Modern cars are increasingly filled with electronic devices. Now without a computer it is almost impossible to service the “iron horse”. The use of digital instruments has posed new problems for car enthusiasts: how to twist an electronic speedometer when necessary, and is it possible to detect a twisted mileage?
Car owners have various reasons that force them to change the odometer (vehicle mileage meter) readings on the instrument panel. And while motorists have long since figured out mechanical speedometers, electronic displays initially inspired some fear.
At the end of this article there is a detailed video instruction on how to independently rewind the mileage on an electronic speedometer, and what is needed for this.
The main reasons why the speedometer can be twisted are usually the following:
- The most famous, but not entirely legal reason for twisting the electronic speedometer is the “rejuvenation” of the car. Before selling a used car, owners often resort to reducing the mileage of the car. Naturally, the potential buyer is not informed about this.
- The need to adjust the electronic speedometer is required when using wheels of non-standard sizes.
- In some vehicles, the odometer reading is linked to the maintenance schedule. The on-board computer begins to “swear” and demands to visit a service station. But not all motorists can afford their “iron friend” to be serviced at branded service centers. It is much easier to fool the computer by twisting the odometer readings.
- Mileage adjustment may be required for those foreign cars that, at the factory, measure the distance traveled in miles.
- Problems with the electronic speedometer can also occur after a battery or generator malfunction.
- Sometimes a car needs a dashboard replacement. After this operation, the readings of the new odometer must be adjusted to the original mileage of the car.
There are other reasons for adjusting the speedometer readings, which is becoming a pressing problem for many car enthusiasts.
How to wind an electronic speedometer yourself
Car owners have various reasons for changing their odometer readings. Most often, vehicle owners resort to this procedure when preparing their cars for sale. Vehicle mileage is an important condition that directly affects the cost of transport. Every car enthusiast should know how to change the speedometer readings and how to determine that changes have been made to the odometer.
- How to twist an electronic speedometer
- How to check if the speedometer on a car is twisted
- Mechanical or electromechanical odometer
- Electronic odometer
Retro looks with classic cars
In the past, all odometers (devices that measure the mileage of a vehicle) were mechanical. The rotating gears in the gearbox were connected to the wheels of the dial. The rotation was transmitted through a special cable removed from the gearbox.
Resetting the readings to the desired value was carried out by winding it from a drill with an adapter . The cable shank was clamped into a chuck and rotated for several tens of minutes, achieving the required mileage on wheels. There are different types of odometers on cars:
- mechanical;
- electromechanical;
- electronic metering devices;
- digital methods of collecting information.
The last two types are the most problematic for rewinding readings. However, they are most often installed on modern cars.
Ways to change speedometer readings
There are several ways to check mileage on an electronic speedometer. In some cases, you can contact a local electrician, while for other cars you will need to visit a company technical center.
- To change the electronic odometer readings, you will need to remove the dashboard, disassemble the electronic components and connect a programmer to them. This procedure is usually needed for Korean and Japanese cars.
- It is sometimes possible to change the odometer readings without disassembling the panel, limiting yourself to removing the assembly. A computer is connected to the diagnostic connector and adjustments are made. This is how the speedometer in Fords and Nissans is twisted.
- In most cars, you can change the odometer readings by connecting diagnostic equipment to the OBD 2 connector. This does not require removing and disassembling the dashboard and electronic components.
- A peculiar innovation in the field of adjusting the electronic speedometer is the soldering of an additional microcircuit. This modification allows you to set any meter readings using the daily mileage reset button. Moreover, this can be done more than once.
Modern meters
Adjusting the mileage of digital or electronic odometers with a drill or screwdriver is very problematic. This is due to their design features. Unlike previous generations, these units do not have built-in shafts, cables or gearboxes.
The latest generations of speedometers and odometers use magnetic or optical sensors located at the output end of the transmission shaft. Less commonly, wheels are equipped with sensors that record speed. The data collected in this way is sent to the electronic control unit for processing. Next, the parameters from the ECU are displayed on the electronic display.
Due to the fact that information is valuable, it is stored in several memory blocks for reliability in flagship cars. Therefore, often twisting the mileage on a car means cleaning up the values not in one place, but in 5-8 modules.
How to increase mileage?
Many car enthusiasts, even those who need to increase mileage for objective reasons, often refuse this procedure to the detriment of their own interests, although in fact, increasing mileage is absolutely safe for the car’s electronic systems.
You can wind the speedometer using a special device called a “winder”. The device is intended for calculating electronic speedometer readings on cars manufactured after 2006. Although if the car has an earlier year of manufacture, you can also choose a device to change the mileage.
Instruments and devices for winding
If you don’t know how to rewind your mileage, but don’t want to go to a car service center, you can purchase a special device with which you can rewind the speedometer. There is a wide selection of mechanisms available on the market, which makes it possible to choose a device suitable for a particular car. These devices are easy to use, so any car enthusiast can adjust the speedometer. There are different options for speedometer winders, which differ in design and operating principle.
