QuestionThanks for answering my question Roland. I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT I DO. SHOULD I PAY ALL OF THIS MONEY TO GET IT FIXED, OR SHOULD I JUST TRY AND TRADE IT IN? I AM JUST CONCERNED ON WHAT I SHOULD DO BECAUSE OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING NOW,MY CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION EXCEPT FOR THE MILES THAT I HAVE ON IT. SHOULD I HAVE SOMEONE ELSE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS FIRST JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT'S THE PROBLEM? I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THAT'S WHAT THEY TOLD ME. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO ORDER A CIRCUIT BOARD AND A ODOMETER TO FIX THIS. IS THOSE THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE DASH CLUSTER? PLEASE HELP ME OUT ON THIS BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE ON WHAT TO DO. THANKS AGAIN ROLAND.
Followup To
Question -
I HAVE A 1997 PLYMOUTH BREEZE VEHICLE 2.0,4 CYLINDER WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND 101,000 MILES. I HAVE NOTICED SOMETIMES MY DIGITAL MILLEGE READER AND MY TACHOMETER(RPM GAUGE)QUITS WORKING EVERY NOW AND THEN. ONCE I START DRIVING IT FOR AWHILE IT COMES BACK ON A STARTS TO WORK AGAIN. NO MESSAGES POPS UP OR ANYTHING LETTING ME KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I AM NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON AT THIS TIME. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT MAYBE MY DASH CLUSTER THAT I NEED REPLACED. OTHER THAN THIS PROBLEM MY CAR HAS BEEN RUNNING FINE AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH MY VEHICLE. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT? IS IT GOING TO COST ME ALOT TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED? WHAT WOULD U RECOMMEND THAT I DO?
Answer -
Hi Monica,
If when tach and odometer quit the other meters on the cluster remain functional (coolant temp, speedometer, fuel gauge, trip odometer, gear indicator) then I have to agree that the problem is in the cluster proper and not its wiring connections or anyother part of the electrical system. I can say that because all the gauges depend upon the same power source and the same digital information source wires, and since the tach and the odometer are independent sensor they should not simultaneously stop working, then that pretty much eliminates every other explanation. It might be a broken internal conductive trace in the printed circuit board of the cluster. So the only way to find out would be to remove the cluster and carefully take it apart to look at the printed circuit board for the tach and the odo devices.
I wouldn't worry about this because neither the tach nor the odo are crucial to the safe operation of the vehicle. You might look for a used cluster at a salvage yard, because a new one will probably be more costly than you want to spend on the issue. Let me know and I can tell you how to take it out if you feel moved to do so. You can probably then go to a pull-it-yourself wrecking yard and salvage one by yourself for much less money.
Roland
AnswerHi Monica,
As I concluded, I doubt that there is any other repair than what the dealer suggested so I would not spend any money for another opinion. I would not be inclined to give up on the car just because of a temporary failure of the odometer and tachometer. It has no impact that I can think of on the running of the car. And if you want to keep track of the mileage that you are actually going, just get a log book and use the single trip odometer (if you have that feature and it works). Then you can keep a written record of total miles actually driven by starting your log with the present odometer reading and a 0 setting on the trip odometer when you next get fuel. Then every time you get fuel just add the trip odometer reading to the starting odo reading and that will be your 'true' odometer reading. Re-zero the trip odometer and carry that on at each refill of gas. No big deal and if you keep track of the gas used it will also allow you to know what kind of mpg you are getting.
So you don't really need to repair this situation at all. But if you want to get a cost estimate from the dealer and compare that with doing it yourself by getting a replacement from a salvage yard.
If it were my car, I wouldn't worry about it or spend any significant amount to correct it.
Roland
