Copyright © 2004 by Jeffrey G. Backes, All Rights Reserved
Note: There are federal laws regarding tampering with vehicle Odometers. FOLLOW THEM!
Note: If you don't want to hassle with all the work of replacing the gear yourself, just remove the speedometer and send it off to Larry at TCParts.com
At about 60,000 miles, most Chrysler TC odometers stop working. I've read that this failure is caused by the grease that was used to lubricate the small planetary gear. The major symptom is that the speedometer works and the odometer does not.
This project will show you how to replace the broken gears with new ones.
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The hardest part is probably working on the speedometer/odometer itself. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate this project a 4.
The first time I did this project it took me 2 hours from start to finish
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Remove the small leather covered triangle to the left of the instrument cluster cover |
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Using a stiff putty knife, lift the leather covered strip to the right of the instrument cluster cover |
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Here is a photo of the left cluster cover screw taken through the windshield |
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And a picture of the right cluster cover, also taken through the windshield |
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Using a flexible or very short philips screwdriver, remove the right and left instrument cluster cover screws. I had to make a tool using a 1/4 inch socket and a number 2 philips. Note the high-tech plastic used to secure the philips in place ;-) |
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Remove the two screws attached to the underside of the instrument cluster cover's top |
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Remove the light switch knob. Note the retainer that keeps the knob from coming off in your hand. It would be best if you compress the retainer toward you as you pull on the knob. I just yanked on the sucker ;-) |
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Pull the cover off by sliding it toward the rear of the car. Note: Pull straight back NOT UP! |
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Remove the right philips head instrument cluster bezel screw |
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Remove the two top philips head instrument cluster bezel screws |
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Remove the left philips head instrument cluster bezel screw |
At this point you can choose to work on the instrument cluster while it is still connected to the car, our you can removed it and work in the comfort of your house/shop. Larry from TCParts recommends that you do it in place, as there are some issues with airbag cars! I have a 1989 so that's not an issue for me.
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If you are choosing to work on the cluster out of the car, remove the orange connector then the gray connector from the back of the instrument cluster. Note that this photo was taken through the windshield. |
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I just had to show you this! The lower right philips screw had been stripped at the factory. Look how they fixed it :-) Quality Italian workmanship :-) |
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You'll need to remove the five 7mm screws that hold the bezel cover to the cluster |
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Remove the clear plastic cover and the black plastic bezel and put them aside. This will expose the instruments. |
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Again using your 7mm nut driver, remove the three screws holding the speedometer in place. Then pull, wiggle, wiggle some more, and pull some more till the speedometer comes free from the cluster |
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On left side of the speedometer is the odometer motor board. You're going to have to remove this motor board to get access to the gear |
NOTE: You should take the donor speedometer apart first so that you get "the hang of it" before you take apart your hard to replace TC speedometer.
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Remove the seven screws that hold the clear plastic parts of the speedometer together. |
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Remove the trip odometer reset button by pushing back on the black plastic. |
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You can then remove the shaft of the reset button by pulling the two pieces apart. |
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Once you have all of the screws out, and the odometer reset removed, you should now be able to wiggle the speedometer parts around so that you can get access to the two screws holding the odometer motor board in place. |
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Pull the odometer motor board away from the speedometer. This will expose the offending gear. Remove the broken gear from the odometer motor shaft. |
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Here is the bad gear. Note that there are teeth broken off on the inside, and that the gear itself is stuck on the shaft. |
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It was jammed so tight, it split one of the large gear teeth as well! |
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Using a pair of needle nose pliers, place the new gear on the odometer motor shaft (sorry for the fuzzy picture) |
Install the odometer motor board onto the speedometer using the two philips screws Reassemble the clear plastic speedometer parts using the philips screws you removed earlier Using a clean damp cloth gently clean off any finger prints that you may have gotten on the speedometer dial Reassemble the instrument cluster pressing the speedometer firmly into place and attaching it with three 7mm screws Install the black bezel and clear cover using five 7mm screws |
Replace the cluster in the car if you removed it. Now it's time for a test drive! Drive the car at least two miles. At some point in the trip, the odometer should start working again. If it does not, you can either go back and check your work, or remove the speedometer and send it to Larry at TCParts.com. |
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Here's a picture of mine! That's the first time I've ever seen miles on the trip counter!!! |
| Re-attach the instrument cluster cover, and the leather covered panels and you're done! |
Last updated: Saturday July 31, 2004
