Mileage read will not light

Hi,

Just so I am clear, the car was stolen and they punched out the ignition cylinder and now you can't put the key in and turn it in order to get the cluster to come on to show the mileage? If this is the case, unfortunately, you need to power on the system in order to get the cluster to wake up. I would suggest calling your insurance company and explain this to them. Usually they will understand and allow you to start the repair and once they get back to the point where you can get the mileage that you send it to them then.

I understand they have their processes but you just need to talk to a live person and explain what you are dealing with and what they suggest you are to do if they require the mileage at this point in the process.

Sorry I don't have better news but without putting the key in and turning it, there is no way to get the cluster to show the mileage. You can have someone hook up a scan tool and pull the mileage directly out of the cluster but this will not provide the actual picture of the odometer that they are probably looking for.

Let me know if I didn't understand something correctly. Thanks

So you can put the key in the ignition and start and drive the car? But the cluster does not show the mileage? Sorry I’m just not following what the issue is.

If the ignition starts the car but the cluster does not come on then there is no way to wire the ignition to allow this to happen. They must have cut some wires or did something to cause this. Maybe I am just not understanding but it sounds like what you are saying isn’t possible. There has to be another reason the cluster is dead.

Yes. You should be able to just wire the ignition switch back in and it should work. It is just acting as a simple switch that connects two circuits. As for the cluster, if you have another you should be able to just plug it in. This is an Electro Mechanical cluster which means it gets all its information from another source, mostly the BCM and it just displays what it is told.

So they are offering $786.00 to total the car and will let you keep the car? If so, that is probably your best bet and then worst case, scrap the car for salvage because you will probably get at least another few hundred. Then you have at least a grand to do something with.

Depending on what it takes to just get it running, I would not pay the $3,100.00 to repair it. At most, I would put $500.00 into getting running again and drive it until it fails.

As for the attorney, I personally don't waste my time with them. Even if they get you more money they are going to charge you something or take a portion of the settlement so in most cases, they are not worth it.

As for your wife. She is always right. I would normally agree with you. I would rather they open the door and take what they want then cut the roof and take what they want because that way I not only lose what they took but have to replace the roof as well. However, my wife says lock the front door even though we live in a town like Mayberry, I just do it because it makes her happy. When shes happy, I am happy. :)