I went through that same issue with mine about 4 years ago. Fixed it.
It worked for awhile (a few days...), then quit on me again.

Anyone have a permanent fix for this issue?
Seems like I've seen one of the vendor pages saying that they will
fix it for you for a price, but I can't remember which one it was.

Either of you have a link to the archive with a fix by chance?
I'd like to have another go with it.
thanks.
Tony
87 GL 7 passenger

On Aug 1, 2006, at 4:57 PM, John Bange wrote:

> On 8/1/06, J S <jdshoes@gmail.com> wrote:
>> 1990 Vanagon GL
>>
>> After reading a few notes files, I tried the easy fix.  I removed the
>> instrument cluster, removed the speedometer/odometer from the
>> cluster,
>> and noted the shaft had just fallen out of the end of its groove.  I
>> pushed it back in and shifted the lugs (?) over slightly.  As I
>> expected, it worked for .5 of a mile.
>
> Yeah, mine did the same thing. I bet the odo drive gear is the
> metal kind.
>
>>
>> I have an old speedometer/odometer from my 1984 Wolfsburg.
>>
>> Question: Will this work in the 1990 van?  The unit size looks the
>> same, however, where the speedometer cable attaches, it looks
>> slightly
>> different from what I recall when I had the 1990 part out.
>
> I happen to have a pile of Early speedometers (I was the idiot who
> bought those six old-style instrument clusters on eBay for $60-- what
> can I say, I am clearly ill) and a few Late ones as well right here in
> front of me. Other than the fact that the Early model is cast metal
> and the Late one is plastic, it appears to me that the attachment
> points are identical. In theory you could even  pull out the little
> L-shaped circuit board for the Dynamic Oil Pressure System and just
> kinda tape it to the exterior of the Early style speedo, plugged into
> the blue ribbon cable.
>
> --
> John Bange
> '90 Vanagon - "Geldsauger"
>