850 odometer has topped working

[02GF74]

The odometer (and trip counter) on my 1994 Volvo 850 T5 has stopped working. A quick google shows that it is the small gear on the motor that breaks see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5XzLpfCMTE

So a couple of questions:
1. how to I remove the instrument panel - I'm hoping the entire dashboard does not have to be removed.
2. what is the part number and/or where can I buy replacement gear? (ebay - seems to have it; one set for all models)

As usual all help and advice much appreciated.

.... more googling shows it is pretty horrendous so I guess it makes sense to replace the bulbs to avoid having to go through the same palaver again - so anyone tell me what are the bulbs required?

[milgo86]

I replaced mine a month or two ago and I didn't think it was that bad really. I bought a trim removal kit off amazon, which was really handy. Definitely prevents damage on the plastic parts and I've already used them many times for other car jobs (boot panel, fuel filter QC etc.).

I bought the repair kit from PFS parts. The job doesn't take longer than a couple of hours if you do a bit of research on YouTube and work methodically.

[Stu B]

Hi,

I did mine earlier this year, here's some pics and info of how it came apart which might help? I bought the replacement cogs from PFS too, about £18 ish I think.


1. Disconnect battery. Remove dash top (lots of torx screws in air vents etc. Takes about 30 mins being careful to keep track of the bits.




2. Unplug green connectors and undo latches that hold cluster in.




3. Lift cluster out, disconnect small green plug for trip computer and vacuum hose for turbo gauge. Back of cluster looks like this. You can replace bulbs individually, but mine all work so I left well alone.




5. Take cluster into the kitchen as it's fiddly (and was very cold outside in Jan!) and remove nine torx screws around the outside, two at the bottom, three smaller silver ones in the centre and 8mm brass nut on nipple where turbo hose connects to. Lift off front cover.




6. Carefully lift off the face with needles and mechanisms intact to expose odo mechanism.




7. Didn't take a pic of the next bit but odo cluster lifts out, disconnect motor from the end of the unit and expose some tiny cogs. Library photo I found via Google:




8. Generally the small yellow cog is broken, mine wasn't but teeth were rounded and it was jammed. So I replaced it with a new one (very small, like 5mm dia so hard to photo)




I had a new cog to replace the larger blue one too on the back of that white circular plate, but that was glued in place and looked fine so I left it be, reassembled odo and rotated by hand to add a few miles and test it was working and reset mechanism worked. All fine.

Reinstallation is the reverse of removal as Haynes always say....

[Covert]

just dont go and press the odo reset button whilst you are driving as it will break the gear again !

[Luxobarge]

OP - note that there's a "how to" remove the dash top in the articles section at the top of this forum - well worth a look. It seems it's not that hard.

[02GF74]

thanks a lot - so not that difficult - I thought the entire front had to come out.

ordered a trim removal kit and gears