Odometer Reset From 165k To 0 Miles - Help!

[B.Lee]

I was doing the master cylinder on the car. It's an extra car my parents have owned for about 9 or 10 years. The batt. ran down one night so it was charged while still in the car and connected. I also r/r'd some fuses while removing a hard wired cell phone set up that was in the vehicle when it was purchased years ago. I put the car back together last night after bleeding the brake system and happend to look down and both trip odometer and the regular odometer had all reset to 0 miles. Does anyone have any idea why the odometer would reset to 0 miles? I never touched the ECM or cluster assy. I'm really puzzled how this happened. BTW, I have been using the valet key.

This is crazy. I thought this was supposed to be vertually impossible to do.

Brian

Nashville, TN

[jcrome04]

you r/r'd fuses?

wtf is that?

[Marklouis]

you r/r'd fuses?

wtf is that?

"removed and replaced" i would think maybe...

[jcrome04]

Hmm...

I think there's something not being told.....

ODOs don't just reset to 0.

Something just doesn't add up to me.

[dcfish]

Hmm...

I think there's something not being told.....

ODOs don't just reset to 0.

Something just doesn't add up to me.

I agree, Have never heard of an ODO resetting itself to 0, Not even trip A&B

[B.Lee]

Hmm...

I think there's something not being told.....

ODOs don't just reset to 0.

Something just doesn't add up to me.

I agree, Have never heard of an ODO resetting itself to 0, Not even trip A&B

This is my point!!!!!!! I work at a aftermarket exteneded warr. company and I'm quite handy with cars. I know that mileage doesn't reset to 0. This is was is freaking me out. It obviously wasn't intentional better yet how in the world could it have happened? It has TOTALLY blown my mind. Does anyone know where mileage is stored (i.e. ECU, instrument cluster, etc.).

I'm just wondering if there is any way to get it back to the correct mileage?

[Marklouis]

Hmm...

I think there's something not being told.....

ODOs don't just reset to 0.

Something just doesn't add up to me.

I agree, Have never heard of an ODO resetting itself to 0, Not even trip A&B

This is my point!!!!!!! I work at a aftermarket exteneded warr. company and I'm quite handy with cars. I know that mileage doesn't reset to 0. This is was is freaking me out. It obviously wasn't intentional better yet how in the world could it have happened? It has TOTALLY blown my mind. Does anyone know where mileage is stored (i.e. ECU, instrument cluster, etc.).

I'm just wondering if there is any way to get it back to the correct mileage?

Being this is a one in a million Bizzaro incident....i believe even the Lexus dealership may even tell you your "SOL"....but i would call them just to be sure.

it might be an impossibility to ever get it back though.

[jcrome04]

I'd say put 10k on it, get it detailed, and sell it as "low mileage" HAHAHA B)

You bought it brand new and only have it around for the rich in-laws to drive when they come up once or twice a year!

[1990LS400]

A Lexus dealer service writer told me in 2004 that the odometer reading in my 2000 LS400 is stored in the instrument cluster -- don't know if this is the same on a 96 LS or even if the service writer really knew.

I was considering having my instrument cluster replaced under the "Miles since refuel" TSB and the service writer told me that the new instrument cluster would arrive "flashed" with the same mileage reading that was showing at the time on the original odometer. The service writer told me that Lexus dealers do not have the tools required to set odometer readings.

Does your odometer still work or does it continue to read zero.

I've seen some weird problems reported from people who had battery issues. My "favorite" is the outside temperature display switching to displaying the temperature in celsius: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&hl=celsius

[B.Lee]

A Lexus dealer service writer told me in 2004 that the odometer reading in my 2000 LS400 is stored in the instrument cluster -- don't know if this is the same on a 96 LS or even if the service writer really knew.

I was considering having my instrument cluster replaced under the "Miles since refuel" TSB and the service writer told me that the new instrument cluster would arrive "flashed" with the same mileage reading that was showing at the time on the original odometer. The service writer told me that Lexus dealers do not have the tools required to set odometer readings.

