odometer problems

Wed Sep 13, 2006 6:33 pm

what would cause the odometer to quit work...... but the speedometer still works.....

don't they work off the same input?

Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:14 pm

This seems to be a US only fault for some strange reason. I've seen it mentioned many times on US forums, but have never heard of it in the UK.
There's a little gear wheel (or two?) in the mechanism that breaks apparently. Spare ones are available in the US, according to the posts I've read.

Mon Nov 20, 2006 11:28 am

I have the same issue - so you can add Australia to the countries that experience the issue!

rob - did you find the source of the problem?

Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:26 am

Rob/540i, problem with odometer - the numbers stop rolling totally, or once you press the reset button the mileage doesn't roll to 0's?

As Brian stated, some cases it's the gears themselves. There're two types - VDO and MotoMeter. Each will have 3 pieces: 2 large and one tinny piece.

MotoMeter's S/N: 62 129 377 343.

I have a spare VDO replacement set, if you guys are interested? Never used since my cluster was MotoMeter and they aren't interchangeable.

piperzero

Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:58 am

My speedo works, but none of the numbers on the odometer or tripmeter move at all. Mine appears to be MotoMeter (judging from something printed somewhere on it) - so despite my appreciation at the offer, I don't think your VDO set will work for me.

Is the MotoMeter number you quote a BMW part number?

Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:22 am

540i, not sure whether it's in the BMW CD, but that was what's printed on the plastic bag. I got both replacement sets from a BMW supplier though.

The MotoMeter set cost me approx AU$49.

Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:13 am

I've had a look on realoem.com and they don't seem to sell the wheels separate to the speedo. The number doesn't seem to come up either. Any chance you can tell me how you found them? Did you just ask a BMW dealer?

Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:33 am

Holy thread revival batman.....

This seems to be a problem outside the US too, over here it's common but I never paid much attention until yesterday when mine broke...

Just in case it's of any help it has been reported on a Spanish site that if the fault in a VDO set of clocks is the small 12 tooth pinion, this can be replaced with a Scalextric drive gear.

I'll whip my clocks out later and hopefully pop to the toy shop !

Sat Feb 18, 2012 3:15 pm

I would be interested to know this, mine not working. What happens in hot countries is the cogs seem to go soft and the teeth shear off, my cab had three gears half stripped, my sport I still need to investigate.

If you buy the scaelextric cog could you take a photo for me?

Found some pics, upper pic shows what goes wrong, note small cog gone and teeth missing from black cog. Lower pic shows with replacement cogs from neic@bigpond.com or contact@ottoinstruments.com.au about 60aussie dollars.

Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:40 pm

Well, sorry to be a disapointment but despite fully expecting a situation like your 1st pic, I actually found that it was the reset mechanism that had sheared a plastic pivot point / hinge.

I rebuilt it with epoxy putty then redrilled it with a Dremel and I'll see how long it lasts...

But I have checked the thread again in the Spanish forum and there are no pictures but two people now claim to have successfully used the Scalextric cog for at least several months.

Also, the commonly believed cause of the problem round these parts is resetting the trip while tha car is moving.... doesn't explain why the failure seems practically non existent in the UK though...