Odometer - how does it work and what are its types? How does he measure distances?

The km counter counts both the distance traveled per day and the total mileage of the vehicle. Thanks to this, you as an employer can check whether company vehicles are being used correctly. As a driver, you will know the average fuel consumption of a car, and when buying a car, you will be able to assess its technical condition. before buying used car, it is worth knowing the odometer even better. You will know what to pay more attention to. Find out the most important information about him.

What does an odometer look like in a regular car?

The standard car odometer is a digital display with two lines showing the distance.. You can delete one of them to, for example, find out the exact distance you are currently traveling. The second is an odometer that shows the mileage of the car from the very beginning of its use. You can set the counter edge to zero by pressing the dedicated button. It is located in different places depending on the car model. The display should always be on the dashboard so that you, as the driver, have easy access to it.

Odometer types

When buying a car, it is worth taking an indication that the odometer is equipped with your particular model. In fact, three are the most common. However, their design may still differ depending on the vehicle manufacturer. It:

• mechanical counters - usually used only in cars that are several years old or older, this is a drum mechanism, which means that the numbers are printed on a rotating drum;
• electromechanical meters - although they receive their data mechanically, the result is displayed digitally;
•  electronic counters - both their result and the method of counting are completely digital.

The type of counter primarily affects the way it is repaired.

Odometer - how does it work? Distance Measurement Errors

As a driver, you are probably aware that the odometer in your car does not always work perfectly. What is it coming from? From the method of calculating the distance along the route. It does not accurately measure the number of kilometers travelled. It only measures the number of revolutions of the wheels while driving, which in turn translates into distance. So it is enough to change the diameter (for example, through different tires) for the device to start working a little differently. Mechanical counters are the least accurate, since in their case the margin of error can be from 2 to even 10%.

Car meter - malfunctions that can affect the device

What breakdowns can most often affect this device? Usually these are only minor malfunctions that do not have a significant impact on the handling of the car. Often the problem lies in the VVS sensor, which is responsible for the correct measurement. It is located next to the gearbox. However, if the problem is indeed with the odometer and speedometer, they will probably need to be replaced, which will cost around 200-500 euros. Luckily, this happens relatively rarely and you don't have to worry too much about this element of your car.

Beware of scammers! Check mileage before buying a car

In our country, it is customary to consider a good car the one whose odometer does not show more than 200 kilometers. What are the consequences? Dishonest sellers often underestimate this value. However, this is neither legal nor safe. A high mileage car will require another inspection and replacement of other components. Therefore, try not to buy cars with unexpectedly low mileage and do not fall for excuses that the car is in the garage in the first place. Are there ways to protect yourself from such scammers? So it is, although sometimes this type of fraud is not so easy to detect.

Check if the appearance of the car matches the mileage

One of the few ways to protect yourself from a crooked odometer is to simply inspect the car carefully before buying it. Look carefully:

• whether its appearance corresponds to the kilometers traveled;
• is the steering wheel worn out;
• What do the different types of pens look like?

An important clue can be the appearance of the pedals. If these elements are worn out, you may be dealing with a scammer. A brand new steering wheel, of course, can sometimes mean it's just been replaced. Unfortunately, if the owner of the car has already changed the odometer, you won't be able to quickly and more accurately check the car's mileage.

Remember that the counter is not everything!

Contrary to popular belief, a large number of kilometers does not mean that the engine will break down at any moment. Pay attention to the general condition of the car, and not to the kilometers traveled. This is the only way you can change the reprehensible trend in our country to reduce the number of kilometers traveled, which shows the car odometer. It is worth remembering that such a change can lead to imprisonment of up to 5 years, and the punishment will affect both the principal and the one who turns the meter.

How is vehicle mileage checked?

Currently, the mileage of cars is checked during the annual technical inspection. In addition, your vehicle may be inspected during your journey. So you better keep that in mind before trying to counter-roll the offense.

As you can see, the odometer can be of different types. If accuracy is important to you, you should choose the most modern option. Mechanical meters may slightly distort the actual mileage. Although, of course, they do not do it on such a scale as the scammers who spin the counters. But that's a topic for another article...