Re: Trip Odometer Reset
"But I also have the problem that the trip odometer does not calculate miles along with the main odometer. Is this failure in the speedo itself, meaning I need to remove and repair the speedo?"
The problem could be the tripometer's reset cable OR it could be in the speedo head itself. Disuse is the ENEMY and few bother to periodically 'exercise' the trip reset function.
The reset cable is spring loaded to automatically return to its fully down and engaged position. Disuse can result in the reset cable being 'sticky' and failing to fully return/engage...
If the car is driven very long/very far with the reset cable left in between its engaged and disengaged positions, gear 'clash' can result with damage to the speedo head! The mechanism isn't high calibre in construction...
So, the first thing to do is determine if damage has resulted. Do that by taking a short drive and manually pulling the reset cable into its down/engaged position. You might have to try a few times for the gears to align and engagement to occur.
If the tripmeter suddenly starts rolling and counting miles, you MIGHT have gotten lucky and trapped the problem before significant gear damage happened! If so, consider removing the trip reset cable, cleaning its innards with brake cleaner + compressed air to remove dried cable lube and re-applying fresh cable lube.
Let the new cable lube soak in and then exercise the reset cable (round and round + up & down) until it's working smoothy in both modes. If you can't get the reset cable to work 'crisply' (up/down with automatic spring return), it's probably time to buy a replacement. The return spring could be so badly rusted and weakened by time/disuse, that attempts to rejuvenate it by cleaning + lubrication are futile...
"But I also have the problem that the trip odometer does not calculate miles along with the main odometer. Is this failure in the speedo itself, meaning I need to remove and repair the speedo?"
The problem could be the tripometer's reset cable OR it could be in the speedo head itself. Disuse is the ENEMY and few bother to periodically 'exercise' the trip reset function.
The reset cable is spring loaded to automatically return to its fully down and engaged position. Disuse can result in the reset cable being 'sticky' and failing to fully return/engage...
If the car is driven very long/very far with the reset cable left in between its engaged and disengaged positions, gear 'clash' can result with damage to the speedo head! The mechanism isn't high calibre in construction...
So, the first thing to do is determine if damage has resulted. Do that by taking a short drive and manually pulling the reset cable into its down/engaged position. You might have to try a few times for the gears to align and engagement to occur.
If the tripmeter suddenly starts rolling and counting miles, you MIGHT have gotten lucky and trapped the problem before significant gear damage happened! If so, consider removing the trip reset cable, cleaning its innards with brake cleaner + compressed air to remove dried cable lube and re-applying fresh cable lube.
Let the new cable lube soak in and then exercise the reset cable (round and round + up & down) until it's working smoothy in both modes. If you can't get the reset cable to work 'crisply' (up/down with automatic spring return), it's probably time to buy a replacement. The return spring could be so badly rusted and weakened by time/disuse, that attempts to rejuvenate it by cleaning + lubrication are futile...
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