Odometer issues after having replaced broken gear
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 16
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From: Catalonia
Odometer issues after having replaced broken gear
Hi, my LS400 has had no working odometer since I bought it in December 2023. After getting tired of tracking miles manually and having to manually adjust the odometer every inspection (it is mandatory to have it working here in Spain) I decided to replace dreaded broken gear. It took so long because the ideal way (sending it to Tanin) is an odyssey from the EU, not to mention quite expensive.
Luckily there was an alternative replacement gear on ebay which claimed to be compatible with the LS400. I ordered it, installed it and spinning it by the odometer motor axle it did drive the odometer as intended.
My surprise came when after installing the odometer and cluster back in the car, it still didn't work. My guess os that not only the gear was gone but also the small motor that drives it, either that or the circuit board driving the motor itself.
Does anyone have a wiring diagram so I can test the motor by applying voltage to it? If it turns out to be the motor, can it be repaired or is there any replacement for it? Even if I have to get a bit creative adapting an existing part.
One more small thing, does anyone have a transmission pan for the 1st gen lying around? One of the genius previous owners cross threaded it and i can't find replacement parts, so it is leaking a bit for now.
Luckily there was an alternative replacement gear on ebay which claimed to be compatible with the LS400. I ordered it, installed it and spinning it by the odometer motor axle it did drive the odometer as intended.
My surprise came when after installing the odometer and cluster back in the car, it still didn't work. My guess os that not only the gear was gone but also the small motor that drives it, either that or the circuit board driving the motor itself.
Does anyone have a wiring diagram so I can test the motor by applying voltage to it? If it turns out to be the motor, can it be repaired or is there any replacement for it? Even if I have to get a bit creative adapting an existing part.
One more small thing, does anyone have a transmission pan for the 1st gen lying around? One of the genius previous owners cross threaded it and i can't find replacement parts, so it is leaking a bit for now.
Last edited by Delta13; Feb 12, 2025 at 12:41 PM.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,788
Likes: 412
From: NJ
What year is your car? I'm assuming 1990-1992. Is it a US, Europe, UK spec car?
If the motor is burnt, you'll probably find that you'll have to locate a similar replacement that spins at the same or similar rpm
Shame about your transmission pan. That's my biggest fear. The pans are no longer made, so you may have to improvise by rethreading the drain and installing a larger plug.
If the motor is burnt, you'll probably find that you'll have to locate a similar replacement that spins at the same or similar rpm
Shame about your transmission pan. That's my biggest fear. The pans are no longer made, so you may have to improvise by rethreading the drain and installing a larger plug.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,788
Likes: 412
From: NJ
Here are all of the relevant troubleshooting steps which should help. I picked these from 1991, but it should be the same for yours
There are no written diagnostics for testing the motor inside the odometer module directly
There are no written diagnostics for testing the motor inside the odometer module directly
Last edited by CELSI0R; Feb 12, 2025 at 12:45 PM.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 16
Likes: 3
From: Catalonia
What year is your car? I'm assuming 1990-1992. Is it a US, Europe, UK spec car?
If the motor is burnt, you'll probably find that you'll have to locate a similar replacement that spins at the same or similar rpm
Shame about your transmission pan. That's my biggest fear. The pans are no longer made, so you may have to improvise by rethreading the drain and installing a larger plug.
If the motor is burnt, you'll probably find that you'll have to locate a similar replacement that spins at the same or similar rpm
Shame about your transmission pan. That's my biggest fear. The pans are no longer made, so you may have to improvise by rethreading the drain and installing a larger plug.
About the pan, yes it is what I am intending to do, but if someone has an original good condition pan i'd much rather buy it off them than rethread the old one.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,788
Likes: 412
From: NJ
Sorry about the lack of detail, it is a 1991 model year US spec, imported to spain back in 94. Sadly I do not have the details on the oem motor.
About the pan, yes it is what I am intending to do, but if someone has an original good condition pan i'd much rather buy it off them than rethread the old one.
