Skoda Odometer TAKE 2!

Well, my first fix didn't take long, so I had another go at fixing the broken odometer in my Skoda Favorit. This is a very common issue, where the miles either don't get counted, or get counted infrequently. Also happens on some Volkswagens and later Felicias.
I attempt two different fixes. Will either of them actually work?

[@keithwelton]

Well done Hub Nut, you are now a fully qualified car clocker. Arthur Daley would be proud of you.

[@restlessnative7180]

Just one careful owner, who used to be a vicar

[@jasejj]

To get the odometer design that unnecessarily wrong is almost French in its ingenuity. I'm impressed!

[@flashbeaster]

I owned skoda favorit myself and it was mine 1st car. Had to do some repairs myself, had to listnen to mine mom couple of times ( yes, shout out to independent women and their ability to adapt and excel ). But I had some previous experience and advices from my grandpa who had a skoda 100 - from watching him completely dissasolve and then put the whole car back together ( Iam talking about a lego kit for a grown man ). But this Welsh gentleman just bought himself a skoda favorit and is fixing and repairing it like hes a czech fella. People from all over the UK are just so good and sensible in reverse engineering and self sufficiency that I feel the stereotype about brits and their tea time is an understatement of the century

[@MGBetts1]

We do like our tea - but we do other things as well! Are you Czech?

[@michaelvincent1425]

Definitely more interesting than football 😉

[@streetkaaccord344]

Agreed! Have football fans got an illness, or petrol heads?

[@alexthomsonuk]

Seconded

[@rimmersbryggeri]

Well it's more interesting than a rainy Rotherham.v.Millwall game ending in a 0-0 score which this is the equivalent of in automotive terms. However a good football game is much more entertaining than a Nascar race.

[@dagenhamdave2611]

Hub nut mustie 1 is a mechanic genius that puts every one to shame so don't feel bad. Great vid mate

[@ronsmodreviews5274]

I only just started watching this and at 6 minutes 40 in and you said your watching a grown man struggle with an odometer i hope your pleased with yourselves and im absolutely dying, had to pause the video and post this as i can't, the vodka im drinking wont let me compute it and your videos beat whatever nonsense and drama people at this point monotonely drone on about such and such saying goo gok while someone else is screaching ga ga and your videos are legitimately bring a tear to my eye while i die from laughter, i found your channel after chatting with my mate who we was talking about inva cars and i immediately subscribed to you and twc, and then on a drunken chat with mum at a pub was talking about how her friend owned a 2cv and then about someone she worked with owning some boring ferarris, common cars always apealed to me over the exotic hogwash as theres something about anissan/datsun cherry that is more interesting than the 5 ferarri f360 special this or that were sold, probably because mass production caused more banter at work due to British leyland or something or rather keep the videos coming as they bring me joy when i am getting home from pot washing or about to pot wash, im 19 next month so may even splash out on some twc merch and some ellie merch

[@riverman6879]

Mr Hubnut, you have clocked up another excellent video with the reassurance that the starlings have lost none of their magic.

[@dvrify1]

Just remembering the needle dance in our old (then still new) 120L brings back such lovely memories... We didn't have much and every new thing we used to get as a family made so much difference. Great times. And thank you for this channel and that series.

[@micheltebraake7915]

Beautiful ending. The odo repair looks good, damaging the shaft to hold the gear is a common solution, well done Ian.

[@johnnorth9355]

Great therapeutic video - feel totally relaxed now ! Chores can wait until later :-) .

[@davidmackenzie1952]

Well done Ian patience is a virtue and you won in the end!.

[@Qwerty1235945]

Excellent HubNut engineering there Ian. I admire your persistence.

[@davecrowther260]

‘Smacking the the shaft in the right place a couple of times’ usually works for me too Hub Nut. Keep up the great channel! Love it.

[@ThatLeeNoble]

Love watching your videos, been a subscriber since part one of the Invacar. I particularly like the fact that all of your cars are old as a lot of people who run and fix up old and classic cars seem to also run a new/newish car as their daily driver. Which makes me think they have no conference in their old cars!

[@rydermike33]

Well done Ian, you have the patience of a saint! It was nice to see the starling's murmuration as well. Smashing video as always.

[@PaulinesPastimes]

Way more interesting than football. I was talking to the screen saying "put some grooves in the shaft" and you must have heard me! What a fiddly job, congratulations for being so patient. Thank heavens nobody dusted the window sill.

[@vampireechidna]

What I beautiful ending. I do like watching your fixing videos. They are more exciting than football..for sure!

