Fixing the odometer - how to get to the gears

[GenXer]

1993 MV - I’ve got the instrument cluster apart and I have removed speedometer gauge that has the odometer and the trip odometer. I’m trying to access the little gears to make sure nothing is loose. Right now, I can’t remove the face plate because of the needle. I’m pretty sure it’s a gear out of joint because the speedometer works. Every once in a blue moon the odometers will work. You can even get it to tick off a couple of tenths of a mile if you tap around it. My guess is a gear is loose or out of place. I feel I’m pretty close. Any advice on how to access the gears?

[TheOneTrueQuux]

[mikemtnbike]

If it's similar to a vanagon, there are a ton of threads in that forum for odometer repair. Usually, all you have to do is rig a way to put pressure back on the gears, again look in the vanagon forum for a more detailed explanation, I used the paper clip fix shown there successfully for years.

To get the needle off, a fork makes an excellent lever.

So, long way of saying- look in the vanagon forum, see if the photos there match what you are looking at, proceed from there.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[GenXer]

[mikemtnbike]

yeah, it looks just the same on my 1995, so probably on your 1993 too.

The vendor support and forum knowledge is night and day between the two platforms, but the Eurovan sure is nice to drive.
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1991 Vanagon GL 2.1 AT Westfauxlia. "Frankie" Totaled https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=764510&highlight=carnage
1995 Eurovan Camper "Marzivan"
2020 GTI SE manual

[OB Bus]

Do you have a speedometer shop near you? I'd start there before attempting surgery on a part that is likely fragile and contains pieces made from unobtanium.
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Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.
People deserve the Government they voted for.

[GenXer]

Well, it's finally fixed but not without a couple of issues. The issue appeared to be a green gear that had gotten lodged out of place. I pushed it back into position. I didn't see anything that is supposed to hold the gear in place but it seemed to be pretty hard to move. Hopefully it stays in place. If not, and if I have to do it again, I will add something to keep it in place.

As for the issues, the first is a simple issue. I put the steering wheel back on at a bad angle. I figure I will fix that tomorrow. The other issue is that in pulling off the needle, I managed to break the speedometer needle. Ouch! The first thing I tried to do was to superglue it back together but it just wasn't holding. In my attempts to do so, I noticed that the needle didn't look like it was made of plastic but actually looked like it was made of wood. This made me think that it was similar to a toothpick or a wooden skewer that you use for cooking. I pulled out a toothpick from our kitchen and decided, in for a penny, in for a pound. I ripped off the rest of the speedometer needle and glued the toothpick in it's place. I had to cut it down a little bit because it was a little too long but overall, it looks pretty darn good.

Fixing the odometer was actually one of two things I was trying to fix. The other issue is that the horn wasn't working. The problem became very apparent when I got the steering wheel off. There is a brass tab that was bent out of place. I bent the tab back into place and now I also have a horn.

So overall, not too bad. Odometer and horn are now working.

Before and after Pics of my toothpick fix for the speedometer needle.

[EuroTec]

Well done!
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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!