Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

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DopeVibeGT
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Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2002 6:35 am
Location: PA

Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by DopeVibeGT »

So, I have reached the 299,999 on the odometer and it has stopped. Car failed PA inspection because of this. I was told by a speedometer shop that they can reset the odometer and also the BCM. They said the mileage is stored there also. They quoted me $400-$600 to have them reprogrammed. They also told me that sometimes the BCM wont except the reprogram and may have to replace that, which will drive the price up to $1000. Does this sound right? It REALLY bug me that Toyota wont fix this. :x
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tpollauf
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Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by tpollauf »

Pennsylvania ??? That totally S U C K S !!! Isn't the whole idea about inspections to assure that the vehicle is safe to drive and not "over polluting" our environment? What does an erroneous odometer have to do with safety? Any way to argue this and get by? You should not be on the hook for a costly repair/upgrade. :x
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SeattleJeremy
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Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by SeattleJeremy »

Weird, the best option for fixing this is to roll the OD back to 199,999, and document the change.
Will PA then fail it because the OD has been rolled back?
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zbyers
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Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by zbyers »

It should not have failed as it is a mechanical limitation.

you could have a few members (they're on the facebook group) reset it as an option.

or pull a cluster from a junkyard for cheap and throw it in there.
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DopeVibeGT
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Location: PA

Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by DopeVibeGT »

The state of PA requires a working odometer. If it isnt working, no matter what, it wont pass. The mileage is reported on a computer to the state, so you cant just add another speedometer. You have to have it rolled back and then an authorized speedo repair place has to put a sticker on the car. So, I either drive it with an expired sticker(s), junk the car ( which isnt gonna happen) which runs perfectly fine and is mechanically safe and passes inspection or pay the money to have the odometer fixed.
Thanks Toyota. :x
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Caretaker

Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by Caretaker »

.....or just say "Bada Book, Bada Boom"
Caretaker

Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by Caretaker »

...or you could do the rational thing and move out of Pennsylvania :idea:
Transylvania
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Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by Transylvania »

Good one! Yes, come join us is sunny and warm Texas, where life is cheap, housing prices still reasonable and where there are miles and miles of roads to be explored and driven. Like this songs says:

https://youtu.be/NdNky66QyEQ
jolt
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Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by jolt »

DopeVibeGT, you must remember this thread about this topic: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=36445&p=510709&hil ... 00#p510709 as you had a post in this thread.

Read the last reply that has links to other places you can get it fixed at and ask if it will come with a sticker for your state. The YouTube video shows the chip removal and what is required to reprogramming the chip.

There is nothing that can plug into this car to change the mileage. The speedo head has to be removed and from that point the speedo, or combination meter as Toyota calls it,has to replaced or the speedo's memory chip reprogrammed. The memory chip cost about $0.70 from most any electronics supplier. Most of the cost is the labor to get to the chip and the software and knowledge as to that needs to be changed. You can see this in the video if you watch it. If you dig around searching on Google, you can find all the stuff you need to do it yourself, if you have worked with flashing memory before. If you knew about this, you should have checked this all out before it got to this point. Laws are different in each state as to how things like this are handled. You could always swap out the speedo head with a used one and find out from the state what needs to be done, telling them that the old speedo stopped working.
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joatmon
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Re: Dreaded 299,999 dead odo

Post by joatmon »

I found 2 items relating to odometer law in PA.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/dvspu ... ometer.pdf talks about how to legally deal with discrepancies between the odometer reading and the actual vehicle mileage. Seems to be mostly about how to properly document the difference when selling a car. In there there is a statement:
It is illegal to tamper with an odometer; sell, use or advertise any device for tampering; or operate a vehicle with a disconnected or non-functional odometer with intent to defraud.
(I added the bold/underline)
I take that to mean its not illegal, unless you are deliberately trying to commit fraud, which I don't think you are. It also does not say anything about having to use some certified shop to do the odometer change


https://www.pacode.com/secure/data/067/ ... 75.80.html is the PA inspection procedure, and the only place it mentions the odometer is at the bottom, the second to last item above "Authority" where it says to reject the vehicle if
" (6) The odometer does not operate, except on a motor vehicle at least 25 years old."

There is no inspection criteria about the odometer reading not accurately reflecting the true vehicle mileage.

So, that means that if you get the odo reset to some lower number, when you sell the car, you have to disclose the odo change but as long as its working, regardless of what the number is, it should not fail for the odo.



I swapped the cluster in my 1st 03 with a cluster from an 04, and set the new cluster odo to match actual car mileage. When I replaced that car with another 03, I moved the cluster to it and set the mileage to match the 2nd car. I was able to change the making an adapter and an IC clip, never had to replace or remove the EEPROM on the back of the cluster, just pull the cluster, take the back off, hook up the clip/adapter and run some odd russian software on a PC with a parallel port (hard to find on a computer these days)


I never found any mention of changing the mileage in the BCM. I'm actually not sure what a BCM is. Our cars have a main computer, sometimes called engine control module (ECM), engine control unit (ECU), powertrain control module (PCM) I know if gets the speedometer signal because my scangauge can track miles per gallon, but I don't know if it records overall vehicle mileage. I know that if it does, it doesn't have anything to do with what the odometer displays. The car also has a different thing called an integration relay or a multifunction module, used in door locks/keyless entry, and maybe a few other things, that's more in line with what I'd expect to be a body control module (BCM), but its got nothing to do with mileage and the odometer. So if a shop is telling you they might need to work on a fickle BCM, they probably are looking for your to provide them some free money.

So verify the laws in your state, and shop around for someone who will do it for a good price.
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