Odometer keeps reverting back 3 miles...

[thatwhitejsw]

So, new fun feature my 2011 Sportwagen decided to start doing at some point; every time my odometer gets to 74375mi, it will automatically revert to 74372mi. It keeps on doing it, and the problem is, I have no idea what my ACTUAL mileage is now. I took it to my local shop and they took a look at their records, and low & behold, the last time I had it in for an oil change...? Came in with 74374mi. So my car has been stuck in time since it last left their shop, and VCDS shows the same mileage as on the dash. The only thing they do when completing an oil change is resetting the service reminder in the dash through the regular steering wheel controls- so somehow that triggered this strange phenomenon to start happening. However, the service reminder mileage counter still works, so I can roughly calculate my mileage by adding the missing amount to the stuck mileage which helps. Obviously its something I just have to keep track of from now on since I'm not paying the copious amounts of money it would take to replace the gauge cluster which from what I've read is the only way to resolve it. The guys at my local shop were in such awe and they had never seen anything like it before. I mean, it's kinda funny in a way but atleast it'll look great for whenever I go to sell my car at whatever point down the road haha.

 

[jetta 97]

So, new fun feature my 2011 Sportwagen decided to start doing at some point; every time my odometer gets to 74375mi, it will automatically revert to 74372mi. It keeps on doing it, and the problem is, I have no idea what my ACTUAL mileage is now. I took it to my local shop and they took a look at their records, and low & behold, the last time I had it in for an oil change...? Came in with 74374mi. So my car has been stuck in time since it last left their shop, and VCDS shows the same mileage as on the dash. The only thing they do when completing an oil change is resetting the service reminder in the dash through the regular steering wheel controls- so somehow that triggered this strange phenomenon to start happening. However, the service reminder mileage counter still works, so I can roughly calculate my mileage by adding the missing amount to the stuck mileage which helps. Obviously its something I just have to keep track of from now on since I'm not paying the copious amounts of money it would take to replace the gauge cluster which from what I've read is the only way to resolve it. The guys at my local shop were in such awe and they had never seen anything like it before. I mean, it's kinda funny in a way but atleast it'll look great for whenever I go to sell my car at whatever point down the road haha.

You do not have to pay big amount of the money to replace cluster, You can install used one and I can do this . Send me message for more info .

Thanks

 

[DrGERTol]

Seems this problem has been around for a while: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/2011-jsw-tdi-odometer-not-counting.492531/

Try pulling the ground cable from the (-) battery terminal, wait about 30 minutes, and reconnect. --g

 

[Porch]

I read the thread on tdiclub, and per the advice therein, disconnected both battery cables, held them together for 20sec, and odometer works normally now. By far the kookiest successful car repair I've ever done.

 

[oilhammer]

Just had one of my customers in here with this same issue. Very strange. Like the processor in the Instruments gets lost.

I know the EDC15 and EDC16 ECUs also record the mileage, I assume the EDC17s do, too, so the true mileage is probably still there hidden somewhere.

 

[TurboABA]

That's awesome.... wish my TDIs did that!

 

[calimustang]

more reasons for you to drive more and worry less and sell it for an hefty profit

 

[DivineChaos]

Well it'll age out on warranty before mileage.

 

[thatwhitejsw]

Well it'll age out on warranty before mileage.

I actually just ended up taking it in for a CEL and they're replacing the DPF under warranty haha. Had my odometer not been stuck like this I'd have been outside of the warranty guidelines based on mileage. After I picked it back up from them diagnosing it and waiting to get the part in, I had taken it home and discharged the capacitors by holding the battery cables together and that reset everything - odometer started working again, to make things less suspicious when I bring it back in, but from what I've read, it'll start happening again where the odometer does the same thing, at some unknown mileage. We shall see!