Reset Odometer / False milage

[bojacks]

I am looking into buying a b6 in the next couple months. I would like to know how easy it is to roll back, reset, and change the mileage.

[AudiA4_20T]

lol kinda sketchy why do u need to know that?

[3.0L AUDI A4]

Umm... Why?

You know thats illegal right?

Anyhow the answer is VERY HARD the # is encrypted into the vehicles computer ECU and will cost a lot to replace.

Your dealer can do it if you buy a new guage display or such... but they wont make it display a lower mileage #.....

[Duchenbagen]

All you need to do is hold down the Menu button on the radio and then you can use the volume knob to change the read out on the odometer. It is really easy.

[AudiSeefu]

All you need to do is hold down the Menu button on the radio and then you can use the volume knob to change the read out on the odometer. It is really easy.

Hahaha

[bojacks]

Umm... Why?

You know thats illegal right?

Anyhow the answer is VERY HARD the # is encrypted into the vehicles computer ECU and will cost a lot to replace.

Your dealer can do it if you buy a new guage display or such... but they wont make it display a lower mileage #.....

oh i know its illegal, thats why i'm trying not to get screwed when purchasing an A4 soon.

so only thought an audi dealer to change the ecu? so a local garage would have no chance at changing the milage?

[AudiA4_20T]

All you need to do is hold down the Menu button on the radio and then you can use the volume knob to change the read out on the odometer. It is really easy.

That should be in the easter eggs thread!

[QuattroRocket]

Other than swapping to a new guage cluster with less than 100 miles on it you can consider it pretty much impossible.

[bojacks]

Other than swapping to a new guage cluster with less than 100 miles on it you can consider it pretty much impossible.

cause my friend reset his mileage on his EL when he hit 50,000km to zero. and now has 25,000km (really 75). is there anyway to protect or verify the cars true mileage?

[toaster]

if you buy your car from a reputable place, you will not have to worry about it.

if you're that concerned about it then you need to buy your car from somewhere else.

someone close this thread...it's worthless.

bring your car to a mechanic before you buy it.

that's all.

[adam's rotors]

/\ damn man...?

its a legit question...hes new to audis...i always wondered the same...
but i heard its not that easy to roll back...

[Duchenbagen]

cause my friend reset his mileage on his EL when he hit 50,000km to zero. and now has 25,000km (really 75). is there anyway to protect or verify the cars true mileage?

What the hell kind of canadian car is an EL? It sounds more mexican too me.

[3.0L AUDI A4]

Its ILLEGAL!!!! People just dont do that shit. He is probably trying to smart out the warrenty system.

[adam's rotors]

/\ or hes buying private party and worried a deals too good to be true?

[BarryT82]

I'm almost positive that if you change out the gauge cluster the dealer has to setup the immobilizer also. If you change the ecu the immobilizer has to be setup also.

[AvanTTix]

Its ILLEGAL!!!! People just dont do that shit. He is probably trying to smart out the warrenty system.

so is drunk driving, speeding and street racing, yet rare are the people who jumps all over these threads like you are here even though that's illegal too...

as to what his intentions are, that you don't know and the least you can do is to believe he's just concerned about buying a car with a higher mileage than the odo is reporting, like he said.

now as for tempering w/ the mileage, there are some people who claim they can modify the mileage stored in the cluster and the ECU, i personally only know of one person who makes such claims... so yeah it might be possible to do it, but i seriously doubt it's feasible... your average joe will obviously not be able to do it...

although CARFAX isn't the most reliable thing, sometimes it can help identify whether the mileage/odo was tempered with...

[toaster]

i always hate when i see people coming on too harsh...i don't think i was.

i gave him good advice on top of what i said...honestly if you're that concerned that the car has rolled back mileage, you're buying from too sketchy a place.

and like i said, you ALWAYS got to have the car checked out first.

my friend went to an audi dealer to buy her car...she brought the first 2 to a mechanic and they were both a big thumbs down. the third car she brought was good...and these cars were off the audi DEALER LOT.

sorry, but just get your car checked and you'll be fine.

