Most common failure of speedometer units in Vanagons occur when hitting the trip meter reset button while the vehicle is in motion. This knocks the little internal wheels out of alignment. If you remove your speedometer unit from your instrument cluster and send it in to us, we disassemble the unit, align the pieces and stake them in place more securely. We do our best to turn around the speedometer within 48 hours from when we receive the unit. As the units are all getting older, we have found that we have needed to replace the gear on most units so we now are making that a standard replacement on all repairs (price is $58 because the repair is $40.00 and the gear is $18.00). Also, if you would like odometer reading to be changed from its current reading it is an additional $10.00 charge. If your needle needs to be replaced, there will be an additional charge of $35.00.
Please look at the photograph to the left. Note how we wrap cardboard around the face of the speedo and then tape around the whole unit. We ask you to do this or build a similar speedometer prophylactic to ensure that the needle will not be lost or damaged in shipment to us.
Instructions on how to remove your speedometer in order to send it to us: It is more handyman skills than tricky fancy tool mechanics. You remove the cover
by grabbing the finger holes toward the windshield and pull up sharply - you have to then unplug a number of connectors and switches - undo 4 screws - unclip the cable and then the cluster comes out. With the cluster out you carefully remove the circuit foil from the back - the one trick here is that there is a small rectangular plug that the foil feeds into on most models - DO NOT pull on the foil in this area - you take a small pick and work the plastic plug out of this hole and it comes out as one with the foil - then you just loosen the screws that hold the speedo to the cluster and you are home free.
