96; 2.3; XL; 4x4 - Odometer quits...

[LandonRobinson]

96; 2.3; XL; 4x4 - Odometer quits...

I posted about this before several months ago but for whatever reason I can't find the posting now, but anyway...

On short trips around town and on my 25 mile commute to work my odometer works fine, the trip odometer spins around, the main odometer spins around, but on like long trips over an hour or more at some point in the trip I'll look down and both the trip and main odometers have both quit working.

But the rest of the gauges and the speedometer and tach are all still functioning like they should be, so I was wondering if anyone else had run into this and what you had to do to fix it?

 

[adsm08]

Sounds like the little motor that drives them is giving out.

 

[Ranger850]

When I got mine, PO said dirt got on it and it would work intermittently. It had dust and dog hair everywhere. Took it out and blew it out with air. It worked fine after that.

 

[RonD]

+1 ^^^

The electric speedometer and electric odometer share the same signal wire coming from the speed sensor(VSS) on the transfer case(1996)

So if only the odometer is effected then the problem is in the instrument cluster.
Odometer has an electric motor and worm gear either of which can fail

How-to here: http://m.odometergears.com/howto/Ford_Ranger_and_Mazda_Pickup_Odometer_Worm_Gear_Replacement.pdf

This should apply to 1995 to 2003 Rangers

You can get another motor from a wrecking yard, above years Ranger or Mazda B-series will work as far as I know, and 1996 to 2001 explorer motor as well

"they" make a metal worm gear, but not sure where to get that now

When instrument cluster is out change all 6 bulbs, preventative maintenance

 

[scotts90ranger]

Getting the cluster out isn't too bad, I need to do it on my explorer since the CEL burned out... get the stereo surround out (2 screws and some snaps then take out the surround around the cluster then I think it's 6 screws to get the cluster out and I think 3 wire connectors back there.

 

[LandonRobinson]

Thanks for the replies.

I forgot to mention that if I just let the truck sit for like ten minutes with everything turned off and then fire it back up again and take off the odometer works fine again as long as I keep the trip short, but its its a long trip again at some point it quits again.

So I don't think its the worm drive gear because if that had broken or come out of place it would just never work again, so it sounds like that little electric motor is overheating and quitting.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, that could be from restriction from goo in the cluster, or a bad connection so taking the cluster apart and blowing it out and putting it back together will most likely solve your problem. The door window buttons on the drivers side of my explorer have been flickering the last month, took the back off to change the lock/unlock switch then put it back together and no more flickering. Bad connections can be a jerk...