The only preventitive maintenance for the odometer is to be SURE you never reset it while the car is moving. This locks the trip odometer drive gear while the other wheels are moving, and will cause the zinc gear to slip. Eventually it slips all the time.

However, they usually croak on their own from the stress of operation. Occasionally, the worm gear on the drive shaft will "drive" off the zinc gear, too, prevening operation.

Neither is a big repair, about $100 if you send it out, 5 min of time after you get the cluster out otherwise.

When pulling the dash cluster on W123 and later cars, be VERY careful not to allow the hooks to slip free, they can catch the plastic cluster cover and yank the corner off.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

I've pulled 3 clusters recently at boneyard from 123 300Ds, and found none to have working odometers. They had stopped at 161K, 210K and 233K. They all suffered from the free-spinning grey titanium gear and were easily repaired.... (see my post on my cluster repair). I also found the numbers on all the odometers covered with an oily film. I wonder if this comes from the engine over time or maybe fumes from the oil pressure sensor?

I was wondering if it was any kind of violation to put one of these other clusters in my vehicle. Thanks for the insight into the rules.

If there is some interest, I'll do photos and attach them to the cluster repair post next week.

Thanks... Mr Goodfahrt

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Mr Goodfahrt (pronounced FAIRT... means "good trip" in German)

1982 300D Turbo Pastel Gray (off-white) 200k+(?)
newbie but willing

It's only a violation if you get caught trying to defraud someone.

Hell, I advanced the numbers when I repaired Marlene's odometer so that it was more in line with the PO's estimate of real mileage.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

It's illegal to misrepresent the milage on a car. Different states and the Feds differ on certification requirements, and some will call ANY deliberate or accidental change to the milage on the odometer a felony. However, they all have some system for certifying replacement/repair differences in milage. The real issue is to not represent incorrect milage as the true milage on the automobile.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!