Dakota 4WD V8-4.7L Flex Fuel (2008)
Odometer: Description and Operation
Description
DESCRIPTION
An odometer and trip odometer are standard factory-installed equipment in all instrument clusters. The odometer, trip odometer, and engine hours
information are displayed in a common electronic, blue-green Vacuum-Fluorescent Display (VFD) unit. This VFD unit is soldered onto the cluster
electronic circuit board and is visible through a window with a smoked clear lens located below the tachometer in the lower right area of the cluster
overlay. The dark lens over the VFD prevents the indicator from being clearly visible when it is not illuminated.
The odometer, trip odometer, and engine hours information are not displayed simultaneously. The trip odometer reset switch on the instrument cluster
circuit board toggles the display between odometer and trip odometer modes by depressing the odometer/trip odometer switch button that extends
through the lower edge of the cluster lens, just left of the minor gauge set. When the trip odometer information is displayed, the word TRIP is also
illuminated in the lower right corner of the odometer/trip odometer VFD in a blue-green color and at the same lighting level as the trip odometer
information. The engine hours information replaces the selected odometer or trip odometer information whenever the ignition switch is in the ON
position and the engine is not running.
The odometer, trip odometer, and engine hours information is stored in the instrument cluster memory. This information can be increased when the
proper inputs are provided to the instrument cluster, but the information cannot be decreased. The odometer can display values up to 999,999 kilometers
(999,999 miles). The odometer latches at these values, and will not roll over to zero. The trip odometer can display values up to 999.9 kilometers (999.9
miles) before it rolls over to zero. Engine hours are displayed in the format, hr9999. The cluster will accumulate values up to 9,999 hours before the
display rolls over to zero.
The odometer display does not have a decimal point and will not show values less than a full unit (kilometer or mile), while the trip odometer display
does have a decimal point and will show tenths of a unit (kilometer or mile). The unit of measure (kilometers or miles) for the odometer and trip
odometer display is not shown in the VFD. The unit of measure for the instrument cluster odometer/trip odometer is selected at the time that it is
manufactured, and cannot be changed. The odometer also has a RENTAL CAR mode, which will illuminate the odometer information in the VFD
whenever the driver side front door is opened with the ignition switch in the OFF or ACCESSORY positions.
During daylight hours (exterior lamps are OFF) the odometer VFD is illuminated at full brightness for clear visibility. At night (exterior lamps are ON),
the VFD lighting level is adjusted with the other cluster general illumination lamps using the panel lamps dimmer thumbwheel on the headlamp switch.
However, a PARADE mode position of the panel lamps dimmer thumbwheel allows the VFD to be illuminated at full brightness if the exterior lamps are
turned ON during daylight hours.
The odometer/trip odometer VFD, the trip odometer switch, and the trip odometer switch button are serviced as a unit with the instrument cluster.
