connectors, it is a plug that pulls away from the speedo, just be careful not to damage the blue strip.

correct- the gray gear should not spin at all. As i understand it, that is what causes the speedo not to engage and work properly.
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jdbs3
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Raynor Shine,

Just figured out your handle :)

RE: 2) Once removed, carefully move needle past the stop and to the mark on the speedo head.( small car instructions). carefully pull needle from sppedo.

Thanks for the last feedback. For the silver connectors, I got the plug out by using a small screwdriver and tweezers. I've moved the needle past the stop to the mark.

But I am not having any luck getting the needle off. It is stuck fast.

Any thoughts?
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Raynor Shine
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Small car says to use two spoons. I just got my finger nails under ther and pulled up.. Be careful here, the needle will break. Take your time & give it a good upward pull. It'll come off.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Courtesy of luvdavdubs: use a fork.

Haven't tried it myself.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was explaining how I had repaired my odometer on my 84 Vanagon to a friend by taking it apart and putting it back together. His reaction was "That's illegal". i corrected him by pointing out that if I lowered the number and tried to sell the van as a low mileage van, then that would be illegal, but when the miles showing after repair exceed 214,000, low mileage is not in the discussion at sale time. Very Happy
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 12:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I saw a write up where the gray gear was removed and placed flat on the bench and a small phillips screw driver placed in the center of the gear and then struck with a hammer, on both sides to make four little burs on the center of the gear, then the shaft was forced into the center of the gear, causing the burs to bite into the shaft. I've tried this and it has worked for 1000s of miles. The write up said that the epoxy or JB weld had failed after a short while.
http://www.twistedlimbpaper.com/brian/vanagon/Odometer.htm
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tencentlife
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2009 7:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, it'll work for thousands of miles. I've tried every method of fixing that gear to the shaft save a roll-pin; knurling, super glue, you name it. They've all worked for thousands of miles, usually a year or two, or even more. And then the thing just stops again, and you open it up and the shaft has walked on out the side again just as it always does.

When you add a hard physical stop to the end where it walks out, it makes it impossible for it to move in that direction again.

How long has my stop-fix been on there? Well, uh, thousands of miles (couple years now). So far so good, is all I can say.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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