Commodore VT odoerr

[Cunning Linguist]

Hi everyone,
I have a problem with my VT, the dash has suddenly started showing an odoerr
in the place where the mileage usually is. The local Holden dealer says they
can't work out what the problem is but suggest a new instrument cluster MAY
fix the problem, with a price tag of around $600 fitted. Has anyone seen
this problem and knows what causes it
Many thanks
Cheers
Tony..

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 17:04:02 +1000, "Cunning Linguist"
<tleathem@netspace.net.au> put finger to keyboard and composed:

I have a problem with my VT, the dash has suddenly started showing an odoerr
in the place where the mileage usually is. The local Holden dealer says they
can't work out what the problem is but suggest a new instrument cluster MAY
fix the problem, with a price tag of around $600 fitted. Has anyone seen
this problem and knows what causes it

If your speedometer is still correctly displaying your road speed,
then I think that would rule out problems with the speedo sensor.
Assuming your instrument cluster is anything like older electronic
dashboards, then it may use a discrete serial EEPROM to store odometer
data. If so, then perhaps this component is faulty. Hopefully the
EEPROM is not integrated into the uP.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[James]

"Cunning Linguist" <tleathem@netspace.net.au> wrote in message
news:c8f0t1$6va$1@otis.netspace.net.au...

Hi everyone,
I have a problem with my VT, the dash has suddenly started showing an
odoerr
in the place where the mileage usually is. The local Holden dealer says
they
can't work out what the problem is but suggest a new instrument cluster
MAY
fix the problem, with a price tag of around $600 fitted. Has anyone seen
this problem and knows what causes it
Many thanks
Cheers
Tony..

The odometer is obviously only counting pulses from the vehicle speed
sensors. If the speedo still works then the problem can only be in the
instrument cluster as the data is stored nowhere else. A new instrument
cluster should fix the problem, unfortunately you cant just go to the
wreckers and get a sechondhand one and have the data rewritten (legally
anyway) and I am doubtful that the anyone would be rebuilding the clusters.
All clusters come with a 0 reading and can only be written via the TECH2
(holden svc tool) once, and only if the existing reading is below a specific
limit ( I cant recall the exact figure but its pretty low). I can find out
the exact specs but for legal reasons I dont think they would just be
writing to a discreet serial EEPROM, otherwise any joe bloggs could
re-calibrate the odo at their leisure by grabbing the data from the device
at a low km & rewriting it before selling etc...

I will find out within the next couple of days what that error is likely to
be caused by if you like. Have there been any other issues with the
instrument cluster in the past...apart from the fuel guage probably...lol

On another note...Why cant the Holden dealer tell you whether or not the
cluster will fix the problem or what the problem is? If they cant work it
out tell them to ring T.A.S. ...They will know what you are talking about.

James

 

[Good o]

As far as I knew the instrument cluster was a dumb animal. Just gets fed the
info & displays it so I don't know if changing it would fix it. Anyway, you
can get one from the wreckers & they are piss easy to remove & replace.
Did it on my my VT II SS to change the background & needle colours. Took all
of 15 mins to get out.


"Cunning Linguist" <tleathem@netspace.net.au> wrote in message
news:c8f0t1$6va$1@otis.netspace.net.au...

Hi everyone,
I have a problem with my VT, the dash has suddenly started showing an
odoerr
in the place where the mileage usually is. The local Holden dealer says
they
can't work out what the problem is but suggest a new instrument cluster
MAY
fix the problem, with a price tag of around $600 fitted. Has anyone seen
this problem and knows what causes it
Many thanks
Cheers
Tony..

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Wed, 19 May 2004 21:37:29 +1000, "James"
<jamkat@SPAMLESScybanet.net.au> put finger to keyboard and composed:

The odometer is obviously only counting pulses from the vehicle speed
sensors. If the speedo still works then the problem can only be in the
instrument cluster as the data is stored nowhere else. A new instrument
cluster should fix the problem, unfortunately you cant just go to the
wreckers and get a sechondhand one and have the data rewritten (legally
anyway) and I am doubtful that the anyone would be rebuilding the clusters.
All clusters come with a 0 reading and can only be written via the TECH2
(holden svc tool) once, and only if the existing reading is below a specific
limit ( I cant recall the exact figure but its pretty low). I can find out
the exact specs but for legal reasons I dont think they would just be
writing to a discreet serial EEPROM, otherwise any joe bloggs could
re-calibrate the odo at their leisure by grabbing the data from the device
at a low km & rewriting it before selling etc...

