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Subject:Re: trip odometer myth
From:Stewart, Donna
Date:Wed, 16 Apr 2003 12:38:13 -0400

Sometimes, but not very often.  Usually reset before I pull away from the
gas pump, but push it on the go if I forget while at the service station.

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Miller [mailto:mwmiller@cwnet.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 9:33 AM
To: Stewart, Donna; vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: trip odometer myth

Yeas but did you reset the trip odo while moving?

Mike

On 4/16/03 9:05 AM, "Stewart, Donna" <DStewart@REEDSMITH.COM> wrote:

> Mine just broke this year, bought van new in 1988 (leftover 1987).  Have
> around 145,000 miles on it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Marshall [mailto:Willolyn99@AOL.COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 7:20 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: trip odometer myth
>
>
> OK, I've heard enough.  If you push in the trip odometer button while
> moving,
> you will reset the odometer.  That's it.  The first thing that happens
when
> you push the button is that the gears disengage.  So, it won't matter if
> it's
> moving or not.
>
> Those of you who have had their vans since new, did these break the first
> time you tried it?  No, probably not until the plastic aged for a decade.
> How is it that everyone (including me) talks about how the speedo plastic
is
> brittle and broken, but no one thinks the trip odo is in the same
condition?
> Mine broke, and it was the brittle plastic ring that holds the axle in
> place.
> A weak design, and the plastic was brittle.  I rebuilt it with JB Weld and
> it is now permanent.
>
> I'll bet that the workings get sticky with age and lube drying out, and
you
> have to push harder to activate it.  Combine that with old brittle plastic
> and you've got breakage.  I reset that thing on the fly every tank of gas
> for
> 6 years.  I figure that was 500 times before it went.  Why didn't it go
the
> first time? Or first 50 times?
>
> Because it is a myth.
>
> So that's my rant, hope you enjoyed it ;-)
>
> Bill Marshall
> '85 GL Tiico "Pandora"
> Aurora, IL
>