Twisted mileage - how to recognize the true age of a car - Behind the Wheel magazine

How to check whether the mileage is twisted or not on a VAZ

This method of checking a car's mileage is effective for VAZ cars with a built-in on-board computer and a liquid crystal display on the instrument panel. Now that the car market is teeming with different cars, it is very difficult to check the mileage of a car. This aspect has always been of interest to car enthusiasts who buy used cars. Imagine, in front of you are two cars of the same make and model, in approximately the same condition, but one has a mileage of 20 thousand kilometers, and the other has 120 thousand kilometers. Any sane buyer will choose a car with the lowest mileage. But checking mileage is not a problem now - they can do it in any service for 300 rubles. To understand whether the mileage is twisted or not, you only need a few simple steps.

1. First, start the car and check all the indicator lights on the dashboard. The “engine malfunction” lamp should not light up on it.
2. Turn off the engine.
3. Find the button on the dashboard, next to the speedometer. There will be one, you will immediately notice it, as it passes through the glass of the instrument panel.
4. Press this button and hold it. Turn the key in the ignition until the speedometer light comes on.
5. Now all vehicle systems are being checked. The arrows of all instruments will go through three full circles and stop. As soon as they stop, you can start checking.
6. Press the button on the dashboard where the odometer and speedometer are located several times.
7. Using the data displayed on the on-board computer display, find the six-digit numbers.
8. If the combination of numbers is “888 888”, the mileage is real.
9. If the combination of numbers is “999 999” or any other, the mileage is twisted.

Resetting errors on the on-board computer:

1. Repeat all steps from 1 to 5 from the list described above.
2. Now press the button on the dashboard several times until the word “UBER” appears on it.
3. A number will be displayed next to this inscription, for example, 8. This means that 8 different errors interfere with the full operation of the car.
4. To reset them, keep the button on the instrument panel pressed for a few seconds until it resets.
5. Turn off the ignition and you can start the car for further use.

After such a mileage check (with the reading “888,888”), you can be 100% confident in the veracity of the car’s mileage, even if you previously had doubts about this.

Interior and electrical

People can and love to tune these elements of a car. Some people change most of the lamps to LED or xenon ones, some cover and make the steering wheel heated. There are cooler music lovers, and some people put eco-leather covers on all their seats.

Here it is necessary to ensure that all this tuning does not hide the car’s defects - the covers do not mask worn out and burnt-out seats, thumping music does not hide alarm signals from the engine and chassis. And it is also important that you do not get into trouble with the traffic police for tinting or, say, xenon on a newly purchased car.

Poor operation of the heating installation is also possible. Check it especially carefully if you buy a car in winter. You may not even be able to get home in an unfamiliar car if the stove does not provide visibility.

How to find out if mileage is twisted: deception technologies

Every third report from the Autocode service shows that the car’s mileage is incorrect. On average, each car travels about 20 thousand km per year. However, on sale you can find many 5-7 year old vehicles with mileage of 50-60 thousand km, or even less. Owners of such cars may claim that they only used the car “on major holidays.” But, most likely, the actual mileage is much higher than that indicated on the dashboard. Let's figure out what methods fraudsters use and how to determine the twisted mileage.

Anti-tuning

Not everyone considered the Grant to be a simple workhorse. Some owners tuned the car, and this was encouraged by the relatively low prices for body kit elements. Various braces, subframes, modified supports and shock absorbers are also inexpensive. They did all sorts of tuning exercises with the engines.

I can only say one thing. If your aspirations do not correspond to the tastes of the previous owner, then you should not buy a tuning Grant. Troubles are guaranteed when receiving a diagnostic card, or even just complaints from traffic police inspectors on the road. The reliability of the engine and gearbox after tuning will almost certainly be lower. You need a car to drive - don’t buy a tuned Granta.

Why do they twist the mileage?

Most often, the odometer readings are changed in order to sell the car at a higher price. However, there are a number of other reasons why sellers resort to this procedure. Twisting of readings may be caused by the need to:

• avoid expensive maintenance (the on-board computer of some foreign cars contains information about the time of maintenance; if this schedule is violated, it begins to issue alarm messages);
• hide the fact of replacing the dashboard (after an accident or for other reasons);
• keep silent about malfunctions of components that may affect the correct operation of the speedometer (for example, generator, battery, etc.).

You may be faced with the fact that the mileage of used cars imported into Russia from those countries where the amount of transport tax is calculated depending on the kilometers traveled by the car over a certain period of time is increased.

For example, such a system has been in operation for several years in the Netherlands, where a car’s mileage is tracked using GPS. In some US states, car owners have to pay $0.012 per mile.

