Mystery Mileage

[Jtrussell1890]

So I was wondering if there is a way to find the correct odometer reading in my 96 XLT 5spd. The original odometer had stopped working long before I came into the truck as the worm gear had disintegrated and was just a stain left on the rest of the plastic parts lol. Obviously I upgraded my instrument cluster to one from an explorer to get the tach and did the worm gear upgrade on that one before installing it. The original was stopped at 178k my current is at 369k and since I've been using an app to get correct speed since I'm running oversize tires I can estimate I've put almost 16k miles on the truck since I've owned it. Where that leaves me is a huge mystery. Someone mentioned using an OBDII reader to pull the mileage from the PCM, but since the odometer is mechanical and has no electronic signal I didn't think that was possible. However, if I'm wrong please, let me know or if there is another way to get accurate miles, I'm all ears.

 

[Curious Hound]

It may actually be stored in the ecu. Although the odometer looks like a mechanical unit with the little number wheels, it may be fed from an electrical signal. That's how the 96 Explorer is that I'm disassembling.

 

[Jtrussell1890]

I connected my OBDII reader (really just a glorified code reader with a voltage read out) and it says that vehicles info isn't supported. I may need to get with some one who has something a bit more advanced maybe.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

To the best of my knowledge using Forscan on 98-03 trucks, there is no mileage stored on the computer. Once the odometer stops working, there’s no real way to keep track unless you use a tracking app of some type

 

[Jtrussell1890]

To the best of my knowledge using Forscan on 98-03 trucks, there is no mileage stored on the computer. Once the odometer stops working, there’s no real way to keep track unless you use a tracking app of some type

As was my original thought. I didn't think the mileage was stored anywhere in the PCM on vehicles prior to like 01 or 02 when they started using digital signal for the odometer.

I have recently acquired a new gauge cluster from an 01 Sport Trac and the mileage reading on it says 185k so I'm ok with it I guess lol. Going to be doing some rework on the back of the gauge faces to get rid of the green tinting and adding a resistor to the temp gauge for more accurate readings. I'm also doing a different LED light swap for the main illumination so that I can have more adjustment to the color tone and achieve a specific color. Also updating the plastic dash trim around the gauges with a piece that's in better condition than my original, but adding a touch of accent paint to match the color theme of my new set up. Slowly but surely the interior is coming together even though the sheet metal still needs a few prayers lol.