Tech: How to swap odometers

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Mike

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Found this because someone was asking how to swap clusters.

Hodges87 said:
I bought a OBS Escalade cluster for my truck and couldn't find much info or pictures on how to disassemble a cluster and use your original odometer. So I wrote this guide. Hope it helps!

95-98 OBS Gauge Cluster Disassembly & Odometer Removal

Step 1: Remove cluster from vehicle
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Step 2: To remove the clear plastic cover pry and push in these 3 black plastic tabs
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Step 3: Turn the cluster over and VERY CAREFULLY pry the tab and push in the circuit board till it’s past the tab.
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Next, take a small screw driver and pry here slowly and the front of the cluster will start to come out of the housing. Remember, be patient and take your time, you don’t have to pry hard for it to come out, if it doesn’t want to come out check the tabs in the above photo.
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Odometer Removal: The odometer is located here. To remove the odometer unscrew the (2) T-15 Torx screws and unplug the connector going to the cluster (Be careful it has a retaining tab, move the odometer for better access to the connector).

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Did a little more digging and found:

Cavalry said:
PLEASE NOTE!
THIS INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR "TURNING BACK" ODOMETERS. THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ACT! THERE ARE LEGAL REASONS TO CHANGE AN ODOMETER. AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE I HAVE TRANSCRIBED THE FEDERAL LAW REGARDING THIS

Step one. Remove the gauge cluster. If you need directions on how to do this you dont need to be going any farther!

Step two. Remove the 4 gold colored T20 screws holding the bezel to the back of the cluster. Remove the bezel. Take care not to damage any of the needles.

Step three. Flip the back over (still taking care not to damage the needles) and locate the pins that hold this whole thing together.

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Push them with something flat (like the torx bit you used to take it apart) There will be quite a few groups of pins to work out. Carefully work the face off the back. Dont forget to remove the connector for the odometer motor. You are still taking care not to damage the needles right?

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Step three. remove the 2 torx screws from the odometer assby.

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Step four. Carefully pry the offending numbers off the odometer carrier

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Step five. Remove the white plastic retainter strip. There is no going back from here so be ready to go though with the job, or have spare odo.

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Step six. After the strip is removed you can turn the numbers what you desire (0000000 RIGHT?) To do this work from left to right. I usually try to undershoot the number I want. This is difficult to explain how to do. Relax in your armchair while you tinker with it. If you have an IQ above room temperature and any mechanical ability at all, this shoud not take you more than 15 mins to get where you want. The important thing here is to be patient, and do not force anything. The goal is to have the numbers (lining up of course) on the top and the retaining pins 180 deg away to the bottom. Once you get it where you want, put the plastic retainer back on. I usually undershoot the goal and manually turn the shaft after is assembled in the carrier, to the desired numbers. This also insures that everything is working properly.

Step seven. Put everything back together in reverse that it came apart. I like to replace the cluster bulbs while I have it out, and do some dusting back there.

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THE LAW.......


The Federal Odometer Act

Advertise for sale, sell, use, install, or have installed, a device that makes an odometer register a mileage different from the mileage the vehicle with driven;
Disconnect, reset, alter, or have disconnected, reset, or altered, an odometer intending to change the mileage registered by the odometer;
With the intent to defraud, operate a motor vehicle on a street , road or highway, if the person knows that the odometer of the vehicle is disconnected or not operating; or
Conspire with others to violate the odometer law.


To counteract this temptation and to protect consumers, the federal government passed a law called the Federal Odometer Act. Anyone purchasing a car in the United States is protected by this act.

Under the act, it is unlawful to tamper with an odometer in order to change the mileage registered. Tampering can take a number of different forms, all of them illegal. For example, it is a violation of the act to drive a vehicle with a disconnected odometer (which therefore would not register the miles), or to install or sell a device that makes the odometer record mileage inaccurately. It is also a violation to reduce manually the number of miles on the odometer.

Notice of broken odometer

Sometimes odometers break or malfunction. According to the act, if an odometer is broken, it cannot be altered when it is being repaired. If an odometer cannot be fixed without being altered, it must be reset to zero. A written notice must then be attached to the vehicle's left door frame that states the mileage before the repair and the date of the repair. You can then add the mileage on the door frame notice to the mileage on the odometer to get the total miles.

As a consumer, be aware that the person or company selling the car is responsible for knowing the correct total mileage. The seller must convey that information to you in writing. The act prohibits the transfer of ownership of a car to a seller without full disclosure of the actual total mileage. If a car’s actual mileage is unknowable, or if the seller is unsure of the actual mileage, he or she must tell you in writing that the actual mileage is unknown.

If the odometer has been changed

So what can you do if you learn that someone has tampered with your odometer or in any way violated the odometer act? If you discover the violation within two years of your purchase, you can bring a suit against the individual or car dealership that sold you the car. The law requires you to prove the seller’s intent to deceive. That means you must show that the odometer was changed in order to make it seem like the car had less mileage on it, as opposed to it having been altered by accident. In most cases of odometer tampering, this may not be difficult to prove. The harder part is discovering that your odometer has been tampered with in the first place.

If you are successful in your suit against the seller, you are entitled to the greater of either $1,500 or three times the amount of actual damages. Actual damages would be the difference between the price you paid for the car and what it was really worth at its true mileage. If you paid $3,000 more for the car than it was worth with the actual mileage, then you could receive $9,000. The seller can also be ordered to pay your attorney’s fees and costs if you win.



An interesting note....every one that has ever changed gears or tire size and not adjusted the speedometer to read correctly...guess what you are a felon!

"Advertise for sale, sell, use, install, or have installed, a device that makes an odometer register a mileage different from the mileage the vehicle with driven"
 

6chevy9

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in that case i know a someone with 513 gears with a 0000000 set odometer hahahaha. but he would never ever sell his truck....still funny though.
 

metalshredder

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do you know how to FIX the odometer on a 1990 cluster? Specifically it's my trip odometer that isn't working. The main one works fine.
 

Silentkillzr

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I made a plate to fix the odometer/trip issues, take it apart its not hard. never stops working ever now.
 

1993GMCSierra

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I'm getting hung up at step #6.

I've got the spare odometer out, and am currently fiddling with it. I can get the first two to say "00" with no issues, but the third will not match the first two without that little silver spacer showing. I've tried moving it all sorts of ways using various patterns to the rotating, but I can't get it to line up without the silver disc. It doesn't bother me, because it's going in my GMC, which I have no plans on selling, but if I leave that strip off the back, I think the numbers will roll everywhere when I hit bumps and such.

Does anyone know how to rotate those little silver spacers without damaging anything?

EDIT:

Got it down to 83 miles, good enough. :D
 
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Silentkillzr

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The trick is to take off the black strip, and rotate the numbers backwords. from highest digit to lowest, you have to basically pull on the whole thing and rotate the silver clip around, line them all up at zero and line up the silver things and replace black strip. Pretty simple if you toy with it for about an hour.
 
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