[@alchapman1052]

Well done a real labour of love which seems to have worked. Great stuff.

[@mr.kisterco.6204]

Nice episode mate! Love the jokes about football, as well as your job. Greetings from @UKZUK in Scotland, I just bought the other day favorit silverline GLXi from the first lady owner. Had it 2 weeks now and already done a trip to Weston Super Mare with no issues. Great cars indeed

[@niallsommerville9941]

Well done, patience is its own reward sometimes.

[@hipperpottermost]

Your sounding better, so that is reassuring! Nearly got rid of the man flu, it can be life threatening

[@arthurfarrow]

I admire your perseverance!

[@richardcallison1637]

Fingers crossed this time! My sausage fingers would struggle to repair something that fiddly so well done! Stunning footage of Aber pier👍

[@grenvillephillips6998]

So now you know why Babbage had so much trouble!

[@imnotamechanic3491]

You are right, this is way more interesting than football! You are also right about the headlight leveling switch, I knew about some of the changes, as some are a bit odd in that certain things on certain cars are now not tested, but were before. HID lamps with washers were previously all tested, now its only if fitted after 2009, and all front fog lamps fitted before March 2018 are not tested, whereas they were before if fitted. This is a relief to Avantime owners who have those parts faulty, as they're difficult to source. At one point windscreens were virtually impossible to find and there was talk of the best option being removing it for the MOT! Thankfully they are now available!

[@HubNut]

Pretty sure front fog lights never used to be within MOT regs, though I'm going back at least 15 years.

[@nigelcharlton-wright1747]

It's as if James May was presenting 'The Reassembler' on BBC4. Glad you do your own repairs on your speedometer.

[@sooty655]

Well done, Ian. It's always very satisfying when a fix works !! If you have similar problems in the future, Loctite do some very good engineering adhesives - they aren't cheap but they do work. Loctite 601 would probably have been the correct choice for the odometer wheel.

[@robinwells8879]

You could try tinning the shaft with solder if, God forbid, this fix doesn't last. Incidentally, I also follow a chap called bigclivedotcom and he has an overhead camera for his bench jobs and that works really well. Thanks for the truly lovely bonus scenic shot at the end.

[@Nikki_Holland]

Excellent job, I knew you’d sort it in the end

[@iangrice329]

Well done you. Re the temp gauge over Reading, I had the same issue with my AX, I fitted a resister in the wire at the sender unit to cure it.

[@RichieRouge206]

Great video Ian. Reminds me of my Nova, that was cable driven. I upgraded to an Astra GTE digi dash which was amazing back in the day!

[@frglee]

Don't apologise for this kind of post, I find it's actually quite interesting to watch people with rather more patience than myself trying to fix things. Like many people. I keep a pile of bits in a box more in hope rather than expectation of making my own repairs around the house etc, but it keeps me amused for hours. Everything seems to be 'sealed unit' digital stuff these days, so it's rather nice to find things with an analog/mechanical side, and highly satisfying to fix them. (See the rather thoughtful mid-70s novel 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' as to why this might be, the central idea being, for our own peace of mind, we shouldn't own machines or devices unless we can personally understand how they work and can fix them ourselves)

[@Phil-1969]

Nice work Ian I’m looking forward to the Skoda make over video

[@TheStwat]

Great fix Mr HubNut.

[@SuperFIFTHGEAR]

Skoda in the garage means only one thing, Elly is in the cold! It's a good thing that the dashboard on the Favorit can easily be disassembled with just a screw driver. Can confirm, much more interesting than football! Fingers crossed that's the speedo fixed :)

[@stephenrock4541]

If it's metal then heat it up. Tin it and re apply to the shaft. Good to see you again Ian

[@weaton25]

Just what was going through my mind

[@stevenjones1972]

Hi Ian,nice to work on a car that's easy to fix,its a shame you couldn't find the original mileage for it,great video.im liking these they are nice to watch.

[@nickcollins7568]

Great to see it fixed and working. Amazing what a few delicate technical adjustments with a hammer can achieve 👍😂😂

[@TheFakeRussian]

Awkward, fiddly, a real pain in the bum! But kudos to you for persisting instead of just buying a new one. You have far more patience than I have as I would have used a number 7, (otherwise known as a sledge hammer), to "fix" that mileage counter permanently.

[@ShaunMurray63]

Nice one , hope it keeps on working now.

[@wanderinggentile]

I love how the odometer looks like the units fitted to GM Europe, and the speedometer font resembles late-70s BL.

