Pagoda SL Group
W113 Pagoda SL Group => General Discussion => Topic started by: rwaw on July 30, 2003, 16:17:31
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Have noticed that the digit "6" on my odometer is a smaller size than all the others; this is certainly the case for units/tens/hundreds (haven't reached next 1000 miles yet).
I thought this was a sign of somebody having fiddled with the mileage-reading in the past but on several pictures on various websites I seem to have noticed the same smaller sized "6".
Does anybody have the definitive answer to this ??
Raoul
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I remember a discussion about this on another 113 sight. I don't think anyone had a solid answer to this question. Lots of speculation as I recall. I know in some types of manufacturing, the 6 and 9 numbers are different sizes so the two aren't confused during assembly, but I can't see why an odometer would need that.
BTW, it was deemed "normal".
Rudy
Los Angeles
1971 280 SL
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Raoul,
I go with Rudy.
Both my 230 and 280 have the same small '6'
naj
naj
'Kloines Scheisserle'
65 230SL
68 280SL
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The small 6 is like that on all of the 113 odometers I have seen. There is no way to tell if the mileage has been changed if the person takes the time to line up the numbers. Changing the odometer reading is very easy I have done it several times on the 113 speedometers. I dont think the odometer reading is as large a gauge of condition as some may think in these older cars, there are only 3 real concerns and that is, condition, condition and condition and the odometer reading can be a part of it, so if you like to have low mileage on your car just pull out the speedo and take a few minutes with some basic tools and you can make it say whatever you want. I personaly only set the mileage to the last reading from the previuos speedometer and really dont like setting them back for unscroupulous reasons, however I have seen cars that had faulty parts and dealers just put in a new speedometer and the car starts out fresh and only detailed service records can reveal this. Again the odometer is just a clue and can be misleading, take the info for what its worth.
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I believe it has to do with the mechanism that makes the "ones" digit turn the "tens" digit, and so on. Look closely at that little "6", I think I recall a small notch on it. If you think about it, the "6" would be in the back when the "0" is in the front. When it would move past "0" from your perspective, it would catch a lever or something in the back and move the next number up one increment.
DISCLAIMER: I have never had a speedometer apart before. This is purely a guess by what I recall seeing only on the "6" digit and how I assume odometers work.
Rodd
1966 230SL Euro
1994 E420