Does your odometer still work or does it continue to read zero.

I've seen some weird problems reported from people who had battery issues. My "favorite" is the outside temperature display switching to displaying the temperature in celsius: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&hl=celsius

the odometer and tripometers both work normal.

[jcrome04]

I want to see pics!

[B.Lee]

I want to see pics!

Tell me what you want. Just the odometer or do you want the tripometers too? It may be Sunday night when I get them uploaded. I'm leaving after work today to drive 4 hours north to Lexington, KY to visit my wife's family.

NOTE: I also hooked up the generic OBDII scanner and it retrieved no DTC's either (trouble codes).

Brian

[jcrome04]

I just want to see the ODO! :D

[B.Lee]

I just want to see the ODO! :D

For entertainment purposes only - right? Kinda like the glass bowls/pipes in the plastic case on the counter at the gass station with the hand written sign on a brown paper bag that reads: "For Tobacco Use Only" - right? LOL.

Brian

[Brett in AK]

I was doing the master cylinder on the car. It's an extra car my parents have owned for about 9 or 10 years. The batt. ran down one night so it was charged while still in the car and connected. I also r/r'd some fuses while removing a hard wired cell phone set up that was in the vehicle when it was purchased years ago. I put the car back together last night after bleeding the brake system and happend to look down and both trip odometer and the regular odometer had all reset to 0 miles. Does anyone have any idea why the odometer would reset to 0 miles? I never touched the ECM or cluster assy. I'm really puzzled how this happened. BTW, I have been using the valet key.

This is crazy. I thought this was supposed to be vertually impossible to do.

Brian

Nashville, TN

Brain,

Congratulations on the purchase or your brand new 1996 Lexus! ;)

[jcrome04]

I just want to see the ODO! :D

For entertainment purposes only - right? Kinda like the glass bowls/pipes in the plastic case on the counter at the gass station with the hand written sign on a brown paper bag that reads: "For Tobacco Use Only" - right? LOL.

Brian

LOL eggggggg-zackly!

[OmarG]

I just want to see the ODO! :D

For entertainment purposes only - right? Kinda like the glass bowls/pipes in the plastic case on the counter at the gass station with the hand written sign on a brown paper bag that reads: "For Tobacco Use Only" - right? LOL.

Brian

LOL eggggggg-zackly!

those are for tobacco? hahaha... riiiiggghhhtt...

[SW03ES]

Thats the damndest thing I've ever heard...

The mileage is definately stored in the instrument cluster. People have replaced their clusters with salvage ones that have different odo readings. You have to file a peice of paperwork with your DMV showing the odometer doesn't show the actual mileage...

[B.Lee]

Thats the damndest thing I've ever heard...

The mileage is definately stored in the instrument cluster. People have replaced their clusters with salvage ones that have different odo readings. You have to file a peice of paperwork with your DMV showing the odometer doesn't show the actual mileage...

Pics as requested . . .

[jcrome04]

wow!

you weren't joking! That's crazy...

You should contact Lexus directly... They should honor something about it.. the ODO isn't supposed to just "reset".

[1990LS400]

wow!

you weren't joking! That's crazy...

You should contact Lexus directly... They should honor something about it.. the ODO isn't supposed to just "reset".

I think we can let Lexus off the hook after 165,000 miles and nearly 13 years. Goodness knows they had problems with and replaced a bunch of instrument clusters under TSB on the 98-00 LS -- none of this stuff is bullet proof.. The mechanical odometer on my first LS (a 1990) lasted less than 125,000 miles and 10 years.

Still, I would have expected the electronic odometers to last "forever" without having problems.

Well ... enjoy your "new" car!

[jcrome04]

at least alert them of it..

This can cause MANY problems for you, especially when time comes that you want to sell her. It's going to be MUCH harder to sell with an ODO problem.

I don't think an electrical ODO should just reset...