[@jakemybigblackdog]

Good work that man!!

[@GREYHOUND1874]

you can't beat a bit of Hubnut at 4.59am just before you head off to drive buses for 10 f.....g hours.. cheers you up...

[@Georgeolddrones]

Good job Ian thanks.👍🇬🇧

[@chrismckay8349]

Woohoo! U r my favourite youtuber

[@GREYHOUND1874]

true story: back in the 80's my uncle and i took the speedo out of his mate's ford orion to clock it for him...it had 67k on it...when we turned it around there was a sticker on the back and someone had written 'oh no not again'...lol lol

[@EinkOLED]

Better than Option B. Adding a casino type handle which you must pull down every mile you cover.

[@peteramberley9952]

Well done ian ,weve learnt two things from this video .1 you have a lot of patients and 2 you are are Cardiff supporter. 🤓

[@HubNut]

Er, not sure how you drew that conclusion. I don't support any teams!

[@peteramberley9952]

@@HubNut you said it was as boring as football.i can only assume it was through watching cardiff you drew ypur comparision .but i whole hartedly agree with you

[@kimkiriniki9433]

Hope that your fix continues to work. If not then try splaying out the hole on the silver gear wheel with a centre punch or something similar. This should give the spindle something to grip onto.

[@Paintheshed]

I liked the starlings bit, I hope this is a new feature at the end of your films, maybe some nature, also your audience hasn't been born yet and will enjoy these old cars more in 2040, they will be ancient then lol

[@Bicyclehub]

Playing the piano has contributed greatly to your dexterity. You can use all your fingers equally well.

[@klwthe3rd]

One of the best Hubnut openers in years!!! The giant screw driver spoke volumes about what was going to go down. Lol. It's been my experience that "super glue" isn't worth crap since it never seems to hold. I'm kinda OCD on my repairs and that bent needle would have driven me crazy! Round 3 for me. Lol. Also, i think you should FIX the adjustable lights instead of just doing the poor man's repair of removing the item. How kewl would it be to have adjusting headlamps on an old Skoda Favorit? Super kewl I say!! Great video.

[@AaronSmart.online]

Super glue is fine as long as there is no movement or significant forces involved. I broke one of the legs off the Peugeot badge on my 406, and super glue held it in place for years (until I sold it). In load-bearing applications, it doesn't last long.

[@klwthe3rd]

@@AaronSmart.online true but not all superglue is created equal. I think most on the market are junk and don't hold worth a Damn. Just my opinion ofcourse.

[@wollywotsit]

Impressive quantity of shaft used

[@madhatters1966]

We like watching HubNut repair videos so it looks like a good fix, It will be good to see the Matiz again, Now i must watch mustie 1 finish the welding on that lovely Karmann ghia

[@lancpudn]

Nice job Hubnut, odometer clock & a hammer in the same video, where else do you get this type of car repair?

[@martinpook5707]

Anything is more interesting than football! Do you want another speedo?

[@HubNut]

Thanks but I'll see how this one goes.

[@scottm7878]

Those old mechanical speedos are a very complex component. I thought the same as you . The only way to make that work was to "rough up" the end of that shaft a little. Either flatten it a little or create a burr of some sort on it. I admire your persistence in this matter, However, I f the needle is bent. I would have to fix it 😀

[@Frightningman]

The hydraulic headlamp adjuster on my Pug Boxer stopped working some years ago. I wondered if it would be mentioned at the last 'new revision' MOT in December 2018 but it wasn't - passed with no problems.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

"It was a great idea and it very nearly worked" Brilliant quote, love it. One could say that about voting Brexit, though it's probably not a good idea to go there just now.

[@HubNut]

Aye. Such discussions are sadly dangerous and soon descend into name-calling and pettyness. Whatever the result, what I dislike most is how it has torn the country in two, and that's all I'm saying on the matter!

[@lukeg2827]

Its not an odometer it's a Skodometer lol.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

Well done, another good job👍 and a big YES! to it being more interesting than football . Was that the next issue of Classic Jaguar Magazine and your last one I saw on your desk?

[@HubNut]

Thanks. That's an older issue of Classic Jaguar. The latest issue, and my last, is on sale today!

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

@@HubNut I will eagerly await my copy and thank you for all the enjoyable articles you have written 👍

[@dombooth86]

This is way better than watching that terrible James may show the re assembler

[@HubNut]

I quite like that, just because it isn't normal telly.