By the way, under American law, mileage abuse is a criminal offense. Serious liability for such actions is provided for in Germany and France (up to 1 year and up to 2 years of imprisonment, respectively). Russian legislation does not provide for punishment for mileage inaccuracy.

Appearance

The body can be tinted to hide traces of collisions or other damage. Therefore, it is advisable to check the thickness of the paintwork using a thickness gauge. It will immediately show the presence or absence of additionally applied paint. A new car is much less likely to be painted, so this is a “used” vehicle. This says one thing - the mileage cannot be small. If he is, then certain manipulations were definitely carried out.

Don't hesitate to take the time to inspect other parts:

• bottom - the drive nut is uncontaminated, and everything else is dusty;
• windshield and rear (if there is a wiper) glass - a high degree of abrasion and chipping indicates long-term use;
• hood - any discrepancy between the condition of the timing belts and the mileage displayed on the speedometer, the pressure of the oil system is reduced by several orders of magnitude. If the factory stickers are erased, repair work has been carried out.

Here, too, everything is clear - the car served its owner for more than one year. Don't be fooled, weigh your observations carefully. They will cut down the supposedly unfair deal by an order of magnitude, since changing the speedometer readings only costs about $50. This is a drop in the ocean compared to the amount received by the seller.

Ways to twist mileage

Fraudsters have several techniques in their arsenal to deceive gullible customers. The choice of one method or another primarily depends on the type of device installed on the machine, which is responsible for calculating the distance traveled.

Here it is necessary to clarify and talk about the fact that many inexperienced car owners mistakenly associate the increase in mileage with adjusting the speedometer readings. In fact, it shows the speed of movement, and the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle is recorded by another device - odometer .

The device works in close connection with the speedometer. And the panels that display the readings of these two devices are usually located next to each other. Apparently this is where some confusion in concepts arose. In order not to confuse the reader even more, we agree that the use of both definitions is acceptable.

A car can be equipped with one of three types of odometers:

• mechanical;
• electromechanical;
• electronic.

Mechanical and electromechanical devices were used in the automotive industry until the end of the last century. They are distinguished by a rather primitive device: the speed of the gearbox gearbox is transmitted through a special cable to a meter, the readings of which are displayed on the dashboard. It is easiest to check the mileage of such a device.

Method number 1. The odometer is disassembled, and the necessary readings are set on the meter manually.

Method number 2. To implement it, you will need to disassemble the dashboard and attach any power tool with high rotation speed (screwdriver, drill, etc.) to the speedometer cable using a special attachment. After this, the readings are twisted to the desired value. Of course, this can be done manually, but using a power tool speeds up the process many times over.

For an electromechanical odometer, twisting is carried out in a similar way. The only difference is that if, when taking readings from a mechanical device, the on-board power of the car is turned off (the terminals from the battery are removed), then when carrying out manipulations with an electromechanical device, the power cannot be turned off (otherwise the meter wheels will not rotate). Therefore, there is a high probability of a short circuit occurring.

The cost of the work is quite affordable and ranges from 1 to 1.5 thousand rubles. It’s quite easy to find advertisements in newspapers or on the Internet for companies willing to provide such a service. They are usually hidden under signs like this: “Speedometer adjustment and repair.”

Quite a few home-grown “Kulibins” in their own garages make a living by turning mileage. Usually people find out about them through word of mouth.

Power unit

As in the entire global automotive industry, the Granta design has a rule: the simpler the unit, the more reliable it is. Although, unfortunately, the eight-valve Grant engines have already sipped the fruits of modernization. This includes a reduction in the width of the drive belt to 17 mm instead of the previous 19 mm, and a lightweight piston group with narrow connecting rods that dangle freely along the axis of the crankshaft, and pistons that meet the valves when the belt breaks.

These are all the trends of the new time, as well as a departure from the really good old and reliable VAZ-21083 engine. But sixteen-valve engines, being only slightly more powerful, have a complex design with the only advantage being the presence of hydraulic valve lifters. This eliminated the need to adjust them. However, the loads on the lightweight piston group have increased.

When inspecting specific cars, it is better to give preference to the engine that idles smoothly, picks up speed well when you press the gas pedal, accepts the load smoothly and without failure, and provides acceptable dynamics. The engine should not leak oil, and it is undesirable to see noticeable smoke from the exhaust pipe.

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Gearboxes were installed on the car in two modifications - with a traction drive and a cable drive. Traction drive is a thing of the past. Fuzzy switching on, a lever that dangles when the power unit oscillates, difficult adjustments that give little effect. The cable-controlled gearbox is almost like a foreign car.

