odometer...

andy

aloha--- how difficult is it to change/get to the odometer gears(the car is a 1985 bmw 318i)...any help would be helpful...mahope aku

Ya know that is illegal, regardless of any work done.


Originally Posted by alexkerheadYa know that is illegal, regardless of any work done.

aloha---even if the gears are broken(do not turn) and need fixing???...mahope aku

Depends on the complexity of the actual mechanism and if it can even be opened to be serviced in the first place (some are sealed to prevent tampering.) If the gears are worn out on the number reels, then you'll likely never get them to line back up again and folks will know it's been tampered with.  Then, depending on the internal mechanism, there's the issue of certified recalibration. I recently went through this with an old Smiths speedo for my motorcycle.  Took it to a certified repair shop in Milwaukee and got the proper paperwork from him when it was repaired and calibrated, to keep with the title.

A lot is going to have to do with how Hawaii deals with car titles and reported mileage at the time of sale. Try a junkyard, search the web for someone certified to repair the current one, or bite the bullet and get a replacement.  If you can find one with less mileage than yours, just use an electric drill tied to the cable for a few days until you reach you current mileage.

Which gear are you concerned with, ones inside the speedo head or the one at the transmission that drives the cable. The ones on the transmission are generally held in with a simple bolt and clamp. If it is only the odometer that is not working but the MPH works you need a new assembly.


Originally Posted by merrylanderWhich gear are you concerned with, ones inside the speedo head or the one at the transmission that drives the cable. The ones on the transmission are generally held in with a simple bolt and clamp. If it is only the odometer that is not working but the MPH works you need a new assembly.

aloha---the odometer is not working...the speedo is okay...heard the odometer quot;wearing outquot; is common in bmw 30e series...was told there are 3 gears that need to be replaced!!?...mahalo...mahope aku

Well the only place that is likely able to provide those gears is a BMW dealer. If breakdown is common in this model, buying a used speedo assembly at a junk yard does not sound practical.

As far as legality goes, I'm sure it varies from state to state.  In Oklahoma, there are boxes to check on the odometer statement; one is quot;The odometer reading is NOT the actual mileage.quot;  The other is quot;excess of mechanical limitsquot; for odometers that rolled over to 00000.

The odometer on my '86 Saab 900T starting sticking at around 200,000 miles a few years ago; it only works when it's very cold now.  This is apparently not uncommon for these cars, which is too bad, since by the time they get this far along, higher mileage gives bragging rights!  There are some DIY instructions out there to fix the 900 (involves a drop of glue, IIRC) that I might try if I ever have the instrument cluster out.  Perhaps some of the BMW enthusiast forums have similar info for your car.

The actual mileage on a 20+ year-old used car probably isn't a big issue, anyway, but it's nice to have it at least counting even if there's a discrepancy from true mileage.


Originally Posted by merrylanderWell the only place that is likely able to provide those gears is a BMW dealer...

aloha---went to a bmw dealership they wanted $300+(ouch!!!) to fix the odometer...too much!!!...will live with the broken one(was just curious anyway)...mahalo(thanks) for the info...mahope aku