Yes, it is a myth. Anyone working around VW for years knows that when
VDO started using plastic drive gears for the odometers, they started
falling a part. The old speedos with brass gears never failed. The
plastic bushings on the cable spindle also wear causing all types of
noise and erratic operation. Especially in cold weather.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Bill Marshall
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2003 10:20 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