Can the Total Mileage of a Car Be Reset?
4 Answers
Can the total mileage of a car be reset. Mechanical odometer: The mechanical odometer consists of worm gear mechanisms and numeral wheels. When the car is in motion, the drive shaft rotates the rightmost first numeral wheel through three sets of worm gears, displaying 1/10km on the first numeral wheel. From the first numeral wheel to the left, every two adjacent numeral wheels are connected through their internal teeth and carry-over gears, forming a 10:1 gear ratio. Electronic odometer: The electronic speedometer and odometer system consists of a speed sensor (installed on the worm gear assembly of the transmission on the wheel, utilizing either photoelectric or magnetoelectric principles), a microprocessor system, and a display unit. The photoelectric or magnetoelectric pulse signals transmitted by the sensor are processed by the internal microprocessor of the instrument, displaying the vehicle speed on the screen. The odometer calculates and displays the mileage based on the vehicle speed and accumulated operating time, processed by the microprocessor.
I'm quite qualified to speak on this, as I've seen many similar cases during my time at the repair shop. While a car's total mileage can theoretically be reset, the actual process is extremely complex and illegal. Modern vehicle odometer data is stored in tamper-proof chips that require specialized equipment to rewrite. My neighbor learned this the hard way after purchasing a rolled-back used car - they later discovered severe engine wear and spent over ten thousand on major repairs. Even if the numbers are altered, telltale signs of wear on the chassis and tires can't be hidden. Used car dealers often employ odometer fraud, so always check official maintenance records or use diagnostic tools to read the transmission's actual mileage when buying used. Remember, odometer tampering is illegal and can lead to serious legal consequences if discovered.
I've been repairing cars for over 20 years, and the total mileage is like a car's ID number. With old mechanical gauges, you could just open them up and adjust the needle, but modern electronic dashboards aren't that simple. Last week, a customer asked if I could lower the mileage to help sell the car, and I flat-out refused. Car manufacturers store backup data of the real mileage in the engine computer and transmission module—just plug in a professional diagnostic tool, and the truth comes out. Not to mention hidden data like door opening/closing counts and airbag status. Even if you manage to reset the odometer, factors like tire tread depth and brake disc wear can reveal the true mileage. Honestly, I advise against even considering it—it's not just illegal, but it also screws over the next owner.
This issue actually involves automotive data security mechanisms. Mileage information is stored across multiple systems: the dashboard is just the surface, while the engine control unit holds the real data. Average car owners can't even modify dashboard data, and professional technicians would need to rewrite over a dozen sets of data on the CAN bus simultaneously to potentially succeed. But manufacturers have long anticipated this - BMW's ISTA system, for example, automatically compares mileage discrepancies and locks the vehicle if anomalies are detected. Last year, I disassembled a Tesla dashboard and found three encrypted chips performing mutual verification. Even if someone spends big money on odometer tampering, the true values read by inspection computers during annual checks would immediately expose the fraud.
