Hi all... I'm a new Volvo owner but I've grown up around European cars all my life so I'm not totally green. My 1994 850 wagon's odometer was inoperative when I purchased the car. I'd already accessed the mileage from the CPU and after researching here and a few other places I ordered the gear kit from IPC. I opened up the cluster and found the original gear to be intact but it was very soft, almost rubbery and pretty much fell apart in my hand. I replaced it with the new part, inspected the whole unit for debris from the defective gear and made sure the odometer was physically working... I actually ran the mileage forward a few to make sure everything worked. After reinstalling the cluster... Still no odometer... Is the small motor on the end of the unit ever a problem? Mechanically everything is working. What's should be my next step?

 

There are two versions of the motor assembly. The early version, which you should have, has a pigtail from the motor that plugs into a connector on the circuit board. That type rarely gives any trouble. The later version has a PC board mounted to the motor that slides over some pins that stick out of the main board. That type causes trouble if the motor pc board isn't firmly seated on the pins.

I have not heard of the motors failing but it is certainly a possibility. Anything from VDO can and likely will ultimately fail.

...Lee

 

Well, I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but I just took the 850 on a 150 mile trip and sometime along the way the odometer started working and seems to be fixed. Now it's time for the next project... I think the heater core has a slow leak!

 

Watch the odo, check the mileage in the OBD-I and double check it if it stops again. I have problems at the wires connecting to the top of the cluster. My guess would be that it may not be getting it's signal. So if it stops for a few days, read the port, drive a little (a few miles, maybe 10 or 15), then check the port again to see if it's getting it's signal. If not, check the tiny wires real good.