The
symptoms of the intermittent odometer problem include a wide range of erratic odometer
display behaviors, ranging from being completely normal at times to
completely inoperative at other times.
Common symptoms include
unexplained dimming, or sudden disappearance and/or reappearance of
the digital odometer display when you drive across rough pavement, or
in many instances for no apparent reason at all.
Some of
the odometer digits may be illuminated brightly while others are unusually
dim or completely blank. Sometimes you might observe “garbage” caused by
partially illuminated digits, such as the upper or lower half of the
digits being visible, while the other half remains blank.
Once
the intermittent odometer display problem starts to appear, it
becomes progressively worse with time.
In many cases,
the duration
and frequency of occurrence will vary with the ambient temperature
and humidity inside the vehicle. It will be less likely to show up
during periods of cooler temperatures and become especially
troublesome on hot summer days.
Eventually the display will remain
blank most or all of the time, regardless of the environmental
conditions.
During
the early stages of the problem, the odometer display can often be
temporarily restored
by “thumping” the dash
directly above the speedometer or on the clear
plastic cover of the instrument panel near the odometer display.
As
the underlying problems that are causing the intermittent display
become more severe, it becomes increasingly difficult to restore the
display in this manner, and the tendency to thump even harder
increases accordingly.
Eventually,
in spite of your best thumping efforts, the odometer display will
probably remain blank at all times.
Caution: As shown below, overly aggressive
thumping may result in a damaged dash or broken speedometer dust
cover.