How to check car mileage

📌Check vehicle mileage

The first thing you should pay attention to when buying a used car is mileage. The real figure can say a lot, and this, of course, is used by unscrupulous sellers.

It's no secret that “twisting” the odometer readings is absolutely not a problem for our “garage masters”. The price of the issue is several tens of dollars, while you can “weld” a car with a low mileage all a thousand, or even more.

Let's see how, without using special devices, to find out the mileage that a car actually traveled in its life so as not to fall into the scammers’s bait.

📌Why do sellers roll mileage?

Twisted mileage is a common occurrence in the secondary market. Unscrupulous sellers do this for two reasons.

1. Make the car look "younger". According to the requirements of most automakers, once a car has covered about 120 kilometers, maintenance must be done, which costs a lot of money. Approaching this threshold, the owner of the car changes the mileage downward in order to sell the old car at the price of "fresh".
2. They make the car "older." Sometimes dishonest car owners twist the odometer in the direction of a larger figure. This is done to convince the buyer of timely maintenance, although in fact this is not so. In the absence of a service book, you have to take a word.

To date, the opportunity to buy a car at American auctions has gained popularity. Some lone sellers take this opportunity to sell high-mileage cars, as they had recently bought in a passenger compartment. Abroad, you can often find an old vehicle with a decent appearance, so some use this option to get significant benefits.

📌How do you adjust the odometer?

Attackers “tweak” the odometer value in two ways:

• Mechanical. This method is used in the case of an analog device. The odometer is designed so that, reaching a value of 1, the dial switches to counting a new segment, starting from zero. Fraudsters disconnect the cable from the gearbox and rotate its core (for example, with a drill) until the counter is reset. After that, the numbers are twisted to the desired value. Some "experts" disassemble the dashboard and simply turn the numbers on the drums into the desired position.

• Electronic. Today, there are many programs with which you can work with the "brains" of the machine, so that the electronic odometer shows the number you need for the owner. Unfortunately, today there are even such companies that perform such a service for an additional fee.

📌Signs indicating odometer curl

When buying a used car with a mechanical odometer, you should first pay attention to:

• Speedometer cable condition. This part does not often need replacing. If there are obvious signs that it was removed (a new one may even be installed), then you should ask the seller what the reason was.
• Did the dashboard understand. In the new car there is no need to remove it, so the characteristic signs of interference are the reason for questions to the seller.
• What the odometer numbers look like. If they were scrolled, then they will stand crookedly.
• Condition of the timing belt and brake discs. These items will primarily show high mileage. The belt is changed after 70-100 thousand km., And grooves appear on the discs after about 30. In most cases, their replacement is an expensive procedure, therefore, it is often not carried out before the sale.
• Suspension and chassis condition. Of course, it is worth considering what roads he traveled. Due to the poor quality of the coating, the new car may look like it has traveled more than one hundred thousand kilometers.

If the machine is modern and equipped with an electronic meter, then you can check the real mileage at the service station, where computer diagnostics are carried out. Most often, scammers use budget equipment to hide real mileage. Such software basically erases the data in the memory of the control unit.

It is worth considering that this information is recorded not only by the electronic control unit, but also by other auto modules (depending on the model of the car), for example, the brake system or the gearbox control and transfer case. To identify signs of interference, it is enough for a specialist to connect his laptop to the computer, scan all the systems, and the program will show signs of a counter reset.

📌What are the ways to find out and determine the real mileage

There is no universal method for detecting interference with the odometer. For an accurate check, you should use the available methods in a complex to expose the fraudster in deception. Here are the methods that exist:

• Check by VIN-code. This procedure will help in the case of cars that are under warranty and undergo maintenance at official car services.
• Availability of documentation on the passage of maintenance. This is ideal to prove whether the mileage is twisted or not. But not every motorist stores such information. This method will help if the seller claims that the car warranty is only recently issued.
• Computer diagnostics will reveal traces of interference if the attacker did not use expensive equipment that modifies information in all possible control modules. Such "specialists" are extremely rare, because sophisticated equipment is expensive.
• Indirect evidence of active use is the wear of the steering wheel, pedals, bodywork and interior elements. Such a check does not necessarily indicate a high mileage, because the external condition of the car depends on the accuracy of its owner. A new car may look like an old one, and vice versa.

📌Check with documents

As the saying goes, numbers never lie. This rule also works in the case of mileage cars. Ask the seller to provide a service book for the vehicle and the TCP. These documents will allow you to set the exact year of manufacture of the machine. It should be remembered that with average use, a car travels from 15 to 16 thousand kilometers per year. We need to calculate how many years the car is being sold, then we multiply this figure by the above value, as a result of which we get the mileage that the car was supposed to drive. For example, if the 2010 car counter shows mileage of 50 thousand km, then it was clearly twisted.

