# 1997 Ford F-150 -odometer issues **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** ford\ **Created:** [July 25, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871 "2020-07-25T23:39:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darrell30](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Darrell30](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Darrell30)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/1 "2020-07-25T23:39:33Z")
Odometer works the light comes on but the numbers are stuck at one set of numbers it does not change how to fix ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 12:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/2 "2020-07-26T12:22:50Z")
WAG-replace instrument cluster. ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/3 "2020-07-26T16:14:11Z")
This is a digital odometer, I assume–not the kind with the mechanical numbers that turn? Did you just buy the truck, and did the odometer ever update for you? The reason I am asking is because some models with digital instrument clusters are designed so that the VIN is programmed into the cluster, and if a used cluster with a different VIN is installed, the odometer reading will stay permanently frozen and not update. ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/4 "2020-07-26T18:29:11Z")
OTOH, if it’s an analog odometer there’s a little plastic gear that can break. An F150 forum will have more information. Either way, it requires pulling the instrument cluster. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/5 "2020-07-26T19:05:29Z")
97 F150 instrument cluster. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/e/f/efcd879719d8e1274cf63ecfeafc3eb06086362a.jpeg) On a 97? I wouldn’t worry about it. Tester ---
**Author:** ![bcohen2010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@bcohen2010](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bcohen2010)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/6 "2020-07-26T19:07:50Z")
It’s interesting that they went back to a mechanical odometer for this generation, since the previous generation had an LCD display for the mileage. So did the contemporaneous Aerostar van. ---
**Author:** ![Rusty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f17d59/32.png) [@Rusty](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rusty)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/7 "2020-07-26T19:31:21Z")
Right. They only used the mechanical odometer for 97 and 98. Then went back to digital in 99. Who knows why they did that? ---
**Author:** ![oldnotdeadyet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a6a055/32.png) [@oldnotdeadyet](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldnotdeadyet)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1997-ford-f-150-odometer-issues/167871/8 "2020-07-27T18:09:35Z")
I have replaced the little gear on a 95 Ranger. YouTube shows how to get into the dash. While you are in there, replace the dash lights. A bunch of mine were burnt out. I think the damn little gear cost $20.