This morning my dad and I attempted our first DIY, Brickboard-inspired repair on my car. I took some digital camera pictures, with the intention of creating a basic walk-through of the process, but I wanted to make a few comments first.

The little odometer gear was definitely at fault. When we opened up everything, it had at least two teeth missing, and it came apart even more when we tried to remove it with needlenose pliers (eventually just dumped it out and went from there). I *think* it had 25 teeth. My car is a 1989 240 GL sedan. The replacement gear had 25 teeth.

My one problem--while removing the speedometer cluster, we rested part of the bottom on the corner of the steering column. Eventually, through pushing and pulling, we forcefully and accidentally "removed" a warning light that was part of the bottom row. I thought it was a bulb failure light, but it apppears to have actually been the "Overdrive Disengaged" light (for automatics). I say this because the contacts and things were bent a bit, though it went back into its hole easily, because the "Overdrive Disengaged" light no longer works. The overdrive (and disengaging it) works fine, but the light no longer comes on when I click the button on the shifter.

I wish we had been more careful and avoided this incident, but it's not a huge deal. I don't disengage the overdrive *that* much, and now that I know what the problem is, I think I can cope. I suppose sometime before summer I'll have to pull out at least part of the speedo cluster again and try to repair this problem (anyone know where I can get bulbs and holders for those warning lights?), but for now I'm extremely happy I have a working odometer for the first time since early 2002! I'm at 103,275 miles, plus a few now that I've test-driven the car (plus 7,000 or so in the interim). 200,000 miles, here I come!
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'89 244 GL--25/22 ipd sways, Volvo truck amber turn signal lenses

Feels good, doesn't it !

Regarding the non-op O/d inhibited light:

(1) The cluster has many lights that are not used. Look for one near that amber arrow which has a green lens. It's the O/d engaged light for a M47 car. The holdrs can be swapped. BTDT.

In fact, it's possible - maybe - to do it without pulling the cluster. I did it on a 1984 244DL. Take out knee pad. Lie on back use a flashlight. Do at night, eyes less likely to close pupils. You'll see just what the flashlight illuminates.

Identify the lights - count how many lights from the right end of the row of lights.
Then get up and reach up in there with your left hand and arm. If you can reach them, swap them.

(2) The tiny bulbs in there are 14 years old, and I have found that a mere bump can cause an old and weak filament to give out. Get a batch of new bulbs. They are used lotsa places anyway.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

I'd be interested in seeing some photos of the job. My Odometer has shown 89,857 since I've had the car. I happen to know that it's probably done about 10,000 which are not on the clock.
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Drive it like you hate it

Where did you buy the replacement gear? My odometer stopped yesterday afternoon. Luckily, I know exactly how many miles I drove after it stopped.

Thanks,
Keith
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1983 245 Turbo, 165K miles; 1987 244 DL, 272K miles; 1980 244 DL (RIP); 1966 Ford Bronco- straight six, three-on-the-tree, NO frills

I bought my odometer gear from OdometerGears.com. Mr. Caplan was extremely helpful on the phone, emphasizing the ease of this repair and even explaining the entire process. I received my gear two days after ordering.

However, I wouldn't have fixed the odometer without Eric Stauffer's incredibly helpful guide to 240 odometer repair. My dad told me afterwards that he wouldn't have helped me (or probably allowed me) to do it without that writeup and those pictures.

Eric, if you read this post, thank you very much for your website! This repair wouldn't have happened without it!
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'89 244 GL--25/22 ipd sways, Volvo truck amber turn signal lenses