1998 s10 Blazer speedometer - odometer - cluster replacement?

I have a 1998 blazer 4X4 that the speedometer needle stopped working but every thing else in the cluster works fine. I can live with the problem but I was curious on how hard it is to change this needle assembaly and if I changed the entire unit would it throw off the odometer or does the computer or something just display the proper milage # since it is digital on this truck unlike that mechanical speedometer needle that just wobbles at the bottom. I checked all the fuses and even disconnected the battery and reconnected it to see if that would reset that needle to work again but it didn't.

According to GM, the speedometer is not serviced seperately (that may just mean that they don't sell the parts through the dealer). Odometer milage is kept on a chip in the cluster. You might want to check with a local speedometer repair shop. Around my area, replacement clusters can be had for about $150 with proper milage set on it.

Before you waste any money go to a GM Dealer and have them check it first. It might be the sending unit that is bad.

If the sending unit was bad, the odometer won't work either.

If the sending unit was bad, the odometer won't work either.

umm! i think if the sending unit was bad it would just stop the gas gage
from working. sounds like it might be a cable or something like that.

There are individual senders for the fuel gage and speedometer/odometer. There is no speedo cable.

There are individual senders for the fuel gage and speedometer/odometer. There is no speedo cable.

that shows ya how out of date i am :)

how much time does it take to remove this cluster and is there anything to watch out for when removing it? and that milage chip that was talked about could I just place my chip into the new cluster? because unless I found a unit that was close in milage it would mess things up with vehicle inspection because in my state they record the milage when vehicle is inspected, the dealer wants $120 to diagnose the problem and a junk yard cluster is only $55 I asked a local repair shop what they thought and they guessed it was what ever was inside of this cluster that moves the needle because not only does the needle not work but it is a bit off center like as if something inside was broke.

No big deal to pull the cluster, but the chip is not transferable. Did you check for a speedometer shop? They might be able to fix your's or reset the yard's odometer.

The cluster is easy to pull, but watch out for the emergency/hazard light switch on top the steering column. I hear it is a $400 repair.

The cluster is easy to pull, but watch out for the emergency/hazard light switch on top the steering column. I hear it is a $400 repair.

about 200 for the whole unit, but if the hazard breaks off, you only have to replace the switch, ($15.00) there is a how-to here...

http://www.s10forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99222&highlight=hazard+switch

:biggrin:

Do your self a favor, you can lower the steering column quickly and safely without disconnecting any wiring. Then you will have all the room you could want.

Vehicel speed sensor is the cause of the problem if the speedometer is not working.

Sometimes, the wire is burned through and short because of the exhaust.

Is the speedometer the only thing inop or the odometer also

Is the speedometer the only thing inop or the odometer also

Just the speedometer stopped working, the odometer still works and all the other gauges work as well

Definitely in the cluster, and again, I would check for a speedo shop for repair estimate.

I would check the VSS.

It can't be the VSS, that's what powers the odometer which is working.

Did you change the radio with an aftermarket unit??
I know that sounds strange but if you truck has the radio that changes voloume with truck speed the system goes through the radio

It doesn't go through it but there is a dark green wire from the VCM that provides the VSS signal to the radio. If that wire is shorted to ground, it could disable the odometer and speedometer.

thank you for the help, I purchased a cluster off of eBay and it was easy to replace, after poping the dash cover off and lowering the tilt stearing there was 4 bolts to remove and the entire thing came out and one plug at the top of the unit to disconect. after pluging in the new one and putting it back in everything works great now. the only thing different was the milage was changed to what the new cluster had in it so the brain of the odomiter is in the cluster but since the milage was close it wont be a big deal. thanks to everyone that responded it made it easy.

I just bought a Cluster on Ebay that has a Tach to replace my Cluster with no Tach. The guy sold it as being for a 2000 Blazer (which I have) but it is really for a 2000 Jimmy which doesn't have the Gear Selector on the Tach since the Jimmy has the Center console shifter with the gear selector to the left of it. That cluster was withing 1000 miles of my old cluster. Now I have to get a different one, I found one on ebay but it is 10,000 miles different than my old one. Is there really no way to self adjust the odometer? How does the Dealer do it? I find it hard to beleive that I can't gut the old one and put the odometer parts in the new one. Correct me if I am wrong but I just really don't want to pay to have my odometer adjusted.

By the way. My local dealers (yes more than one) told me that there is no way to replace my Cluster w/out Tach with one that has a Tach. They said they would have to reprogram the computer and run extra wires. LOL What morons.