K-Bike Odometer fix FYI

[SweetT]

I had the odometer on my K75 go out twice due to worn and broken gears. There are 4 plastic reduction gears that allow the small electric motor in the odometer to turn the numbers over. I had to replace all of my gears as several teeth broke off. I asked Jeff at www.odometergears.com to make a set for me and he now has them for sale.

I know I saw a few threads recently with people who had the same problem with their odometer that I have, so I thought I'd let everyone know that there is a fix out there that doesn't require buying a new gauge pod.

[KBasa]

:thumb

[deilenberger]

I had the odometer on my K75 go out twice due to worn and broken gears. There are 4 plastic reduction gears that allow the small electric motor in the odometer to turn the numbers over. I had to replace all of my gears as several teeth broke off. I asked Jeff at www.odometergears.com to make a set for me and he now has them for sale.

I know I saw a few threads recently with people who had the same problem with their odometer that I have, so I thought I'd let everyone know that there is a fix out there that doesn't require buying a new gauge pod.

Terrific to hear! I'm making this posting a sticky!

[n5xwb]

I had the odometer on my K75 go out twice due to worn and broken gears. There are 4 plastic reduction gears that allow the small electric motor in the odometer to turn the numbers over. I had to replace all of my gears as several teeth broke off. I asked Jeff at www.odometergears.com to make a set for me and he now has them for sale.

I know I saw a few threads recently with people who had the same problem with their odometer that I have, so I thought I'd let everyone know that there is a fix out there that doesn't require buying a new gauge pod.


I recently asked about the subject. The results were good but a problem showed up. It takes a special tool to remove the needle without distroying the needle, shaft or face.

I got it fixed in Houston at a place - cost was $165.00

[deilenberger]

I recently asked about the subject. The results were good but a problem showed up. It takes a special tool to remove the needle without distroying the needle, shaft or face.

I got it fixed in Houston at a place - cost was $165.00

Donn - who told you a special tool is needed?

Gently prying from beneath the needle, with the jaws gently closed around the speedo shaft - using needlenose pliers works quite well. A bit of padding under the pliers will keep from marring the face.

BTDT more than once on lots of needle type instruments. The needles are a press fit on the shaft.

Just curious where you heard/found out a "special tool" is needed..

[n5xwb]

Donn - who told you a special tool is needed?

Gently prying from beneath the needle, with the jaws gently closed around the speedo shaft - using needlenose pliers works quite well. A bit of padding under the pliers will keep from marring the face.

BTDT more than once on lots of needle type instruments. The needles are a press fit on the shaft.

Just curious where you heard/found out a "special tool" is needed..


I tried your suggestion and it didn't work here. That was the reason for taking it to a local place. I did note a small metal tab that I thought was the needle lock. I did push up and down while lightly pulling up on the needle with no luck. I was worried about damage to the face or the mechanism.

I invision a tool with a like pliers with a v cut out

[cjack]

I had the odometer on my K75 go out twice due to worn and broken gears. There are 4 plastic reduction gears that allow the small electric motor in the odometer to turn the numbers over. I had to replace all of my gears as several teeth broke off. I asked Jeff at www.odometergears.com to make a set for me and he now has them for sale.

I know I saw a few threads recently with people who had the same problem with their odometer that I have, so I thought I'd let everyone know that there is a fix out there that doesn't require buying a new gauge pod.

I had occasion to try to help a fellow in AUS and found that the gears in a KM speedo are different...naturally. Is there any interest in making this set as well?
Jack Hawley

[RandallIsland]

Some guy on Ebay suggested:
Speedometer.com - Home of Overseas Speedometer & Instrument Service

Has anyone else found similarly beemer friendly outfits for speedo rebuilds?

[cjack]

Some guy on Ebay suggested:
Speedometer.com - Home of Overseas Speedometer & Instrument Service

Has anyone else found similarly beemer friendly outfits for speedo rebuilds?
Overseas Speedometer is a great place in our experience. We sent a clock there which they told us was not economically repairable but we wanted to repair it anyway for the face color, etc. The owner said if anyone could do it, it would be him. And he did a fine job.

[n5xwb]

Hey BMW Kbike folks;

By looking all over the net I came up with a source for the gears on my 1987 K100lt. It was very easy to fix and is working. I found out from him NOT to lubricate any parts because oil eats the gears.

The hardest part of the work was getting it off without removing the fairing.

