Hi All,
I'm new here. Original owner of 1993 300SE with less than 7K miles(not a typo). Speedometer and all gauges works fine except the odometer/trip. Pulled instrument pod, removed speedo and took apart odom gearset per video instructions on odometergears.com. Thinking that I need to replace the gearset, but upon inspecting them, they looked fine...nothing stripped or broken. I'm stumped on what is causing my odom/trip to stop working. Yeah, perhaps I should drive the beast more often. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Been there Done that. Replace the gears per instructions. Wow 7000 miles.
Sweet.

6140, my gears didn’t need replacement ...looked fine. Odom still not working. What else can it be? :-(

Hold the small gear on the end of the shaft ,,the one that sticks out on its own ,------ [small one made of brass ] the shaft,, or spindle, runs through the pot gears .You will find the shaft is not conected anymore to the larger of the pot gear on the end .Slip a drill in to the frame that holds all the pot gears,, it must be the same size. Push it in but making sure they dont move any of the pot gears out of sync. Best to put some sticky tape over the numbers to keep them all in place .If they move it wont work right ..As the shaft comes out the frame rough up the end of the shaft ,.And pop a little super glue on the very end of the shaft .After this push the shaft back in mke sure you dont move them out of sync .Once shaft is in to the speedo and in possition tip the speedo in to a possition so that super glue wont run down to glue up up any other of the pot gears . ..

I assume this is a W140? If so, you likely have a similar electronic setup to the W126. It's possible for there to be a poor ground connection in the instrument cluster. There are also electrolytic capacitors that dry out and fail. When they go, the odometer and/or speedometer can go flaky or quit working altogether.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

optimus, I will take apart the odom again and inspect the gear/spindle. TY!

Diseasel, where do I look for the failed electrolytic capacitors and/or poor ground connection?

If the cluster has anything in common with the W126, there is a sort of metal strip that bonds the 3 instrument clusters together on the back side of the instrument pod. The metal strip is the ground link that ties all 3 instrument clusters together. They can get oxidation on the metal and prevent good ground. On the W126, there's a white plastic cover on the back of the speedometer. Removing it will expose the strip.

The capacitors in question are buried under the odometer part of the speedometer. If they fail, the odometer will not index properly. It is controlled by a stepper motor, not a cable like the earlier cars.

__________________
Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

This speedo in question is not electronic, but manual cable drive with gears insidethe head .. ..

I just went through this a week ago with my odometer. Mine is also a cable driven unit. You'll want to read through the following link.

How to Repair Your Broken Odometer

I didn't feel comfortable removing the dial pointer on my speedometer myself. I took it to a shop where it cost me $400 to get it fixed. In retrospect, the above link didn't address my particular unit, since it didn't properly address the fact that I had to remove the dial pointer. The way to remove the dial pointer was to twist while pulling upward. I may have saved myself $350 had I known that. I tried to push it straight up.

__________________
95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

For others that need to remove the speed pointer . First you lift it anticlockwise over the end stop .Then mark the dial with a pencil .. Use 2 plastic drifts one one side and one on the other of the pointer or you will dmage it ,some are hard to remove to get them off .When installing it put it back on to the pencil mark .This way the speed will be spot on . If unsure on taking it apart take a picture .

I tried that method. It took much more force than I was comfortable using. That's when I stopped and took it to a pro.

Further poking around on the internet told me pushing straight up on the needle will end badly, and a twisting motion will remove it.

__________________
95 E320 Cabriolet, 159K

A fork might work well next time, to lift the needle up. I think that is what another member did years ago.

__________________
It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. Robert A. Heinlein


09 Jetta TDI
1985 300D