Communication between the driver and the gearbox (at least with a working one) became like in a normal car. During a test drive, evaluate how fully the clutch is depressed (reverse gear should engage without a rattle) and the operation of the forward gear synchronizers. Particular attention is paid to the second gear synchronizer: this is the eternal weak point of VAZ front-wheel drive gearboxes.

Rolling up the electronic odometer

The operation of devices of this type is based on reading the readings of special sensors (they can be optical or magnetic), which are installed on the gearbox shaft or directly on the vehicle wheel. The readings go into the on-board computer, which records them and transmits them to the electronic display.

On expensive car models (Toyota, Audi, etc.), mileage data can be stored in several memory blocks at once. According to experts, it is most difficult to change the mileage traveled on a BMW (the car can have up to 10 backup storage points). However, experts unanimously claim that if you have the appropriate equipment, you can check the mileage of absolutely any vehicle.

Several tricks are used to manipulate electronic odometers.

Method number 1. Designed for fraud with budget cars. To implement it, it is enough to remove the dashboard and connect the car’s on-board computer to a laptop on which the appropriate software is installed, or to a special device - a programmer. After this, the actual readings change.

Method number 2. Used for fraud with expensive cars that have several backup data storage units. In its principle it is almost identical to the first. However, it is very important for the fraudster to detect all information storages, otherwise during further operation the car computer can restore data from the backup storage, then the real mileage will again be displayed on the display.

The cost of the service depends on the complexity of the work and can vary from 2.5 to 10-12 thousand rubles.

Machine inspection

Pedals

If the rubber linings have worn down to metal, and the seller says that the car has covered 50 thousand kilometers, this is a serious reason to think about it. This level of wear indicates a mileage of 300 thousand or more. You should also be wary of the new pedal pads. Perhaps the deceiver is trying to hide the real mileage in this way.

Steering wheel

The condition of the steering wheel will clearly reveal the “difficult” history of the car being sold. The first thing you should look at is the casing - wear on it becomes visible only after 5 years of active use, which is equivalent to approximately 200 thousand kilometers. If abrasions in the “9 o’clock” zone stand out the most, this is a clear sign that the car has been driven long distances. Wear at 9 and 3 o'clock indicates that trips around the city were added to the vehicle's biography. What you should be most wary of are cases where the steering wheel is worn all around - this may indicate that the car was driven in a taxi. This check will not take much time. It is worth remembering that changing the steering wheel is almost pointless. This is too expensive, and the costs will not be recouped 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 car you are purchasing. Here, too, it’s worth remembering some numbers. So, velor “lives” approximately 200 thousand. After this, defects begin to appear - the first thing that “dies” is the side roller, which is closer to the door. Leather lasts a little longer, but its main enemies are jeans rivets 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 a reason to ask the seller questions and be wary. Therefore, don’t be lazy to look under the covers.

Body

How to find out if the seller has misrepresented the mileage? It’s definitely not worth taking his word for it. It is better to carefully inspect the vehicle body

Pay attention to the condition of the plastic in the cabin, especially on the handles and gearbox - wear and tear will reveal the actual service life of the car. It's also worth looking at the windshield

After 5 years of use, it will remain scratches and deep chips.

It would be a good idea to inspect the inside of the dashboard. Wear and damage on bolts and rivets will reveal the real mileage of the car “without its giblets”.

How to check if the speedometer on a car is twisted

In order not to overpay for a supposedly “almost new car,” you need to remember how you can find out about the fact of fraud.

Unfortunately, there is currently no technical means of checking whether the mileage has been adjusted or not on a vehicle with a mechanical or electromechanical odometer.

Here you will have to be guided by the data of the external examination. The fact that the speedometer is twisted can be determined by the presence of traces of removing the instrument panel, the degree of wear of tires, brake discs, etc.

Body

Like any other car, a used Grant should be assessed first and foremost by the condition of the body. At the time of writing, Grants were offered only in sedan and liftback bodies (from now on, hatchbacks and station wagons will be added to them, in the past - Kalina). In my opinion, the liftback is more practical, looks more modern, and with it you will almost certainly not run into a former cab driver from a taxi company.

If you want your car to serve you faithfully for a long time, try to choose a copy with an undamaged body. The check includes inspection of the gaps between body elements, the presence of non-factory welds, and the absence of different colors in the paint. Earlier, my colleague Stanislav Panin told in detail how to avoid running into a repainted body.

The task is made easier by the fact that few people strive to restore inexpensive domestically produced cars to zero, so that traces of repair are absolutely not visible. So there are only two options. Either the car is truly “unbeaten and unpainted”, or the traces of body repairs will be relatively clearly visible.

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How to find out if the mileage on a car with an electronic odometer is wrong

To establish the fact of fraud, you will need to conduct computer diagnostics. If you have the appropriate software, equipment and knowledge, you can check the car for twisted mileage yourself. But it is better to contact a trustworthy service center.