73 de Donn Washburn Hpage:" http://www.hal-pc.org/~n5xwb "
Ham Callsign N5XWB Email: " n5xwb@hal-pc.org "
307 Savoy St. HAMs : " n5xwb@arrl.net "
Sugar Land, TX 77478 BMW MOA #: 4146 - Ambassador
LL# 1.281.242.3256 VoIP via Skype: n5xwbg
" http://counter.li.org " #279316

[Boxerkuh]

Great information and I see that this is also good information for the Airhead riders. Thanks, I hope that I don't have to use them, but just in case... good to know.... :brad

[dorongrudo]

I live in Houston with a dead speedo on my K75. Where is that magic place?

Thanks

[cjack]

I live in Houston with a dead speedo on my K75. Where is that magic place?

Thanks

What is dead on it? Usually the contacts inside which can be fixed by soldering jumpers around them (the only permanant fix). Or if the needle sticks, then it is the face plates warping. Time consuming, but fixable. Lastly it would be the gears and then only the odometer quits working.

[n5xwb]

I live in Houston with a dead speedo on my K75. Where is that magic place?

Thanks

I had mine fixed by Austin Speedo and it lasted about 2 weeks before their sorry part broke again. It also cost me $165.00 and had zero warranty. I will never recommend Austin Speedometer in downtown Houston again.

I finally fixed it myself with gears made by a guy I found on the INET. order@odometergears.com 757.593.3478.
Jeff Caplin Please tell him I mentioned him to you

Donn Washburn aka N5XWB

[PETERAWALLACE]

I had the odometer on my K75 go out twice due to worn and broken gears. There are 4 plastic reduction gears that allow the small electric motor in the odometer to turn the numbers over. I had to replace all of my gears as several teeth broke off. I asked Jeff at www.odometergears.com to make a set for me and he now has them for sale.

I know I saw a few threads recently with people who had the same problem with their odometer that I have, so I thought I'd let everyone know that there is a fix out there that doesn't require buying a new gauge pod.

Help needed on somewhat the same subject.
I have a 1985 K100RT I am reserrecting. Problem, the dash lights stay on after
the switch is turned off. If I pull the pos cable on the battery, light go off.
What would keep the dash lights on after engine shut down???:help :help

[dorongrudo]

I bought an old Garmin GPS and velcroed it to the instrument panel. Now I get not only accurate speed but compass too, not to mention the maps.
Cost = $60

Doron

[marktrawick]

All lights work on the speedo unit, but not the odometer or spedometer. Saw a post about soldering jumpers???? Can you expand on this please?
Thanks,
Mark

[Carguz]

Is it usually the gears vs. the motor. Is it pretty easy to see? Any tricks on opening up the cluster.

Thanks!

[marktrawick]

Just be careful and take your time. That's the best trick I know.

My speedo started working the other day....did not do anything special, but the weahter was colder....go figure. :scratch

[staciebug]

Any suggestions on a cheap fix for an instrument panel? First is was the speedo, then the odometer, I am afraid everything will fail shortly. Sometimes it works when it is cold outside.

[nh7robmw]

There's a lot of good info over on the IBMWR tech pages (Google IBMWR and look for the K-bike pages) but basically it usually boils down to removing the instrument cluster or "pod, " opening it up and carefully cleaning the contacts inside.

The three wire contacts on the upper right side (as you have the pod laying face down once opened up) seem to be the main culprits for the intermittent speedo scenario; they get corroded and don't quite make contact.

Before you go tearing your fairing apart (unfortunately necessary on faired K75s and K100s) to remove the pod I suggest you first check two other possible causes for cluster failure/intermittent operation:

1) the rear drive sensor located on top of the rear drive needs cleaning (easy to pull out, inspect and clean)

2) the connector that is midway on the bike that runs from the sensor to the speedo; once you locate it, pull it apart and clean the contacts.

I recently did all three above fixes and now my speedo is working 100% of the time. Unfortunately, I still have a condensation problem on the inside of the pod, even though I reassembled it after it being in the oven (with only the pilot flame on) overnight. High humidity, rain and moisture gets into these things somehow and messes up the connections sooner or later.

Next time I have the fairing off I'm going at it again and will try to seal the pod glass carefully as I suspect that's how moisture is getting in in the first place.