[@tauncfester3022]

In general terms: Probably best method, instead of knurling or distorting the shaft would be to peen over the edge of the white metal part near it's opening on both sides, with a very small point punch and add a tiny drop of Loktite green shaft keeper. Although I suspect with the light forces that these odometer number sets work under, your ovalizing the shaft will work as well. I like that you've shared this little bit of table-top DIY repair, thanks.

[@HubNut]

There's no access for peening!

[@tauncfester3022]

@@HubNut Yeah I meant while the little gear thingy was off the shaft. Probably a wash either way, the only concern with distorting the shaft is that if the area ovalized is wider than the piece it's meant to anchor, it may cause other rotating parts to fixedly rotate with it when they shouldn't.

[@TheSgtAngry]

If you want the headlight adjusment to work you can engineer an electronic system by using Fabia/Octavia adjusters, there's a complete kit sold by a Czech company with everything needed for roughly 100£. The failure is so common that MOT techs here simply ignore it and adjust the lights manually. If you decide to replace the system for a new one, accept that it might leak out within months.

[@CarlJones14]

It looks like something Charles Babbage would have designed.👍

[@KarlMcClelland]

never underestimate the power or usefulness of a cocktail stick.

[@Auto_Funk]

Hydraulic headlamp adjuster is the same as a Porsche 928... they also leak and never work!! You can replace the oil with 20wt super high viscosity fork oil if you fancy trying to repair it :)

[@BarryAllenMagic]

Congrats on not giving up and a successful, second attempt at repair. Was watching your odometer clicking round more interesting than football? As a life long Leyton Orient supporter, let's just say it's far too close to call. ;-)

[@MGBetts1]

I get the feeling that it probably always had a propensity to jam up - and that is what caused the problem in the first place. But that's just a theory - time will tell. If that is the case, you might be better getting hold of another working odometer assembly from the breakers. There's several members of the Škoda UK club with Favorits - it might be an idea to get in touch with them to see if they've seen this before. Anyway, hopefully it won't come to that. I look forward to seeing her all bright and beautiful again.

[@marinmarinov5935]

Great job! Those speedometers like to break on regular basis :D . The hydraulic system to move the lights is filled with something like ethyleglycol, some people tried to refill succesfully, but it wasnt lasting too long. I pesonaly changed them i 2013, after year they are faulty again. You can buy electric on (sp-el.cz) it is modification from octavias headlight positioning.

[@MrButtonpresser]

You have more patience than me. And less sweary sweary too.

[@chilternman]

Hello, You can get the headlamp levelling system from Skoda Dily in CZ. They deliver to UK and postage is about £10. Just punch in hydrokonnector into their search engine.

[@GreyTheFloydianSergal]

How to clock your car with Hubnut! Top tinkering that man

[@peterarlidge5525]

Yes better than watching football. I had to do the same to my felicia, except my cog was plastic and snapped in two! Once glued back on it works fine but sounds like a ticking bomb at 20mph, much to my passengers panic!

[@stewartturner3181]

Interesting tinkering video. Love the old wooden handled screwdriver or is it just pretending to be old ? 😃

[@HubNut]

No, actually is old. Mrs HubNut has many old tools.

[@ac1818]

Blimey 10/10 for sticking with it, think I'd have used a bigger hammer by now! 😬😬, have you fixed temperature gauge yet?

[@HubNut]

No...

[@twocvbloke]

When in doubt, hit it... :P It's always fun taking stuff to bits that was never designed to be taken to bits for repair, it's less fun getting them back together though... :D

[@supergeekjay]

Actually it's the other way round! Older stuff WAS designed to be repaired, unlike today's throwaway stuff! Where have VCR's gone? We have stupid solid state Freeview and cable boxes now! I used to love watching a VCR do it's dance while I was repairing the mechanism. Good times :)

[@Okanagan48]

Can you get JBweld over there? If so do a thorough clean of the end of the shaft and a very mild sanding, to rough up the shaft. That should solve your problem. Google for the various types available. Good luck.

[@Mariazellerbahn]

I swear by Siroflex industrial strength superglue. Just make sure it only goes where you need it to go and don't get any on your fingers.

[@mikeholbrook5084]

Two things. I had a similar problem long ago and tapped out the shaft from the fixed gear on the undamaged end, swapped ends of the shaft and reinstalled. Fix. What you call a "cocktail stick", we call a "toothpick".

