Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 17:57:50 -0500
Reply-To: Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Larry Alofs <lalofs@ENTERACT.COM>
Subject: Re: Speedometer Calibration
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Jay L Snyder wrote:
>
> I repaired my '89 Jetta odometer a few months back (and more recently, an
> '87 Vanagon odometer) using a new gear purchased from Palo Alto
> Speedometer. The only problem I had with the repair was determining at
> what position to place the speedometer needle back on the shaft. If you
> just stick it on the peg with the clock spring fully relaxed, it will read
> fast, as much as 8 or 10 mph. When I did my Jetta, I pre-loaded the spring
> slightly (I guessed about 10 mph) and sure enough, it read 10 mph slow!
> Yesterday I finally got around to pulling out the speedometer ( a bit more
> work on the Jetta than the Vanagon) and tried to figure out a reliable
> method for placing the needle back on the shaft. It appears there is a
> zero slash mark below the 10 mph "peg" that you can't see once the
> speedometer is in place. On the clock spring collar there is a line that
> needs to be straight up (12 o'clock) while you are putting on the needle.
> If you put the needle on to point to the zero slash mark, you can then lift
> the needle past the 10 mph "peg". This will pre-load the sping a little and
> should get you pretty close. My Jetta's speedometer is back to stock
> specs, which means it reads about 3 mph fast at 60 mph. I could probably
> get it right on (better then stock) if I really wanted to. I want to check
> it a few more times with the interstate mileage markers.
> I would be interested in hearing from anyone else who has had experience
> with this needle problem. I didn't notice this zero slash mark before on
> the Vanagon speedometer, but I am sure it is there. They are similar VDO
> units and the replacement gear is the same.
>
>
About a week ago I did this type of job on a Saab 900. One thing we
should be thankful for is the ease of speedometer removal on a Vanagon.
If you know what to do it takes about two hours to get the instrument
cluster out of a Saab, considerably longer to reassemble.
Anyway, to get to the point...I followed instructions given by someone
on the Saabnet forum. Before removing the needle I was able to lift the
end far enough to let it go past the stop post until it reached its
preferred position due to the spring. I made a tiny scratch at that
spot. After much nearly impossible work on the odometer gears, etc., I
tentatively pushed the needle back on, and after a few tries got it to
rest at my mark. I then lifted it back to the proper side of the post.
I have yet to take the car out on an expressway with mile markers so
that I can check my work in the case of the speedometer accuracy. At
least the odometer works now.
BTW the legend about the possibility of damaging the odometer by pushing
the trip reset while moving is alive and well on the Saab forums as well
as this list. As someone who has been in there, I agree with David B.
and others who have said "balderdash, kapiffle, and tripe!"
Peace,
Larry A.
Chicago
| 
