Help! Odometer isn't working on the 1995 maxima I just purchased. (long)
 

A few days ago (6/8) I purchased a 1995 Maxima from a fellow .org member and yesterday (6/9) I noticed the odometer (110K) and trip odometer weren't working.

The speedometer, tach and temp gauge still work (not sure about the gas gauge).

I have NOT changed the title of the car to my name yet because it requires the seller to acknowledge if the odometer is reading the actual miles or if it's not the actual miles (odometer discrepancy). The seller did not mark on the title that the odometer was incorrect, so I want to resolve this issue before I have the title in my name.

Along with the normal Bill of Sale, the seller gave me an Odometer Disclosure Statement that states the odometer is correct. Currently, the odometer has the same mileage on it as the title, so the gauge was not working previous to the car being sold...

I DO NOT think the seller is trying to swindle me because..
1. He's a fellow .org member with over 1K posts.
2. The mileage on odometer reflects that of a 10 year old car.
3. The car was puchased in 2001 and had 84K, so for it to be 110K in 2004, that would be 8.6K miles per year, which sounds a little low but believable.

So what are my options?

1. I've heard there's a fuse that controls the odometer, could the fuse be blown and that's why the odometer isn't working? Or does the fuse control other things as well?

2. If I take the car to a Nissan dealer, can they install a new odometer with the correct/same mileage?

3. Can I could buy a gauge cluster (with mileage in the same ballpark) from ebay and install it?

4. What kind of impact will replacing the odometer have on the resale value of the car?


Any ideas, suggestions or comments?

Thanks for the help, it's appreciated!!!

I just bought a 96 with 104k on 6/05/04 and drove it about 50 miles before my odometer and trip stopped working. All other gauges are working on mine also. I am hearing a noise that I can only describe as rats in the dash. I assume that it is comming from the speedo cable, but i can not explain why the speedometer still works. The noise is usually heard while decelerating and turning to the right. Are you hearing any strange noises?

I have not heard any strange noises. I'll take a listen to the car at lunch or tonight and post my results later.

damn, this stinks..

IF YOU HAVE A FIVE SPEED THERE IS A GEAR AT THE END OF THE SPEEDO CABLE LOCATED AT END OF TRANNY THAT GOES BAD. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE THAT. AS FAR AS MILES YOU CANNOT BE SURE WHAT THE TRUE MILES IS. BUT AS LONG AS YOU PAYED A FAIR PRICE I DONT THINK A COUPLE OF MILES WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Thanks C MAX!

The car is a 5speed and the clutch was replaced 3K ago..maybe the clutch replacement prematurely ended the life of the gear at the end of the speedo cable?

Any idea what the gear is called and if it's difficult to install?

they just go bad, but it had nothing to do with the clutch. maybe the cable is or went bad and messed up the gear. but be very careful that gear is held in by a pin and if you dont secure it right(new pin suggested) it can fall off into the tranny and then its a rap. it happens very rarely but it happens. just be careful cause it will destroy your tranny if it falls in.
p.s. i think its callede the speedo gear. but nissan will know what your talking about its the gear that turns your speedo cable located where you plug the cable in the tranny. not expensive either.

Shouldn't that cause the speedometer to malfunction too?

yes it may start off as your speedometer rocking back and forth when you drive like a pulsation, then as it gets worst it can sometimes make a noise like a gear noise and then finally it will just stop working. i had a 92 that that did it twice, why? i dont know. but that is just one syptom. it could also be your cable, or actuall speedometer itself. but this was my problem when my odo didnt work.

Thanks again C MAX!

From what you describe, it sounds like it's the Vehicle Speed Sensor (Haynes manual 6-17)...would that be the right place to start?

Would it be wise to take the car to a dealership and have them do the repair? It looks like a relatively simple job to replace, but I'm still a novice.

Have you got a work history on the car, or did the seller do his own maintenance? You say the clutch was replaced 3,000 miles ago. How do you know this? Have you seen an invoice? If so is there an indication of the mileage on the invoice? I would check the paper trail of the repairs to give a sense of the mileage history since the guy bought the car.

For those unaware, I am said seller.

I don't think the timing of this could be any more...well, choose the adjective. Absurd? Crappy? ...just my (and/or the buyer's) luck? It had to have broken either on the day we made the transaction or the day before, since the trip mileage on my tank of gas was around where it should have been for how much I filled up when I topped it off for the buyer.

I don't know what else I can say to show this really is an accident. It should be pretty clear to those that know me on here that I'm pretty honest when it comes to cars :) ...besides provide copies of maintenance receipts that detail mileage, which I still have possession and intended to copy anyway. (By the way, I goofed when I said 3k when you looked at the car, concerning the clutch replacement - I meant to say 3 months. It wasn't that long ago in mileage)

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That being said, any more ideas? I was thinking among the same lines as spirilis after pondering it a bit more - if it's the speed sensor, I'd think the speedo and tach would be fidgety. I've never had a problem with either (or the odos).

I did some searching and found a number of people with the same problem, but really didn't find any answers. So I'll take any more ideas you guys have. Hopefully it will be something relatively simple that I can take a stab at.

I just recieved some info from BAT Auto Technical, and the advise I got was that "it usually means a little plastic gear in the speedo head broke. A local speedo shop should be able to repair it for under say $150, or you could look for a used one." Has anyone ever tried to open up the speedo, or do we just wait for the right one on E-Bay?