About the pan, yes it is what I am intending to do, but if someone has an original good condition pan i'd much rather buy it off them than rethread the old one.
EDIT: I just saw your other thread where you spoke about your car. I forgot about that as it's been a while. Welcome back
Last edited by CELSI0R; Feb 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 16
Likes: 3
From: Catalonia
Thanks for the guidance and I'm glad to be back, to be fair I never left, I am always reading helpful info in here. I do have the repair manual downloaded from TIS, but I didn't find the odometer troubleshooting page and I figured there just wasn't one. Thank you for finding it for me, I have gone to BE-137 as the chart says and there is a resistance test on the odometer side, the only thing connected to the board is the motor, so it is a test for the motor,I will check when I can, if it is the motor at least I know what to replace.
I Will still be missing the info for a new motor though, so if some of the UCF10 conasseurs around here (maybe Yamae-san?) know it would be quite a lot of help.
I will update you when I do the check. Thanks for the fast response and good info as always CELSI0R.
Edit: I see you also have posted BE-137, it seems the vision of a would-be working odometer in the near future is blinding me with pure bliss
I Will still be missing the info for a new motor though, so if some of the UCF10 conasseurs around here (maybe Yamae-san?) know it would be quite a lot of help.
I will update you when I do the check. Thanks for the fast response and good info as always CELSI0R.
Edit: I see you also have posted BE-137, it seems the vision of a would-be working odometer in the near future is blinding me with pure bliss
Last edited by Delta13; Feb 12, 2025 at 01:14 PM.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 16
Likes: 3
From: Catalonia
Sorry about the absence, I totally forgot to mention that for anyone facing the same issue, mine very surprisingly started working again after about 20 miles with the new gear. The first 1-2 months it did not work until I hit about 70kph, quite strange, but now it works as intended and it correlates well with the trip indicator. So if anyone is facing something similar, try to run it on the highway to see if it just "magically" revives like mine.
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Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 817
Likes: 70
From: ca
Sorry about the lack of detail, it is a 1991 model year US spec, imported to spain back in 94. Sadly I do not have the details on the oem motor.
About the pan, yes it is what I am intending to do, but if someone has an original good condition pan i'd much rather buy it off them than rethread the old one.
About the pan, yes it is what I am intending to do, but if someone has an original good condition pan i'd much rather buy it off them than rethread the old one.
Another option would be to take the pan cover entirely and then work on the over-threaded bolt, that should be much easier.
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Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 16
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From: Catalonia
I have the same issue, and am planning to try first what someone else around here has done successfully: try to pry that bolt out of the pan. I know, it sounds like a lost cause, but it is possible. That guy used the blade from a box cutter and inserted it between the bolt's head and the pan and then carefully kept trying to catch the thread and eventually it worked. I was even thinking of trying those wire-cutting pliers, and then maybe force it out with that... but you have to keep spinning the bolt, otherwise nothing.
Another option would be to take the pan cover entirely and then work on the over-threaded bolt, that should be much easier.
Another option would be to take the pan cover entirely and then work on the over-threaded bolt, that should be much easier.
That said I am not looking forward to the next fluid change, I might do it via the radiator lines, I don't trust my new thread that much.
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 817
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From: ca
That last option is exactly what I did, took out the pan, forced the bolt out and made a bigger hole, rethreaded it to a bigger size, cleaned it out, put on a new bolt and washer and it hasn't leaked yet.
That said I am not looking forward to the next fluid change, I might do it via the radiator lines, I don't trust my new thread that much.
That said I am not looking forward to the next fluid change, I might do it via the radiator lines, I don't trust my new thread that much.
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 16
Likes: 3
From: Catalonia
Yeah, I wouldn't want to re-threat the hole. I was hoping to preserve the hole as the bolt is aluminum and the pan is steel I think. So it is possible to pull out or unscrew the bolt without damaging the threads - it is the bolt that gets damaged in the first place. Then you just get a new bolt and new washers and good to go!
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