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Odometer not recording miles...

K

KerryKool

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
2,005
Location
Tampa, FL
Well after the meet in Orlando, I'm on my way back home and noticed my odometer and trip meter not registering the miles. I believe somethings wrong with the actual gearing in the dash be cause when I hit the dash it would start again but stop soon after.

This has happend in the past, but it always corrected its self. And after driving the 90 miles back home and recording only 20 miles, well, you get the picture.

One more thing, the speedometer is fine showing how fast I'm going, but once I hit around 95 mph, the needle seems to stick and not move. Not that I would ever go that fast, :rolleyes:, but I would like to fix it.

Oh, and during the meet we replaced the VSS, so its definately not that.
 
sounds to me like the actual motor thats in the gauge cluster is malfunctioning.

I would suggest trying to pick up another gauge cluster to see if that makes any difference. You can get them from a junk yard for like $10.

EDIT: I just noticed you have a 95. is it Cable driven or electronic?
 
Electronic, its a late 95. I'll have to go by the junkyard sometime and grab a cluster or two. Maybe I'll find one with a tach...
 
After about 30 miles today, the odometer was fine. Like I said its very random. When I get a chance I'll go by the junkyard and grab a cluster to play with so I know exactly what to replace, if it needs to be replaced/fixed.
 
Anyone know if a 98 taurus has the same solution(s) to that problem? Just so happens the gf said here odometer and trip meter stopped working when she reset it when she filled up the car. Just thought I'd give this a shot here since we were already discussing the issue....
 
loggerbomb said:
Anyone know if a 98 taurus has the same solution(s) to that problem? Just so happens the gf said here odometer and trip meter stopped working when she reset it when she filled up the car. Just thought I'd give this a shot here since we were already discussing the issue....
Click to expand...

Tony2005 said:
Before you do that, make sure the Instrument Panel cluster connector at the back is not loose.
http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=202
Click to expand...

;)

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters. :blackeye:
 
loggerbomb said:
The taurus has the same instrument cluster as the contour? Or are you telling me that it's the same way to get it out?
Click to expand...
LOL. Sorry, I should have been clearer. I wasn't clear (soy no claro).

I am trying to say just check the connection at the back before you do major surgery.
 
There may be a common issue with Contour odometers: a little worm gear that drives the miles/km mechanical counter. It sits on the tiny motor shaft, inside the speedo assembly. This gear becomes very brittle over time and essentially falls apart. Not sure what it was made of, seems like some kind of rubber.

This gear went on my '95 Tour. I tried to get a used part at my local junkyard only to realize that the replacement candidate had the same problem: it just fell into pieces when I removed the little motor with the gear on it. Ford does not supply this part... actually they said they would sell the WHOLE ASSEMBLY only.

Does anybody have any idea where to get this part?

-95ContourGL
 
On rare occasions when mine does something like that pushing in the trip odometer button starts it working again. Even flicking the reset button would fix it.
 
The odometer gear site:
http://www.odometergears.com/subpages/ford.html
does not mention Contour. Can anyone confirm that this IS the right gear? If so, we all are home... including the case described above, when the odometer works intermittently (the gear slips, initital mode of failure).

Once I get hold of the right part I can post a detailed instruction on how to replace it... in my estimate it is no more than 1 hr job.
 
I ordered the worm gear from the web site that Matt R pointed out... I shall get it some time next week so the next weekend looks like THE DAY :) I will post the results asap.
 
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