Another test option that may catch an unscrupulous seller by surprise. Read the document for the latest oil change. Often, this brochure indicates at which mileage a replacement was made. That is, if the odometer gives out 100 thousand kilometers, and the oil was changed at 170, then the conclusion becomes obvious.

The actual mileage of the machine can also be found in the service book. After scheduled maintenance, the wizard often indicates the mileage that she overcame.

The following verification method is applicable only to German cars. Basically, these cars are sold after a run of 100-150 thousand km. If there is another indicator on the counter - this is an occasion to suspect the seller of a lie. You can always accurately find out the country of issue of the vehicle in your passport.

📌Checking by computer methods

The actual mileage of the car can be set by connecting to the electronic unit. For this you will not need anything special - a laptop and a USB cable for discharge OBD-2. The price of the latter is around 2-3 dollars. So, after connecting, the control unit will give out all the truthful information about the mileage that the car has overcome. However, relying heavily on this method is not worth it, as our “craftsmen” have learned to dump data there too. Nevertheless, this may work, and certainly will not be superfluous.

We also recommend paying attention to other systems. Often, it is in them that the data cannot be changed.

For example, you can scan the system for crashes and errors. In many cars, this data is recorded at a certain mileage. If all the data is missing - most likely, they were deleted.

 The more complex the electronics in a car, the more difficult it will be to create a believable car history. For example, the owner of the car claims that the real mileage is 70, and just recently another MOT was done. During computer diagnostics, the control module of, say, the brake system shows that an error was recorded at 000.

Such inconsistencies are clear evidence of attempts to hide the real indicator of the electronic odometer.

📌 Machine Inspection

📌Pedals

If the rubber pads have worn off to metal, and the seller says that the car has skated 50 thousand kilometers - this is a serious reason to think. This level of wear indicates a run of 300 thousand or more. You should also be alert for new pedals. Perhaps the trickster is trying in this way to hide the real mileage.

📌Steering wheel

The state of the steering wheel will give with giblets a “difficult” biography of the car being sold. The first thing you should look at the skin - the deterioration on it becomes visible only after 5 years of active use, which is equivalent to about 200 thousand kilometers. If the scuffs in the “9 hour” zone stand out the most, this is a clear sign that the car traveled long distances. Depreciation of "9 and 3 hours" indicates that city trips were added to the biography of the vehicle. Most of all, one should be wary of cases when the steering wheel has worn around the entire perimeter - this may indicate that the car went in a taxi. Such verification does not take much time.

It is worth remembering that changing the steering wheel is almost pointless. It is too expensive, and the costs will not pay off even if the machine is successfully sold. The only exceptions are premium cars.

📌Seat

The driver's seat will also help determine the approximate mileage of the purchased car. Here, too, it is worth remembering some numbers. So, velor "lives" approximately 200 thousand. After this, defects begin to manifest themselves - the first thing the side roller “dies” is, which is closer to the door. Leather lasts a little longer, not its main enemies - rivets from jeans and other metal objects.

It is also worth comparing the condition of the steering wheel and the driver's seat - they should be approximately at the same level. If the difference is big - this is an occasion to ask the seller questions and beware. Therefore, do not be too lazy to look under the covers.

📌Kuzov

How to find out - did the seller twist the mileage? It’s definitely not worth the word. It is better to carefully inspect the vehicle body. Pay attention to the condition of the plastic in the cabin, especially to the handles and gearbox - the deterioration will give the real life of the car.

Also worth a look at the windshield. After 5 years of use, it will remain scratches and deep chips.

It will be worthwhile to inspect the inside of the dashboard. Depreciation and damage on bolts and rivets will give a real run of the car "with giblets."

📌Verification by specialists

 The surest way to check the mileage of a car is to entrust it to professionals. Contact the dealer service center where the official representatives of the car brand in your city will check the entire ins and outs of the vehicle. Here they will check the engine number, determine whether third-party devices were connected to the car and, of course, tell how much it “dashed off”.

If it is not possible to contact dealers, other car services may help you. Based on the engine compression indicators, a specialist can determine the mileage of a car. Also, at the service station can check the level of CO. If a car has a high mileage, the previous indicator will increase by 2 times, or even more.

