Toyotas are loved by many for their inexpensive pricing, reliability, and ease of maintenance. As such, it is not odd to see someone with a 20-year-old Toyota on the road. But even with their reliability and durability, you might run into trouble after hitting thousands of miles like few other car brands.
If the odometer in a Toyota Corolla is not working, it could be due to a failed instrument cluster. This issue may require resetting the cluster by disconnecting the car battery for a few minutes, then reconnecting it to reset the system and potentially restore odometer functionality.
Another reason for an odometer failure could be a malfunctioning speed sensor. The vehicle’s speed sensor provides data to the odometer; if it’s not working, the odometer won’t record mileage. Replacing the speed sensor can often solve this problem.
Electrical issues can also cause an odometer to stop working. This could be due to a blown fuse or faulty wiring. Check the vehicle’s fuse box for any blown fuses related to the instrument panel or odometer and replace them if necessary. If the fuses are intact, the wiring may need to be inspected for damage or disconnections and repaired by a professional.
This article will delve deeper into the above solutions and their causes. Also, we delve into different odometer related problems as outlined below.
- Toyota corolla odometer not working
- Toyota corolla odometer reset
- Toyota corolla odometer stuck
- Toyota corolla odometer correction
- Toyota corolla odometer stopped at 299,999
Toyota Corolla Odometer Not Working
If your Toyota Corolla Odometer is not working, chances are the plastic gears attached to the speed sensor have worn out. The speed sensor, available on each vehicle, helps spin both the odometer and speedometer.
When the plastic gears that spin the odometer are worn out, the speedometer will continue to work, but the odometer reading will be stuck. These plastic gears’ teeth tend to break due to their build material. It’s a good thing that you can fix these plastic gears by yourself.
You’ll need the following tools: a flat head screen driver, a T15 and T25 Torx screwdriver, and new plastic gears. I highly recommend these 13-Piece Magnetic Torx Screwdrivers Set from Amazon.com if you don’t have such screwdrivers.
How To Fix
Here’s how you can fix this:
Copyright protected article by Know My Auto and was first published on Feb 11, 2021. .
- Disconnect the negative terminal from the car battery
- Unscrew the dashboard using the appropriate Torx screwdriver or a seven-millimeter socket
- Pull the headlight knob outwards and rotate it to find the notch
- Stick the flathead screwdriver into the gap and pull the knob
- Remove the plastic bezel that shields the gauges by placing your hands behind one bezel at a time and pulling it out
- Unscrew the gauge cluster and gently disconnect the wiring behind
- Open inside the gauge cluster by unscrewing the available bolts to remove the plastic shield
- Remove the gauge sections till you reach the middle one that houses the odometer and speedometer
- Open the odometer gauge by removing the motor till you reach the plastic spinning gear.
- Remove the broken or worn-out gear and replace it with the new one
- Put the gear sections back together on the gear cluster as they were previously attached
The whole process can seem daunting in words, but DIY car guru Chris Fix has an in-depth, step-by-step YouTube video tutorial that showcases everything:
Another reason why your odometer may not be working is that it is broken. For this, you’ll have to buy another second-hand odometer.
Toyota Corolla Odometer Reset
Odometers indicate the total distance traveled by your vehicle. If you want to reset the odometer on your Toyota Corolla, you can do so manually for analog odometers or via programming the odometer memory chip for digital ones. But for legal reasons, it is not a recommended practice and could land you into trouble.
How To Fix
There are two ways you can fix this:
- Change the instrument cluster. An easy way to reset your odometer reading is by replacing the existing one with a new one. Most Japanese cars store their mileage on instrument clusters, which makes it easy to reset the reading.
- Reset the software. If your Toyota Corolla doesn’t store its reading on the instrument cluster, you can reset the digital odometer reading through some hard-core programming. Check out this step by step YouTube video on how to change the odometer reading through software tweaking:
Toyota Corolla Odometer Stopped at 299,999
Odometers of old Toyota Corolla models, first-gen Prius and Matrix, have a habit of being stuck at 299,999 Miles or 299,999 kilometers. The issue has been attributed to a software programming bug that prevented the 2003 to 2008 Corolla models from displaying figures beyond the 299,999-kilometre or mile mark.
How To Fix
You can fix your stuck Toyota Corolla odometer by having the EPROM memory chip flashed to remove the bug by a certified dealer. That re-flash will remove the software bug and enable the odometer reading to go past the 299,999 miles or kilometer mark. Meanwhile, you can track your mileage manually, so you know the real odometer’s reading in the future when you want to trade-in or sell your old Toyota Corolla.
Toyota Corolla Odometer Stuck
If your odometer is stuck, there might be a mechanical-related issue that is causing the problem. For analog odometers, that may be because the plastic spinning wheels on the odometer are broken. Solutions to this have been discussed in detail on the Toyota corolla odometer not working section.
Alternatively, it might be because the loose gear is not rotating when the axle gear rotates; hence, the odometer stops working.
The mechanical odometer depends on gears for rotating, and any disruption from the wheels to the end will prevent it from working. The odometer itself rarely breaks.
How To Fix
You can fix the stuck odometer issue by analyzing the various movable joints between the vehicle speed sensor to the odometer itself. Start by checking if the vehicle sensor is working okay, which should be the case if the speedometer is working correctly.
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Next, follow the steps below.
- First, follow highlighted steps in the odometer not working section to reach the odometer
- Check if the plastic gears of the odometer are in good condition
- If not, you have to replace the gear
- If the plastic gear is in good condition, disassemble the odometer since the gear could be working in tow with the axle
- Clean the reading gears and apply an appropriate amount of glue to provide the needed grip and without sealing the hole
- Wait for the glue to dry and start reassembling the reading gauges in the same order as they previously were or in a new order, so you have a new odometer reading
- Reassemble the odometer and attach it back into the car, ensuring everything is back in its original place
If that seems hard to follow, use the video below as it provides a step-by-step tutorial that you can follow:
Toyota Corolla Odometer Correction
The odometer reading on your old Toyota may be bugging you, and given it directly affects the value of the car, you might be thinking of performing a correction, which is illegal in most states. Alternatively, the odometer reading could be incorrect, so you might want to fix that.
Common problems that may lead to wrong odometer reading are when your car is involved in an accident, new engine installation, failure of the motor gauge, and electrical fault after jump-starting or replacing the odometer. Odometer correction can reset the publicly available mileage reading to whatever figure you want.
How To Fix
Here are different ways to correct your Toyota Corolla Odometer reading.
- Change the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster is sometimes used to store the mileage. Replacing the cluster will allow the car to display the original vehicle’s mileage or zero it if the cluster is new.
- Tamper with the multifunction dashboard knob. You can do this by pressing the button for a few seconds until you see the fuel economy and reset the mileage.
- Reassemble the odometer. You can also reassemble the odometer if it doesn’t have the tampering seal on analog odometers. For digital odometers, you might have to consult a technician. Digital odometers are generally hard to correct because they require technical know-how and appropriate programming knowledge.
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KnowMyAuto is the sole owner of this article was published on Feb 11, 2021 and last updated on .