CAN twister
Speedometer corrector via digital CAN bus, used for modern cars equipped with a control unit. Through the CAN bus, blocks of electronic devices exchange impulses with each other. Before tightening the speedometer, the CAN twister must be inserted into the OBD diagnostic connector. It is located within the driver's reach, usually near the steering column. Thanks to exchange protocols, this connector allows you to access electronic devices.
Thus, using CAN knobs, you can adjust the necessary memory cells in the control unit to set the desired mileage. These devices are popular among dealers of used cars. They use them to twist the speedometer to reduce mileage. It is almost impossible to detect that changes have been made to memory cells, even with the use of modern equipment.
Pulse
The pulse speedometer corrector is used on imported cars that are equipped with a digital CAN bus. To use the device, you must insert it into the OBDII diagnostic connector located near the driver’s feet. Pulse winding of the speedometer sends impulses to the odometer, which are imitation of signals from the speed controller. With its help you can change the mileage readings.
Domestic cars
Cars produced in Russia are equipped with dashboards from the Kursk software "Schetmash" or the Vladimir "Avtopribor". To check the mileage on them, you cannot use the connector, since it is missing. The operation will require dismantling the panel, after which it will be possible to get to the PIC12F629 memory chip.
It is believed that it will be possible to turn 50 thousand km using the board once. After the manufacturer has rewritten the data to the device, reuse is allowed.
You can reinstall and reflash the Vladimir PIC12C519 chip using the PO-5 programmer. Domestic VAZs are subject to electronics such as Shetmasch and VDO. For Gazelles, there is also special software on the market that helps you reset the odometer yourself. Cheating is carried out using a programmer.
Why is it dangerous to misrepresent the mileage when selling a car?
You can reduce mileage on any car, be it a 30-year-old Lada or a new Lexus. But the meaning of this operation is quite dubious. Of course, you will easily pay more attention to the advertisement for the sale of your car if its mileage over 10 years of operation is less than 100,000 kilometers. But in reality this is almost impossible, since transport is used more intensively in 80% of cases.
Interestingly, experienced motorists have learned to determine real mileage based on secondary signs. This is not only the readings of diagnostic equipment, but also the condition of the car interior, some leather and plastic parts, engine wear and emerging problems, the service book and the date it was last filled out, as well as the service history at your service station. There can be quite a lot of principles for determining real mileage.
Where to see coordinates
In order to plot a route using coordinates, they must be entered into the program of the Lada Vesta multimedia system, but first you still need to know them. So, it's simple. We take the phone, open Google maps, point our finger where necessary, at the desired point, and hold until a red flag appears. The coordinates of the point indicated to you will pop up on the screen, and you need to show them to the navigator. Now let's talk about how to do this.
In the main menu, open the search, then select the “coordinates” section. We see two fields: latitude (N), longitude (E). Traditionally, coordinates are entered into CityGid in the form of decimal fractions. Enter the coordinates we already know and click “let’s go”
Please note that when entering coordinates, the letters N and E are optional
Mileage adjustment
So, when asked – is it possible to change the mileage yourself, we answer – yes, it is possible. But for this you need to have certain knowledge, have the appropriate equipment and follow clear instructions. If you violate the operation algorithm for adjusting the mileage on any modern car, you will not only not be able to adjust the mileage, but in general, you will cause enormous damage to the car electronics and can doom the car to expensive repairs.
Adjustment of mileage on a car must be carried out competently, as accurately and clearly as possible.
How to rewind your mileage
Special devices will help you adjust the mileage on your car yourself. That is, to twist or increase mileage you need to buy (because these devices are not available for rent) special programmers, computers and a service application. A profile programmer or an appropriately configured computer, as well as a special service software application, are selected and configured individually for each make of car, and sometimes for each car model.
To check mileage on Renault, you need a computer and software for Renault; to check mileage on Ford, you need a Ford programmer and a special application with encodings, etc.
How to calculate mileage on a car via computer
If you want to adjust the mileage on your car yourself, you need to immediately understand that a professional electrician at a car service center asks for a certain price for adjusting the mileage for a reason. Correcting the odometer and adjusting the speedometer is far from the simplest operation in the field of car maintenance. And here, in addition to knowledge and instructions, which, in principle, if you really want, can be found/obtained from the Internet, you also need to invest in the purchase of a programmer to adjust the mileage on your car. And this, dear ones, is not cheap.
Should this be done?
Adjustment of odometer readings is carried out both by artisans and by professional specialists. Special devices are commercially produced to perform this procedure. But, nevertheless, if this event is carried out for selfish purposes, then caution and a sense of proportion should be exercised.
An experienced and attentive technician can accurately determine the fact of falsification of testimony. A car that has a high actual mileage always has some microtraces on the body - dents, scratches, abrasions. The upholstery does not look fresh.
In Western countries, unauthorized modification of the odometer reading is a criminal offense. You can get a real prison sentence for this. Although for folk craftsmen the task of “how to wind up a speedometer” is not a completely insoluble problem, it is not recommended to do this.
Correction of values
An electronic speedometer-odometer is a representative of computer technology. Any changes to it require professional programming. These works are performed in many service centers. But you can twist the speedometer yourself. Just don't do this.
