Confession: I removed my odometer/speedometer pod (and now have problems)

[fpage77]

I got all obcessed about the stupid clear lens and took the thing out to polish lens with polish. I cracked the pod/cluster accidentally and Paul from Round Rock got me a deal on a new cluster and it arrived yesterday.

I took off the pop off color part of pod and put in on the new pod which has the same part number as the old and hooked it back up to the wire and put in back in the dash. I turned my car on and it says ident on the screen and only things that work now are trip meter speedometer and temperature gauge. Paul called smart before ordering my part and says they say that the cluster is interchangeable and that all that has to be done for the new one is the reinitialize the SAM so it recognizes the new hardware (the mileage information isn't stored in the cluster).

I have to make a appointment with my dealer but I'm afraid if they found out I messed with the car they will void my 2 year 24,000 mile warranty on the entire car. I've contemplated just telling them it just stopped working or telling them I replaced the cluster. I'm not a dishonest person I'm just afraid if I tell them I had cluster out I'm going to lose my warranty. The fix should be real quick all they have to do is hook up the car to computer and tell SAM to reinitialize itself (I think part of that is learning the equipment hooked up to it). I have no problem paying them for this but I can't lose my warranty. I let my OCD help me screw up something which I paid much out the butt to fix (and I will not tear my care apart again for anything) but am concerned what to do now. I'm sorry about the long paragraph I never learned proper grammar.

P.S. The car is drive able.

[jwight]

Shouldn't affect the warranty at all; just explain it's a new pod and they need to do the SAM thing - probably cost a few bucks though.

[redbluff]

The instrument cluster is VIN specific. If that is what you replaced meaning the whole cluster there is likely an issue. Does it show the correct mileage? When I was having a gas gauge issue they swapped cluster with another one but were told not to start the car and only turn the key to position one to see if the new cluster made a difference with the gauge. Look at you old insturment cluster. I believe the VIN number of your car is on the back or bottom.

[Kermit]

Before you get completely scared and think you for sure 100% completely messed it up are you 200% sure you have the connector on all the way? Did you move the "blue?" lever on the harness to the pod 90 degrees all the way back to where it clicks and then slide it in to where it will lock into place?

Go out and double check it. If it isn't in all the way some of the connectors will make contact while others will not resulting in EXACTLY what you are describing. Don't ask me how I know this, but I can tell you I wasted fours hours of my life trying to figure out what happened and it was something as simple as that darn connector not being in place even though I removed and reattached the connector maybe 20 times - all 20 times I didn't turn that lever a full 90 degrees when I removed it so it locked into place too early resulting in not making a good connection when I reassembled.

An easy way to tell is there is a lip on the connector that should be flush with the pod's female side when attached. If there is about a 1/8 of an inch space - it is as simple as it isn't in all the way because of the lever engaging too early.

[fpage77]

Originally Posted by redbluff

The instrument cluster is VIN specific. If that is what you replaced meaning the whole cluster there is likely an issue. Does it show the correct mileage? When I was having a gas gauge issue they swapped cluster with another one but were told not to start the car and only turn the key to position one to see if the new cluster made a difference with the gauge. Look at you old insturment cluster. I believe the VIN number of your car is on the back or bottom.

There is nothing on the unit that has my VIN on it and like I said Paul (not at my smart center) has already talked to smart.

[fpage77]

Originally Posted by Bum-bling-B

Before you get completely scared and think you for sure 100% completely messed it up are you 200% sure you have the connector on all the way? Did you move the "blue?" lever on the harness to the pod 90 degrees all the way back to where it clicks and then slide it in to where it will lock into place?

Go out and double check it. If it isn't in all the way some of the connectors will make contact while others will not resulting in EXACTLY what you are describing. Don't ask me how I know this, but I can tell you I wasted fours hours of my life trying to figure out what happened and it was something as simple as that darn connector not being in place even though I removed and reattached the connector maybe 20 times - all 20 times I didn't turn that lever a full 90 degrees when I removed it so it locked into place too early when I reassembled.

Unfortunately I have experience taking it in and out and know it's in there right. Plunged into the socket good then lever pulled till in lock position of 90 degrees. The SAM doesn't recognize the hardware is the problem I expect from what Paul had already told me. I was hoping he was wrong so I didn't have to even speak to the smart center in my town about it. Paul got me the part for a super low price helping me out and it was nice having someone to talk to that wasn't my dealer (so they couldn't say nothing on your car is covered now under warranty).

Update: I have taken the thing out like 3 times now so I've already got it down pat. It's in there good the car just doesn't understand the new hardware.

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by fpage77

Unfortunately I have experience taking it in and out and know it's in there right. Plunged into the socket good then lever pulled till in lock position of 90 degrees. The SAM doesn't recognize the hardware is the problem I expect from what Paul had already told me. I was hoping he was wrong so I didn't have to even speak to the smart center in my town about it. Paul got me the part for a super low price helping me out and it was nice having someone to talk to that wasn't my dealer (so they couldn't say nothing on your car is covered now under warranty).

Yep, I said the same exact thing. I know what I'm doing....

Well, that worth a try as I had that happen to me before - of course I've only pulled the pods out of several cars and that one car was troublesome.

[Kermit]

For those that don't know, make sure the lever is FULLY in the UNLOCKED position when you remove the connector on your pod. That way when you reinstall, it will lock into place in the spot it needs to be locked into place instead of just a tad short of the connectors in the female portion of the pod.

[fpage77]

Originally Posted by Bum-bling-B

Yep, I said the same exact thing. I know what I'm doing....

Well, that worth a try as I had that happen to me before - of course I've only pulled the pods out of several cars and that one car was troublesome.

You got me second guessing myself so I took it out removed plug put it back in just like I have before. The left is 90 degrees and plug is flush to plug. The car says ident where the mileage should be like it did before (the old one doesn't do that if taken in and out).

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by fpage77

Unfortunately I have experience taking it in and out and know it's in there right. Plunged into the socket good then lever pulled till in lock position of 90 degrees. The SAM doesn't recognize the hardware is the problem I expect from what Paul had already told me. I was hoping he was wrong so I didn't have to even speak to the smart center in my town about it. Paul got me the part for a super low price helping me out and it was nice having someone to talk to that wasn't my dealer (so they couldn't say nothing on your car is covered now under warranty).

Update: I have taken the thing out like 3 times now so I've already got it down pat. It's in there good the car just doesn't understand the new hardware.

Like I said before - I pulled that pod out 20 times, each time thinking I got it right. On top of that , it wasn't the first pod I had ever pulled as I had done it before. It LOOKED AND FELT as though it was in all the way. No matter how much you know and feel it is done right - try it one more time and make sure that lever is all the way back in the unlocked position. I had pulled it out and each time I just unlocked it but didn't FULLY unlock it. Only until I sat down and started thinking each step did I discover the problem - either way - the symptoms are exactly like you describe. Try it one more time, apparently you can't hurt the car anymore. Right?