[@renaultlover1]

Two of my classics have this problem. Namely the Skoda Favorit and Volvo 340. Both work and have done for some time now.However the Volvo's speedo head is presumably broken and won't clock up the miles when it gets warm and the Skoda when the last digit of the trip meter hits 9 it won't turn over.

[@HubNut]

I suspect the same issue. It's very common. Not sure exactly what breaks in the Volvo speedometer, but again, failure is very common - also on the 740.

[@riccardoscavo8485]

Goes to show that 'no job is too big or small' for your trusty rusty hammer. Well done

[@mondodaftasabrush]

Don't forget top of your list must clean garage 📃

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Would it be worth buying a used speedo with a good shaft and adjusting the mileage to suit. Or would that mean pulling off the silver drive cog ?

[@HubNut]

I'm not removing it again! Mileage is entirely irrelevant with this car.

[@AR.24]

good news on the matiz

[@sim6699]

Good job...ish!

[@julianparker6090]

Good news about the Matiz. Hopefully the odometer problem is fixed. Don't remember seeing Mustie1 fixing an odometer, but don't think he'd use an electric screwdriver or would he? I've just fitted a temp gauge (volt gauge) to my Seicento. The problem is their back lights are blindingly bright, so I've had to order new holders and red LED bulbs. Aren't cars fun. Don't know how our ancestors managed without them, or did they have more sense?

[@station240]

Belting a shaft with a center punch in a few places, to close up a gap, is a perfectly valid trick that machinists and mechanics have used before. There is a limit to what you can do with such a small shaft without bending it.

[@supergeekjay]

Heating it in a vice with a heatgun (NOT a hairdryer, they're not hot enough!) would have softened it to squash the end :)

[@georgebrown3359]

Starlings in Aberystwyth! And the one at 36,000 feet?

[@jeep2003]

same thing happend to my porsche. and i didnt even wind back the miles

[@MapleMarmite]

Hopefully you've done it this time! I was thinking something similar in squaring off the end or possibly cutting a slot into the end of the shaft and splitting it open slightly but I think you'd need a watchmaker's tool kit for something so small. On a side note; what is the old building almost opposite your garage? Looks interesting. I'm guessing it's something to do with the railway. Roof, windows and a door and it could be a second garage! You'd have to install a level crossing to get to it, of course...

[@HubNut]

It's an old mill. Defunct for many decades and very much falling apart.

[@MapleMarmite]

HubNut That's a shame but I guess its use came to an end and that was that. Like old cars, I always have yearning to save old buildings. Fortunately I don't have the funds to take on such notions!

[@dennisrobinson735]

You have a lot of patience

[@HubNut]

I really don't. I quite enjoyed this puzzle though.

[@scaleop4]

2nd attempt, lets hope its fixed this time round.

[@stevenward6453]

Not being funny but that's a dream come true for me don't fix it keep it low mileage cushty great films love it keep it up tell me when you find a cheap but absolutely brilliant 2cv or Dianne for sale cushty

[@Witheredgoogie]

A fair few mechanical odometers got damaged by crooked dealers who use to stick a drill in the cable shaft in reverse to wind the miles back.

[@HubNut]

That one's a myth. When you reverse the mechanism, the miles don't go back down...

[@ginggur17]

Loads more patience than me pal.

[@davidsharp9166]

Watching from 2022, clocking an odometer and a classic jaguar magazine

[@gsallen9588]

Good solution. But should that sodding cog slip again, I'd perform the following: Remove cog, reinsert shaft, mark cog location on shaft with a sharpie, remove shaft, buy a solid center punch (non-spring type) and hammer 3 dimples about shaft circumference in cog zone (preferably while shaft is lying on an anvil flat). Reinstall cog after applying a drop of construction adhesive or Liquid-Nails or Lok-tite gap filler to the shaft. Tap shaft left or right until no number-wheel binding is experienced. Allow adhesive to set before cluster reinstall. (Super glue is hydroscopic and unsuitable for repairs in a moist climate...unless vehicle is to be sold the next day.)

[@HubNut]

You can't fix the wheel to the shaft before reassembly. That's rather the problem. If you do, there is then no way to get the plastic numeral cogs onto the shaft.

[@gsallen9588]

@@HubNut Of course. Shaft insertion into cog with glue would take place as normal, not beforehand.

[@philipaspinall8218]

Why do l always have a bit leftover?

[@delukxy]

More starlings please. The glue method might have worked if a. you'd totally degreased the shaft and cog. b. roughed up the mating surfaces. c. used the right glue, there's bound to be a Loctite type that would have worked. Fingers crossed for the future.