[dcfish]

I was doing the master cylinder on the car. It's an extra car my parents have owned for about 9 or 10 years. The batt. ran down one night so it was charged while still in the car and connected. I also r/r'd some fuses while removing a hard wired cell phone set up that was in the vehicle when it was purchased years ago. I put the car back together last night after bleeding the brake system and happend to look down and both trip odometer and the regular odometer had all reset to 0 miles. Does anyone have any idea why the odometer would reset to 0 miles? I never touched the ECM or cluster assy. I'm really puzzled how this happened. BTW, I have been using the valet key.

This is crazy. I thought this was supposed to be vertually impossible to do.

Brian

Nashville, TN

OK, What exactly what were you "doing" to the master cylinder ? Did the battery run down before you were done "doing" the master cylinder ? What procerure did you use, Factory spec "doing" the master cylinder or shadetree work ? What fuses did you pull and replace ? Was the battery charged when the fuses were pulled and replaced ? Or were they replaced when the battery was dead ? Lets start there and do an online diagnosis the best we can.

[Lucky13]

Since your doing one-in-a-milion things here why dont you go to the Masters going on now and try to hit some hole-in-ones? If it werent for the pics Id have a hard time believing that but wow...

[B.Lee]

I was doing the master cylinder on the car. It's an extra car my parents have owned for about 9 or 10 years. The batt. ran down one night so it was charged while still in the car and connected. I also r/r'd some fuses while removing a hard wired cell phone set up that was in the vehicle when it was purchased years ago. I put the car back together last night after bleeding the brake system and happend to look down and both trip odometer and the regular odometer had all reset to 0 miles. Does anyone have any idea why the odometer would reset to 0 miles? I never touched the ECM or cluster assy. I'm really puzzled how this happened. BTW, I have been using the valet key.

This is crazy. I thought this was supposed to be vertually impossible to do.

Brian

Nashville, TN

OK, What exactly what were you "doing" to the master cylinder ? Did the battery run down before you were done "doing" the master cylinder ? What procerure did you use, Factory spec "doing" the master cylinder or shadetree work ? What fuses did you pull and replace ? Was the battery charged when the fuses were pulled and replaced ? Or were they replaced when the battery was dead ? Lets start there and do an online diagnosis the best we can.

The master cylinder was replaced. removed the two nuts and two hydraulic lines and installed new unit. Bleed all 4 wheels and tried running car while trying to bleed at accumulator (this never worked for me). I then rebleed all 4 wheels again. I don't "think" the master cylinder r/r woudl have anything to do with it. So now I start to think electrical. What electrical did I do:

* I unplugged connector at the pump by the master cylinder to remove in an effort to locate bleeder (per alldata) but never found. Re-installed pump and reconnected connector until heard click.

* I also was checking the parking brake cable under the dash looking to see if there was an adjustment for the parking brake cable. While under there I noticed what looked like a bunch of aftermarket wiring. Then I realized it was the old hands free kit that was in the car when my parents bought it. I removed the 2 wires from the fuse block that powered the handsfree unit and then proceeded to remove trim panels to trace the unit to the back seat. I removed the unit fromt he back all the way to the front until the cables disappeared behind the center console. all the wires I cut I know for sure 100% were part of the hand free system. During the removal process of this hands free phone system I had 3 doors open, the trunk open and all the interior lights were on due to the doors being open so it's at this point I assume the batt. died becuase the next night when I went to work on it the batt. was dead. Also while under the dash I removed the fuses one-by-one checking them to make sure I hadn't bumped something and tripped one in all my fumbling under the dash. I pretty much took out all the fuses in the fuse block under the dash. No relays, no fuse links just the small blade fuses themselves.

* I also disconnected the rear brake pad sensor during r/r of r brake pads and new rear rotors.

* and as mentioned prior I hooked up my OBD II scanner also.

* about 3 weeks ago I did the timing belt, w/p, etc. and when I got done and turned the key the mileage was correct. Now I did the brakes and pulled a few fuses and now it's 0 miles.

If still need to know what fuses I pulled let me know. I pretty much pulled all of them at the fuse block by the driver's left foot.

Thanks,

Brian