One of the most common problems I’ve seen with our cars is the inevitable failure of the odometer. If the speedometer and odometer have both failed, then it’s probably the sending unit on the transmission. The wires from the sending unit have likely become brittle and flaked off. That’s an easy enough fix, provided the plastic spindle hasn’t broken off inside the transmission. The replacements have metal spindles, a wise upgrade if your car is a ’98 or earlier with the wire problem. If the speedometer works but the odometer no longer turns, then the worm gear off the speedometer’s odometer drive motor has broken apart.
The YouTube channel ChrisFix recently outlined how he repaired a similar odometer problem on his ‘90’s Mustang. I went down that same path and found e-bay vendors with replacement worm gears for the Contour for between $6 and $20. I bought a bunch of the $6 ones for my fleet, as well as the spare instrument clusters I had accumulated over the years to address the broken odometer issue without cracking it open.
After you pull out the instrument fascia and unscrew the five instrument cluster PH2 screws. Pull the left side of the cluster toward you and detach the two wire connectors from the back of the cluster. Carefully tilt the top of the cluster toward you when pulling it out, being mindful not to strike the trip meter plunger and break it off. Place the cluster face-up on an old pillow on your work table. Cut the label on the side with a knife and gently squeeze the five black tabs holding the clear cover. Once it is loose, carefully lift the cover straight up to avoid breaking the trip meter reset knob. It can pull out and be put back, but I had to superglue one back (place in a clamp to keep it from being stuck)
Remove the three T20 Torx screws holding the speedometer down. There are three electrical pins holding the gauge down at the top of the speedometer. I use a bent pick tool to pull the gauge from the top and a finger on the bottom trying to pull it out straight.
Once it is out, you will see the odometer motor with a broken worm gear on its shaft.
Disconnect the motor’s electrical connector and remove it by holding down the two tabs and rotating it. You will need a pick tool or electronic screwdriver to get the inboard tab down.
Carefully remove the bits of worm gear from the gauge housing and the shaft of the drive motor. Slide the new worm gear on but don’t press it all the way down to keep it from binding.
Place the worm gear and motor back into the gauge and twist it in until it seats. Reverse the removal procedure and re-install. This is also a good time to check and replace dead light bulbs behind the cluster.
Before putting the fascia back on, drive around the block and make sure everything on the cluster is working. I finally noticed why there was a tiny number “4” under my 4-cylinder Mystique’s tach needle. The designers were not as proud of the bold “V6” emblazoned above the tach needle of the 6-cylinder mystique. My cluster swapping experience has shown they are really interchangeable, and even the red-line is the same. When I fix the Voltour’s cluster, I’ll probably put on a “120V” sticker over the old “V6.”
The YouTube channel ChrisFix recently outlined how he repaired a similar odometer problem on his ‘90’s Mustang. I went down that same path and found e-bay vendors with replacement worm gears for the Contour for between $6 and $20. I bought a bunch of the $6 ones for my fleet, as well as the spare instrument clusters I had accumulated over the years to address the broken odometer issue without cracking it open.
After you pull out the instrument fascia and unscrew the five instrument cluster PH2 screws. Pull the left side of the cluster toward you and detach the two wire connectors from the back of the cluster. Carefully tilt the top of the cluster toward you when pulling it out, being mindful not to strike the trip meter plunger and break it off. Place the cluster face-up on an old pillow on your work table. Cut the label on the side with a knife and gently squeeze the five black tabs holding the clear cover. Once it is loose, carefully lift the cover straight up to avoid breaking the trip meter reset knob. It can pull out and be put back, but I had to superglue one back (place in a clamp to keep it from being stuck)
Remove the three T20 Torx screws holding the speedometer down. There are three electrical pins holding the gauge down at the top of the speedometer. I use a bent pick tool to pull the gauge from the top and a finger on the bottom trying to pull it out straight.
Once it is out, you will see the odometer motor with a broken worm gear on its shaft.
Disconnect the motor’s electrical connector and remove it by holding down the two tabs and rotating it. You will need a pick tool or electronic screwdriver to get the inboard tab down.
Carefully remove the bits of worm gear from the gauge housing and the shaft of the drive motor. Slide the new worm gear on but don’t press it all the way down to keep it from binding.
Place the worm gear and motor back into the gauge and twist it in until it seats. Reverse the removal procedure and re-install. This is also a good time to check and replace dead light bulbs behind the cluster.
Before putting the fascia back on, drive around the block and make sure everything on the cluster is working. I finally noticed why there was a tiny number “4” under my 4-cylinder Mystique’s tach needle. The designers were not as proud of the bold “V6” emblazoned above the tach needle of the 6-cylinder mystique. My cluster swapping experience has shown they are really interchangeable, and even the red-line is the same. When I fix the Voltour’s cluster, I’ll probably put on a “120V” sticker over the old “V6.”