As far as tools that are useful for cleaning and lubing the contacts I recommend going to Radio Shack and getting a small, pen-like contact-cleaning tool that has many tiny fiberglass rods that retract back inside it once you're done using it. The fiberglass makes tiny scratches that remove a lot of corrosion quickly.

Another item to have on hand is a tube of Ox-Guard, available at most large hardware stores. After you clean the contacts, dab a small amount of this dielectric grease onto them with a toothpick or cotton swab; it will keep the connection from getting corroded again and promote conductivity.

Hope you don't mind my long-winded reply; I just finished my second cup of coffee here on a cold and rainy morning here...:blah (no riding for me today:violin )

Btw, just saw your gorgeous blue K100RS over in the K-bike photo section; congratulations on acquiring your new Beemer!:dance

Good luck with getting it all sorted and welcome to the MOA Forums, too.

[staciebug]

I don't mind long replies, I will have to try to fix my bike when spring rolls around, there is 3 feet of snow here and no heated garage in sight. The rear censor has been cleaned twice but i will try the other two suggestions. Thanks, Stacia

[nh7robmw]

OK, Stacia; Since you already cleaned the rear sensor then I would suspect the cluster itself needs attention. But it won't hurt to check and clean the connector beforehand just in case.

If the bike is subject to wet or damp conditions much of the time then all those connectors throughout the bike need periodic maintenance all the more. They often get overlooked.

Good luck with finding a heated garage in the meantime (wouldn't that be great?) and enjoy your new K when the riding season returns.

[58058D]

Stacia,
Not sure if you are still monitoring this exchange, but for your bike, the pod is mounted on the handlebar set up, not in the fairing like Jeff's K75S. You can remove the pod if you can get to your bike. It is attached in the back and has a wire loom connector and is sort of rubber monted. It has been a while since I had this style, but I believe it is two bolts or machine screws that hold it on. I believe there are other instructions in previous posts as well as the IBMWR link earlier. So, you can remove the pod and take it inside where it is warm.

[nh7robmw]

Thanks for the correction, Jim---it's been a long time since I had my K100RS---

Stacia, your instrument cluster should be a lot easier to get to than on my 75S as I forgot about this difference earlier.

[bmwdon75]

+1 to all this :thumb
Something else to look for.

There is a common ground under the fuel tank that I found to be snug but not tight, a 1/4 turn did the trick for me.



There's a lot of good info over on the IBMWR tech pages (Google IBMWR and look for the K-bike pages) but basically it usually boils down to removing the instrument cluster or "pod, " opening it up and carefully cleaning the contacts inside.

The three wire contacts on the upper right side (as you have the pod laying face down once opened up) seem to be the main culprits for the intermittent speedo scenario; they get corroded and don't quite make contact.

Before you go tearing your fairing apart (unfortunately necessary on faired K75s and K100s) to remove the pod I suggest you first check two other possible causes for cluster failure/intermittent operation:

1) the rear drive sensor located on top of the rear drive needs cleaning (easy to pull out, inspect and clean)

2) the connector that is midway on the bike that runs from the sensor to the speedo; once you locate it, pull it apart and clean the contacts.

I recently did all three above fixes and now my speedo is working 100% of the time. Unfortunately, I still have a condensation problem on the inside of the pod, even though I reassembled it after it being in the oven (with only the pilot flame on) overnight. High humidity, rain and moisture gets into these things somehow and messes up the connections sooner or later.

Next time I have the fairing off I'm going at it again and will try to seal the pod glass carefully as I suspect that's how moisture is getting in in the first place.

As far as tools that are useful for cleaning and lubing the contacts I recommend going to Radio Shack and getting a small, pen-like contact-cleaning tool that has many tiny fiberglass rods that retract back inside it once you're done using it. The fiberglass makes tiny scratches that remove a lot of corrosion quickly.

Another item to have on hand is a tube of Ox-Guard, available at most large hardware stores. After you clean the contacts, dab a small amount of this dielectric grease onto them with a toothpick or cotton swab; it will keep the connection from getting corroded again and promote conductivity.

Hope you don't mind my long-winded reply; I just finished my second cup of coffee here on a cold and rainy morning here...:blah (no riding for me today:violin )

Btw, just saw your gorgeous blue K100RS over in the K-bike photo section; congratulations on acquiring your new Beemer!:dance

Good luck with getting it all sorted and welcome to the MOA Forums, too.

[nh7robmw]

Another good point, Don. I find that about 95 per cent of all electrical problems are due to poor connections.