NB SE Tacho and Odo stopped working

[KevGoat]

I wonder if Mazda can "update" the other ODO to match your kms?

Yeah, I was thinking about calling in to my local Mazda dealer to see if there was anything they could do. I took the photo's straight after each other, so that I can keep track of the exact difference.

This is the bit that stuffed in yours?

That's the bit Dave. It's easy to take out and change over, only took a couple of minutes to test mine in the replacement panel. Unfortunately, some component on the circuit board must be faulty in mine.

I'm hoping there's not some other underlying issue that's caused the initial failure over a period of time ....

[KevGoat]

So, I've had a couple of queries about the instrument panel microcontroller and for some photos. There's "how to's" elsewhere on the net on how to change these over, but as I'm adding the photos, I thought I'd do a quick explanation anyway ...

This is the MC still installed in the instrument panel. The bulb in the middle is the ODO lighting. There are two black connectors. One screw on each side holds it in place.



To remove the MC from the instrument panel, I removed the three T5 bulbs located between the two black connectors, then I carefully used a flat blade screwdriver to slide the two connectors out ...



Remove the screw from each side, then carefully lift the flexible circuit off the three little plastic "clips" located around the ODO light bulb in the centre ...



Then lift it carefully from the instrument panel being cautious of the flexible circuit board around it ...





... and here's the circuit board ... somewhere on there, I suspect, is the culprit ...



I tried to remove the circuit board by removing the two screws and the black cover over the ODO LCD, but the LCD screen got in the way of lifting it all out. The screen can be unplugged from the board, but I wasn't willing to risk damaging it, as I'd like to see if it can be repaired so that I can replace the MC back in to my instrument panel and recover the correct odo reading. The broken tab (on the right in first few photos and on the left in the above photo) was my doing while "carefully" trying to remove the circuit board from it's case ...

I'm thinking maybe a computer repair place might be able to test and fix it? It's pretty tight on there with some really tiny parts. It would need some precise and careful work to replace anything. Any ideas on who'd be capable of fixing this sort of thing? I could easily send it to someone if there's anyone on here who has the capabilities to do this with the precision and quality required ...

[hks_kansei]

Just so you know, there are places that can update the odometer.


In the past I contacted these guys about having an NB8A odometer updated when I was looking to get a jap cluster for mine.

http://www.howardinstruments.com.au/

They said they can certainly do it, from memory all they needed was me to sign a stat-dec to prove it's a legitimate change. I think they said the cost was about $200 from memory (was a while back though, so pricing might be different now)


In the end I just bought myself a new cluster which was close enough to my genuine kms (within 10,000km) since the new cluster was cheaper than the cost to change the reading.

[KevGoat]

Thanks for the link. I might give them a call, but $200 (+ by now) ... ! A new cluster with similar odo reading would certainly be the better option. As I only need the odo/mc to change into one of my clusters, it wouldn't matter which instrument panel I got hold of either, as long as post 2001 as far as I can tell (please correct me if wrong). Not sure there'd be many come up with around 40K though ... that said, if anyone reading this does happen to have one ....

[KevGoat]

Contacted Howard Instruments and they quoted $220 to reset the odo. They'd just require a copy of the same SA Gov form that Okibi linked to earlier. Need to wait long enough to ensure that the fault doesn't re-occur before even considering doing anything. Mean time, I'll also be keeping an eye out for another odo that's close to mine.

[KevGoat]

Ok ... happy ending ...

Long story short, I found a local "gauge guy" (Adelaide Speedo & Gauge Service) who really sounded like he knew what he was talking about. Even came to my place and collected the instrument panels and delivered them back to me after he'd fixed it!!

Don't fully understand what it was, something to do with a speed signal converter component that takes the signal from the speed sensor, converts it, then sends the new signal to the speedo and another to the ECU.

So all fitted back into the car and this morning went for a good 200 km drive and not a problem!

Was certainly an unusual and challenging fault.

Thanks to all who helped out with supplying parts and those who offered to help me out by lending parts ... this really is a great community ...

[Mr Morlock]

you have done well and very perstistent- better than me! I had a Bosch electric drill charger fail far too early and had it examined by someone who knows what they are doing. He reckoned that its all about time to find the fault ( there was a big short in a component) and then its often impossible to buy components.Bosch only warrant for 12 mths and basically could not care less. I ordered a new one rather than throw away a "professional" quality drill that had done little work. These battery drills are actually costly in the long term i.e. replacing them. How many $ an hour for a techo? Personally I would not give a hoot about the odo reading- it's still something that is traceable and recordable in the service book but thats just me. Cars all deteriorate.

[KevGoat]

Thanks Morlock. I'm a stubborn b#stard, I don't give up easy Nice thing with the way it was fixed is the odo wasn't affected after all, so all worked out really well! Strange how things like this can sap one's confidence in something though. I was nervous about driving the car again. I had to really talk myself into it! Happy now though ... and can now focus on fitting the other goodies I've collected over winter