Check using the internet

Known Internet resources that provide a service for checking the history of the car based on the VIN code. These companies offer a free check of standard machine data such as date of manufacture and some of the pick data. The paid service includes verification of data on accidents and repair work. On the one hand, such resources are useful, as they provide an opportunity to check whether the seller is telling the truth.

But on the other hand, it is impossible to verify for certain whether this information is really correct. The reason is that even after buying a vehicle at a dealership, there are no guarantees that it will undergo scheduled maintenance in those service centers that enter information about the work done into the database. In addition, so far there is no worldwide base, which is entered into any information about the technical condition of the machine.

In theory, when adding data on the passage of maintenance or repairs, the service center employee should also indicate the mileage of the car. By comparing these data, it is possible to determine whether the declared mileage of the car is consistent or not. But, unfortunately, so far this system works with huge inaccuracies. An example of this is situations when a driver makes an emergency repair of a car in a service station that does not use any Internet resource that records data on vehicles. In any case, if you believe the owner of the car sold that he carried out all the manipulations with the car only at official service stations, then checking the mileage using Internet resources is quite real.

Factors Indicating Mileage Twisting

So, to summarize. Here are some factors that may indicate a mismatch between the odometer data and the actual mileage of the vehicle:

1. Deterioration of interior elements (wear of upholstery, steering wheel, pedals). In this case, it is necessary to take into account that these elements are in the original, and not changed from the moment of buying a car;
2. Auto technical documentation. When the car is under warranty, the driver is obliged to carry out maintenance at an official workshop. Data on the work done is entered into the car's service book, including the mileage on which it was performed;
3. Rubber tread condition. Here, too, it must be borne in mind that the replacement of wheels can be carried out independently, and information about this procedure is not entered in the service book;
4. Errors when performing computer diagnostics. The scanner will definitely show the inconsistency of the history of different errors. For example, in some car models, if the fuel system control unit fails, the main ECU records at what point in the run the breakdown occurred. But this data can also be recorded in other electronic systems. If the run was twisted by a non-professional, then he will surely miss a couple of nodes in which the real odometer reading will be displayed;
5. The condition of the brake discs. Heavy wear on these elements may indicate high mileage, but this is not a major factor as there are drivers who like to accelerate quickly and brake hard.

You should not be guided by the condition of the body, as there are motorists who take good care of their vehicle. True, such a car owner rarely goes to fraud with mileage.

📌Conclusions

When buying a vehicle that was already in use, the driver consciously runs the risk of being deceived. Before you take such a step, it is better to arm yourself with knowledge that will help to identify fraudulent intentions of the seller. Correction of all the above nuances will cost the unscrupulous seller too expensive, and therefore it will be inappropriate. Use these tips and take your time, because a car is not a cheap pleasure, and you should clearly know what you are paying for.

Questions and answers:

What is vehicle mileage? Vehicle mileage is the total distance the vehicle has traveled since the sale (if it is a new vehicle) or engine overhaul.

What is the mileage of the car? An ordinary car drives about 20 thousand kilometers per year. The number of years of operation and the indicator on the speedometer should approximately correspond to these calculations.

How to determine twisted mileage? Twisted mileage can be given by worn brake discs, a badly worn steering wheel and pedals, severe scuffs on the windshield, a sagging driver's door, mismatch mileage and errors that are recorded in the memory of the on-board system.

The program for checking the mileage of a car. If a real professional is engaged in rolling the run, then it is impossible to find out about this fraud, even if the motorist is armed with the latest diagnostic equipment. In an old car, it is much easier to twist the mileage. For example, mechanical twisting is not a problem at all. In cars of the latest generations, information about the mileage is duplicated in different control units. For a scammer, it is enough to know where information is written in a particular car model. If he eliminated all errors and conflicts associated with mismatching mileage on different control units (for example, box and motor ECU). But the pros work mainly with expensive cars, since there is no reason to spend money on an expensive procedure to adjust the mileage on a cheap car. But if a beginner worked with a budget car, then, for example, the Carly mobile application, which is synchronized via Bluetooth with the ELM327 scanner, will help.

How to find out the real mileage of a car by VIN. This procedure is not available for every car model. The fact is that there is no database in which all the data on the repair of a particular car is entered. Plus, not every car is repaired at official service centers. If we assume that the car underwent scheduled maintenance or repairs in such service centers, then there are good chances that the VIN code of this car will be entered into the company's database. But it is impossible to verify the accuracy of the information, so you have to take their word for it. If the seller did not use the services of one service center every time (this may be the case, for example, when a car breaks down during a vacation), then he may not provide his vehicle for such a diagnosis. In addition, few car services can provide data on remote vehicle verification.