Defective Escort Odometer

Its the Instrument Panel Voltage Regulator. It is against Federal Law to tamper with any part of the speedometer/odometer. If you need it repaired, you must bring it to an authorized repair facility.

Thanks for the quick response! I just want to eliminate the sender unit before I spend the money to have a used replacement reset at an authorized dealer ($120!)

Pygoscelis Papua wrote:

The sender is the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) on the transmission.

Tampering with the way it works or the mileage isn't legal, but repairing it to original specs yourself is.

- bent/bad contacts. Most units have a bunch of spikes/pins that slide into the board above. Gently buffing the contacts with fine grit sandpaper and squeezing the contacts together(gently, with the pins out/board removed)- that will ensure a nice, tight fit.

Card-edge connectors are the same sort of deal. Sometimes you have to take the connector apart and squeeze the tiny pins together. Other times, it's terminal and you have to directly solder the wires to the board.

- cold solder joints. Easy to check - look at the contact and power connectors - the backside likely has a couple of bad or intermittent joints. re-solder and presto - good to go.

My thrasher/beater Neon (hey it runs and I paid $600 for it!) was a matter of the first problem - gently squeeze the connectors that the pins slide through the board into together and a little sanding - and presto, good as new. Radio was the same - $40 at a parts yard - fix a wire, replace a rear speaker, and presto - good as new.

People moan about these little cars, but they are cheap and easy to DIY fix.

The Escort's spedometer appears to be of a simmilar modular design, so look there first. Oh - taking the dash apart may be tricky. It was a snap(literally) in the Neon, but Ford has a way of making things odd at times.

Your right Joseph Motor Vehicle Cost Information Act, 49 U.S.C. Section 32704

1. (It shall be unlawful for a person) "with intent to defraud, operate a motor vehicle on a street, road, or highway if the person knows that the odometer of the vehicle is disconnected or not operating; or

1. The owner of the vehicle or agent of the owner shall attach a written notice to the left door frame of the vehicle specifying the mileage before the service, repair, or replacement and the date of the service, repair, or replacement.

2. A person transferring ownership of a motor vehicle shall give the transferree the following written disclosure

A) Disclosure of the cumulative mileage registered on the odometer,

B) Disclosure that the actual mileage is unknown if the transferror knows that the odometer reading is different from different from the number of miles the vehicle has actually traveled.

(b) Mileage Statement Requirement for Licensing. - (1) A motor vehicle the ownership of which is transferred may not be licensed for use in a State unless the transferee, in submitting an application to a State for the title on which the license will be issued, includes with the application the transferor's title and, if that title contains the space referred to in paragraph (3)(A)(iii) of this subsection, a statement, signed and dated by the transferor, of the mileage disclosure required under subsection (a) of this section

You DO know that all of this nonsense only applies if you intend to run it without an odometer or are selling it and lying about the mileage?

So - fix it. Nothing you can't do there yourself if it's contacts or bad solder connections.

I said you were right, what the hell else did you want? Here, try this

To all reading this post, I sincerely apologize for not being 100% accurate in my original statement. To make things clear, I have posted an excerpt from the federal law regarding odometers.

Does that work for you? I think it's important that Simon knows what he is working with. I would rather spend $120 than to ever sell a vehicle and be accused of tampering with the odometer. The defense lawyer will cost more than $120.

Not getting mad at you :) = Just pointing out how obtuse our laws are sometimes.

NP, my apologies.