I have a '95 Altima that I bought used and the odometer is working intermittently. Here's how I discovered it. I filled my tank up with gas and embarked on 150-mile road trip. For about 20 miles the odometer and trip meter both worked and then just stopped. When I arrived at my destination I obviously shut the car off. About 30 minutes later I got back in and started driving. The interior lights flickered a few times and all of the sudden the odometer and trip meter work. Then on the way home a few days later, the same thing happened. They both worked for about 20 miles and stopped. Since then they started working again until tonight. I fill the tank up, reset the trip meter and BAM!!!, they both don't work again. What's up???? The speedometer and tachometer and everything else seem to work fine, but something is freezing up my odometer!!! Any help/thoughts???
Sounds like a short in the instrument panel. You can take the dash apart and try unplugging and re-plugging in all the connecters to the instrument panel... other than that it may very difficult to find, especially since its intermittent.
I had a 95 with the same problem. Ended up being the connector on the back of the instrument panel. It was barely seated so it was intermittently connecting. Remove instrument panel and clean the connector with some wd40 then reseat tightly.
How do you remove the instrument panel? I havea 1997 Nissan with the same problem, sometimes the odometer works, sometimes it doesn't. Are there instructions I could use online, or is it relatively straight forward to remove?
How do you remove the instrument panel? I havea 1997 Nissan with the same problem, sometimes the odometer works, sometimes it doesn't. Are there instructions I could use online, or is it relatively straight forward to remove?
Very easy. Just screws and more screws. Start with the screws up under and around the cluster canopy. Remove. Then you will see the screws/bolts that hold the cluster in. Remove all and carefully pull the cluster out. Make sure your steering wheel is as far down as it will go. You will have to do a little manuevering to get the cluster out. Anyhow, remove all connectors and spray with contact cleaner then plug back up and reinstall. Worked for me on several Altimas now. If that doesnt do it it may be the speed sensor on the transmission.
My odometer problem is much different than all other threads. My odometer/trip set stopped working but my speedo and tach still work. Tonite i took out my guage pod but i couldnt get the wire clip right behind the tach off so i just made sure everything was connected and the odomenter still didnt work. How can the speedo and tach work but not the odometer?
I have a 95 altima and the sme thing but the thingy that mesures revs(RPM) doesn't work except for when it rains or I wash my car. Luckully my speedometer works.
hey rod the rpm meter is called a tachometer or tach for short. Hey mitch did you notice burn marks on you old gauge pods circuit? Cuz mine looks clean and new with no fry marks anywhere. I still think its weird that both tach and speedo work but not odometer. Doesnt the odometer work off the speedo? Is there a wire i can test with an multimeter? I use my odometer as a gas guage since most gas meters are very accurate. I used to get 350miles for every tank
take a close look at the speedometer asy it most likely has a gear from the speedo to the odometer for input and drive of the odometer. It is possible that the gear is slipping, come out of mesh or just stripped teeth. I am just guessing at that but seems the most logical way to keep it in sync with the speedometer. never really paid much attention to it though. I am curious now that it seems a problem. Mine works fine I assume but I may hit the salvage yard this weekend I will see if I can pick one up for cheap and do a little tinkering.
__________________ It's much easier to travel through a maze when you have a map!
Spat
Former Nissan Tech
14yrs ASE all but AT it's a bitXX!
New career - HandyMan/Electrician - Freedom at last!!
86.5 Nissan HB D21 234K Miles
94 Nissan Altima GXE ? Miles
97 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L 132K Miles
64 Chrysler 300-K 2-door Convertible 63K Miles
Thx spat, i was look for that gear cuz i separated the lense and black shield from the white holder but it only took me to the faces. Ill take a better look this weekend when i have time for the car to be inop.
you will need to separate the white shell from front or whatever, been a while, to expose the circuit board. There are three screws, if I remember correctly holding the speedo asy to the board from the back side. Then you will be able to view the gear asy. If you want to see it in action I can give you details on that but its a good bit of work for the DIYR and you have to be gentle when working in the panel asy. Many of the parts are fragile.
__________________ It's much easier to travel through a maze when you have a map!
Spat
Former Nissan Tech
14yrs ASE all but AT it's a bitXX!
New career - HandyMan/Electrician - Freedom at last!!
86.5 Nissan HB D21 234K Miles
94 Nissan Altima GXE ? Miles
97 Dodge Grand Caravan 3.8L 132K Miles
64 Chrysler 300-K 2-door Convertible 63K Miles
My odometer on my 1995 nissan altima stopped working about 100 miles into a 400-mile trip (which sucked!). I finished the trip and then I left the country, I am back now and want to sell it, however in addition to the odometer problem, when I bought the car at 70k the heat gauge wasn't working (the needle just goes all over the place)... still isn't working and now the check engine light is on but a mechanic couldn't explain why.
OH YEAH, the worst part- again, new. Every once in awhile, while trying to make a turn the wheel locks up and the battery falters- once it even shut down. Mechanic checked and the battery passed the test- its relatively new anyways!
Want to sell
Linear Mode