The ideas of many car enthusiasts about the wonders of computer diagnostics are too exaggerated. Those who think that there is a special item in the memory of the on-board computer, by looking into which you can check the real mileage, are mistaken. Most often, you can find out about the fact of interference in the electronic filling of a vehicle only by indirect signs.

Usually this is a discrepancy in data, for example, about the time of an event recorded by the on-board computer. For example, if during a check the car’s odometer shows 75 thousand km, and the memory contains information about an error recorded after 150 thousand km. Or the owner swears that his “iron horse” has run no more than 50 thousand km, but when dividing the kilometers traveled by the number of engine hours, the average speed of movement is 4-5 km/h.

The more such oddities revealed by checking the car’s speedometer, the more reason the buyer has to wonder whether he needs such a “dark horse”.

Verification options

A discrepancy between the declared mileage and the general condition of the vehicle indicates a twist. For example, an old burnt-out steering unit, worn brakes, a worn interior, and a dented driver's seat indicate that the car has been in use for more than 5 years. Such a car cannot have a mileage of less than 200 thousand km. If the interior of a used car has new covers, steering wheel braid and pedal pads have been replaced, then most likely the seller is trying to hide the signs of wear. A mileage of more than 100 thousand km is indicated by the replacement of brake discs, so the seller’s information about an “almost new” car is unreliable. The dashboard may also indicate correction of the odometer readings:

• Presence of tamper marks that may remain from instruments;
• Uneven numbers on the mechanical odometer counter;
• An asterisk above the mileage indicator, which appears after twisting some electronic devices (it is impossible to remove the icon);
• The stripes between the numbers are silver or white (relevant for cars from the GM concern).

The space under the hood can also tell you the actual mileage figure. When changing the oil, service station employees leave stickers showing the actual mileage. If the seller does not notice them, then you can find out the real mileage. When buying a used car, you can contact specialists to conduct an examination. At special stands it is easy to determine the presence of twist in any odometer, and in an electronic device you can find out the real mileage, which is duplicated in other units (transfer case, ABS). The actual mileage will be reported at the dealership by reading the data from the key.

How to find out real mileage online

You can check whether the mileage is correct on the website avtocod.ru. To do this, just enter state in the search bar. vehicle number. After this, within a few minutes you will receive a full report about the desired vehicle.

In addition to data on actual mileage, using the service you can obtain information about the number of accidents in which the vehicle was involved, former owners, the presence of fines, check for restrictions and find out a lot of other information from the car’s history.

Chassis

Many elements of the car's chassis can be inspected even without the help of a service center or a lift. All pendants are so simple that small flaws should not become an obstacle to purchase: they can be repaired quickly and inexpensively. You just need to make sure that, for example, a strongly and unevenly balding tire was not the result of a serious accident with deformation of the mounting points of the suspension parts.

I would advise choosing a car modification with ABS. Of course, you can do without it in modern heavy traffic, but extending the compulsory motor vehicle insurance policy is painfully expensive, and you can easily drive into the rear of the car in front and not meet the limit of a regular “motor vehicle” license.

What are we seeing these days?

Upon arrival at the nearest car dealership that sells used cars, you can see a unique beauty: all the cars, as if selected, are clean, mirror-like and ready to meet their new owner. And where, and most importantly, who to look in the mouth? Unfortunately, not everything is so simple in our life. Otherwise, I could, with a great degree of confidence, rely on the speedometer readings, which actually show how far our horse has traveled, and not think about how to check whether the mileage is twisted. But, in our time, they have learned to fake horse teeth, let alone iron horses.
Want to check it out? Hurry up to place an advertisement for the sale of your car, and you will immediately be bombarded with calls with offers to reduce the mileage of your car for a certain price. How do you like this? So, it's time to move on to the main topic of our conversation. The so-called corrective actions regarding the mileage of a car are taken through special intervention using a specialized tool or existing equipment in the vehicle components. This is done in order to change the readings of the on-board computer or instrument board in the direction you need.

Not so long ago, when speedometers were mechanical and, accordingly, correction methods were applied to them. During the whole process, the speedometer assembly itself was disassembled and the required numbers were manually set or operated using an electric drill. The chuck of an electric drill was carefully placed on the cable of the device, after which the required mileage was screwed on. Today, most automobile components have become electronic, i.e., mileage is adjusted electronically. It happens like this: specialized equipment is connected to the car’s diagnostic connector and new numbers are flashed. Just five minutes of work and your car can, with extraordinary ease for its owner, transform from a pensioner with considerable experience into a middle-aged man who travels only on weekends. What should you do and what should you do to avoid being deceived?