I've been looking at that site some. It seems the little gear behind the dash is not very strong, and breaks all the time. I ordered a new one, and have them ready to go in when I get around to it. I think I'll see about rolling the odometer forward to account for lost miles so this thing stays accurate as possible.
I would have preferred to diagnose this thing first, rather than throw parts at it. But since that tiny gear is such a common problem, it will need to be done sooner or later. Hopefully that is all it needs!