Re: spedometer repairs

[David Erickson <davide@Rational.COM>]

> 
> 
> Care to prepare a brief instruction set for getting speedo/odo's
> in and out?
> 
> paul t-
> 

OK.  There are lots of differences from year to year and from model
to model, but there are also lots of similarities, which apply pretty
much to VWs as well.

the instructions below apply to my 86 Jetta:
remove the lower dash cover (in front of driver's knees)

remove the radio.  Some just pull out, others (like my Alpine) require
bending lots of little tabs flat back against the radio on top and bottom
of radio.  If you have one of those VW security code radios, disconnecting
it will require you to reenter the security code...

remove the switches and air vent levers, unscrew the air vent control

remove the trim piece that the radio, instrument cluster and switches fit
into.  There are a couple of hard-to-find screws hidden in the switch cut-outs

remove the instrument cluster.  VERY carefully pry off the two ribbon
connectors.  Removing the speedometer drive cable is easier if you use a
12" long very thin screwdriver to pry up the catch.  There is a plastic
handle for this purpose, but it didn't work.  Pull off the vacuum hose
if you have one of those upshift indicators.  Plug it if you intend to
drive the car while the instrument cluster is out.

The instrument cluster is covered by a large flexible plastic printed circuit.  You
do not have to remove it, but you need to be really careful with it.  Unscrew
the 8 or so screws that hold the instruments into the cover, and remove them
intact with the printed circuit.  Then disconnect the speedometer by carefully
prying out the connector and disconnecting a couple of components.  Don't try to
remove the connector by pulling, use something to lever it out from the side.

Remove the needle and front of the speedometer, and the printed circuit board
that is held in place by the plastic clips, and you can get to the gears and
make repairs.  I didn't disconnect the small brass spring that tensions the

speedometer needle, since it looked tricky and it was unnecessary to completely 
dissassemble the mechanism to gain access to the gears.  Be careful if you pull 
the shaft for the odometer indicator wheels - they will all come out and it looks 
like it would take a lot of patience to get them back in place.

After taking a look at the way the trip meter gets reset, I would have to say
that the suggestion I have read in this newsgroup a couple of years back not
to reset the tripmeter while the car is moving to avoide damage, is a bunch of
bs.  Pushing the reset pin disengages the tripmeter, aligns the wheels, and
is not working against the drive gear - when you let up on the reset pin,
the spring-loaded gears reengage, and at the slow speed of the drive gear,
could not ever cause problems.  OK, that's my opinion - flame away.