Question on broken Odometer

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dufferoo
Posts: 49
Joined: Mar 30, 2019 11:51 AM
Location: Atlanta

Question on broken Odometer

Post by dufferoo »

Hey y'all!

I have a general question for the forum regarding a broken odometer on a e28 M5. Is the value of the car diminished by having a broken odometer? The car is in fabulous shape with original paint and 85K miles. The last DMV registered miles were about 1500 miles less than the 85K that shows on the odometer currently. The owner is an enthusiast also, but he's not sure when it broke, and says that the car has not been driven much and has been stored in his garage for 10+ years. Is the car worth more if the odometer is working or has been repaired? What would be the diminished cost if the odometer is broken? Or should a buyer only be concerned with the overall condition of the car regardless of potential miles missing on the odometer?

Your thoughts please.
Mike W.
Posts: 26872
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: California Whine Country

Re: Question on broken Odometer

Post by Mike W. »

Of course the car is worth more if everything works, including the odo. Exactly how much is hard to say, much depends on the buyer, their goals with the car, what kind of documentation on how many miles are likely on it combined with the driving patterns and the condition of the car. As M5 values are rapidly rising it does become more significant particularly to those who view it as an investment, not as a nice car that they want to drive.

If you're a DIY type like many here, it'll cost you $50 or so to fix it. If you take it to a shop it will be several hundred and probably recorded as having unverified miles in carfax.
RetiredDoc
Posts: 1316
Joined: Feb 12, 2006 12:00 PM
Location: Aiken SC

Re: Question on broken Odometer

Post by RetiredDoc »

I know you didn’t ask how to fix the odometer, but here is info anyway.

Jeff or Darren, at odometergears.com, can hook you up with a new set of odometer gears for $65. If you are handy with small tools, like hemostats, and have a bit of patience, the replacement of the old gears is straightforward. I have done it twice, and the repairs took less time than removing the instrument cluster and speedometer.

https://www.odometergears.com/howto/BMW ... cement.pdf https://www.odometergears.com/products/ ... 8+82-88/27

BTW, if I were looking for an M5, and the odometer didn’t work, or the carfax showed unverified mileage, I’d expect a decent reduction from asking price. I know M5 e28s are rare and hard to find, but uncertain mileage would concern me. For all you know, the speedometer in the car may be a replaced unit. Before I discovered how to replace odometer gears, I’d just buy and install a working speedometer/odometer unit on eBay. My current speedometer/odometer, which is unit number 3 for the car, shows about 150K, but based on my records the car itself has over 300K miles. And since I did the switches myself there are no records. I have never lived in a state that recorded mileage for emissions or for tag renewal. My owned since new e28 looks great, and only shows half its real mileage. I have another couple of speedometers stored away, one with barely 85K miles showing. But I never intend to sell, and the eta market is nothing like the M5 market.

Still, out there is a gullible soul, who would bite on the hook of “original owner, little old retired man, everything on the car works, still has original spare tire, and only 85,000 miles on the odometer.
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