Maybe it's not done this way today, but I still have an old XF (?)
Fairlane dashboard that uses a discrete Xicor X2444PI serial EEPROM
(date code 8612).

Here is the datasheet:
http://www.xicor.com/pdf_files/obsolete/x24c44.pdf

"Xicor NOVRAMs are designed for unlimited write operations to RAM,
either from the host or recalls from E2PROM and a minimum 1,000,000
store operations. Inherent data retention is specified to be greater
than 100 years."


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[James]

"Good o'" <ass@ass.com> wrote in message
news:tLJqc.47710$TT.39900@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

As far as I knew the instrument cluster was a dumb animal. Just gets fed
the
info & displays it so I don't know if changing it would fix it. Anyway,
you
can get one from the wreckers & they are piss easy to remove & replace.
Did it on my my VT II SS to change the background & needle colours. Took
all
of 15 mins to get out.

No...they do not just display the info...they store it. I was surprised to
find out that the odo reading is infact ONLY stored in the cluster rather
than the more secure method of storing in multiple locations, such as
cluster, body module, and engine module. Getting one from the wreckers and
installing it is piss easy....too bad if the car at the wreckers has done
200,000ks and yours had only done 60,000 though, but your choice i guess.

"Cunning Linguist" <tleathem@netspace.net.au> wrote in message
news:c8f0t1$6va$1@otis.netspace.net.au...
Hi everyone,
I have a problem with my VT, the dash has suddenly started showing an
odoerr
in the place where the mileage usually is. The local Holden dealer says
they
can't work out what the problem is but suggest a new instrument cluster
MAY
fix the problem, with a price tag of around $600 fitted. Has anyone seen
this problem and knows what causes it
Many thanks
Cheers
Tony..

 

[Franc Zabkar]

On Thu, 20 May 2004 20:40:17 +1000, "James"
<jamkat@SPAMLESScybanet.net.au> put finger to keyboard and composed:

"Good o'" <ass@ass.com> wrote in message
news:tLJqc.47710$TT.39900@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
As far as I knew the instrument cluster was a dumb animal. Just gets fed
the
info & displays it so I don't know if changing it would fix it. Anyway,
you
can get one from the wreckers & they are piss easy to remove & replace.
Did it on my my VT II SS to change the background & needle colours. Took
all
of 15 mins to get out.


No...they do not just display the info...they store it. I was surprised to
find out that the odo reading is infact ONLY stored in the cluster rather
than the more secure method of storing in multiple locations, such as
cluster, body module, and engine module. Getting one from the wreckers and
installing it is piss easy....too bad if the car at the wreckers has done
200,000ks and yours had only done 60,000 though, but your choice i guess.

Find out where the odometer data are stored and swap the relevant
component, if at all practicable.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

 

[Cunning Linguist]

Hi there, thanks for the reply's, just a little something to add to this
problem, I let the fuel level drop a bit low over the weekend and noticed
that when I started the car and the low fuel warning light and buzzer came
on, instead of showing the mileage left to empty the gauge was going crazy,
jumping between 35kms and over 200kms and back again, maybe a problem with
the fuel sender unit.
Cheers
Tony..

"Cunning Linguist" <tleathem@netspace.net.au> wrote in message
news:c8f0t1$6va$1@otis.netspace.net.au...

Hi everyone,
I have a problem with my VT, the dash has suddenly started showing an
odoerr
in the place where the mileage usually is. The local Holden dealer says
they
can't work out what the problem is but suggest a new instrument cluster
MAY
fix the problem, with a price tag of around $600 fitted. Has anyone seen
this problem and knows what causes it
Many thanks
Cheers
Tony..