It must be remembered that the electronic speedometer is part of a large electronic monitoring and control system in the car. The speedometer-odometer software is closely linked with other elements of the system. Many craftsmen know how to twist an electronic speedometer, but only a few understand how to keep the entire system working.
After adjusting the mileage value, you need to code the electronic modules and diagnose the entire vehicle control system. Information about mileage and speed is output via information channels to different software blocks of the control system, and the corresponding algorithms work with it. Odometer programming is carried out using special engineering equipment.
The mileage has to be adjusted both up and down. If the odometer is mechanical, then the problem is solved very simply. The cable detaches from the wheel and rotates in the desired direction as long as necessary to obtain the desired readings. To speed up the procedure, you can use an electric drill.
If the odometer is electronic, then the adjustment is made by reprogramming it one-time or using a special device for increasing mileage. You can adjust the speedometer using a pulse or digital method; the services offer various options for adjusting mileage.
To work with the odometer in a Japanese-made car, you will need a specialized programmer. If the car is American, then you will need adapters for connectors and a personal computer. All types of machines require an additional chip. It is placed on top of the main one, and reprogramming procedures are simplified. But this work should be entrusted only to specialists.
Let's sum it up
You can twist the mileage quite simply. This process is not difficult at all. It is enough to determine what readings on the odometer you want to see. It does not matter whether we are talking about a mechanical or electronic speedometer. The essence will always be the same. But it is worth remembering that mileage cheating is actually a crime for which compensation can be demanded through the court or the transaction can be canceled without any problems. Then you will have to return the money for the car and endure the most unpleasant moments after the sale. In most cases, cheating mileage does not pay for itself; it is better not to engage in such deception.
It must be said that in European countries it is not customary to inflate mileage, but in the CIS, every third seller on the market does this. Therefore, mileage has long ceased to be a determining factor in purchasing a car. Most likely, you will not be able to obtain certain benefits from rolling up the odometer readings. However, until twisting tools are blocked by manufacturers, our car sellers will actively use these tools. Have you ever checked the mileage of a car before selling it?
How to twist an electronic speedometer
How can you twist an electronic speedometer and is it worth doing?
The newest cars are most often equipped with electronic devices, this also applies to speedometers. Without a computer, it becomes difficult to keep your car in perfect order and maintain it. The use of electronic devices has added some problems to car lovers. Many citizens are wondering: is it possible to twist the speedometer if necessary, and is it possible to somehow detect the changed mileage?
Drivers often have various reasons to change not only the speedometer readings, but also the odometer readings. The odometer reads the car's mileage. Drivers long ago managed to understand the mechanical versions of devices, but electronic devices immediately began to strike fear into motorists.
There are not so many reasons for increasing mileage, but they still exist:
- The most popular and best known reason is vehicle rejuvenation. A kind of rejuvenation of the car is carried out before sale in order to gain as much money as possible from the sale. However, nothing is said to the future owner about reducing mileage in this way;
- The speedometer is adjusted to accommodate wheels that differ markedly in size from existing standards;
- Due to lack of funds, it can be difficult to visit a service station. Due to the high mileage, on-board computers often display various notifications to encourage the car owner to visit a service station. Therefore, many car enthusiasts resort to “cheating” the on-board computer by twisting the mileage parameters. Such notifications from the on-board computer are associated with the maintenance schedule, and this schedule is associated with the odometer reading;
- Change the mileage parameter for foreign cars, the devices of which display mileage in miles, and not in kilometers and other units of measurement;
- Due to problems with the battery or generator, problems often occur with the electronic speedometer;
- In some cases, a complete replacement of the instrument panel is necessary. After replacing the panel, it is necessary to adjust the readings of the new devices to the old readings.
There are also some other reasons due to which it is necessary to adjust instrument readings. Adjustment is a fairly pressing problem for most car owners.
How to detect the unwinding of kilometers?
Determining interference has a low chance, but motorists should know what the interior elements look like at a specific mileage. The driver and front passenger seats may be too dented, the handles may be worn, and will have scuff marks that do not match the advertised mileage readings. But the owners can also slightly patch up the interior. Covering the seats and replacing the handles is not a very expensive procedure.
Diagnostics with a computer alone will not give results. In most cases, when undergoing service, employees stick tags with the distance traveled so that vehicle owners know when the next oil change is due. If the number of km on the tag and on the display does not match, the owner will be caught cheating. Also be sure to ask for a service inspection book. If it is not there, then there is a high probability of intervention.
We dealt a little with the question of how to adjust mileage on an electronic speedometer, the situation became clearer and general concepts became known. When choosing a used vehicle, you need to pay more attention to its condition; drivers take care of their equipment differently.
How to connect
Connection procedure:
- Unscrew and remove the rear dashboard cover.
- Ensure that the connecting wires are securely attached to the contact points.
- Connect the power cable and turn on its supply. After this, the current value should appear.
- Perform the operation of connecting the adapter to the LPT connector of the computer.
- Initiate program launch.
- When you press the “F6” key, the mileage readings will be read, “F7” - you can enter the desired value. Then you need to press “Enter” and you can close the program.
- Turn off the power and put everything back together. Now, when you start the car, the speedometer will show new mileage values.