[Duchenbagen]

I just want to know what kind of car is an EL!?

[Howard Hughes]

If you change the cluster you can change the mileage....

Although if you have a CarFax you can see the life of the car and where and when and at how many miles it went in for service....

So if you can see the life of the car and watch it's mileage... you can tell if the cluster has been pulled...

[Duchenbagen]

????

[Crazy Quattro]

If you change the cluster you can change the mileage....

Although if you have a CarFax you can see the life of the car and where and when and at how many miles it went in for service....

So if you can see the life of the car and watch it's mileage... you can tell if the cluster has been pulled...

I agree. Just use common sense when shopping.

[Crazy Quattro]

I just want to know what kind of car is an EL!?

Acura EL?

Google nigga.

[AvanTTix]

If you change the cluster you can change the mileage...

it isn't as simple as changing the cluster. when replacing a cluster, the ECU, cluster and keys all need to be recoded before the car will start again, meaning that this would have to be done at a dealership. i highly doubt a dealership will be willing to install a cluster and not ensure the mileage is entered correctly in the cluster.

[bojacks]

yes its an acura EL. i forgot America doesn't get it. New model is now known as the CSX.

I thank remembertofocus for his support, it was just a question if this type of crime is prevalent or not. i'm not asking for a DIY I'm just trying to not get screwed out of quite alot of money.

thank you Avantéix for the additional info. judging by your post you'd need one hell of a dirty dealer.

toaster what will a regular mechanic do that i cannot? this is my question, besides the mechanical stuff which i am quite comfortable with, would a technition have a tool or program that would verify something i could not?

[Howard Hughes]

it isn't as simple as changing the cluster. when replacing a cluster, the ECU, cluster and keys all need to be recoded before the car will start again, meaning that this would have to be done at a dealership. i highly doubt a dealership will be willing to install a cluster and not ensure the mileage is entered correctly in the cluster.

Didn't work that way for me.....

[A4 Moda]

The dealer is the only one who can program milelage onto a gauge cluster.

After 100km/60 miles on a cluster, the cluster is considered "burned" so you can't switch it onto another car.

With a brand new gauge cluster, -theoretically- you can reprogram the mileage, but considering only the dealer can program the immobilizer into the cluster to start the car, I dont' know how that can happen.

What is the concern ?

[Doss]

I think it was remembertofocus that changed his A4 cluster to an S4. So, it can't be that difficult.

[A4 Moda]

A4 moda did so as well.

The cost is enormous.
And it must be a new cluster.

[toaster]

i think the question really is, like i said before, are you buying a car from a place you really can not trust?

if you go to a dealer, i just don't think it should be a concern that the odometer has been tampered with.

if you buy your car from a lot, (which i did by the way with no trouble at all) then maybe i'd think about it...maybe. even then, honestly, if the place seems reputable and legitimate, i just don't think it will be an issue.

the only time i might be concerned with it, is if you are buying a car for a deal that seems "too good to be true" from some private seller.

but i just think most people already know that the only way to get anything in life is to pay for it.

cutting corners NEVER works.

do your homework and you should be fine...i think you are worrying too much about this.

i've been getting a lot of flak lately for being too "intense," but really, i am just trying to help you out.

[Papachristou]

Tough to do but certainly possible... many years ago... i had a 98 nissan frontier and it was a stick but no tach... i found a wrecked one and bought the cluster with tach out of it... when i put it in.. my miles went to the mileage on the new cluster from 100k to 25k i think... i still have it so its no big deal but if i sold it, i would have to disclose that

[bojacks]

Tough to do but certainly possible... many years ago... i had a 98 nissan frontier and it was a stick but no tach... i found a wrecked one and bought the cluster with tach out of it... when i put it in.. my miles went to the mileage on the new cluster from 100k to 25k i think... i still have it so its no big deal but if i sold it, i would have to disclose that

it is possible to do on cars and I'm now convinced that its more trouble then its worth todo on an audi.

but ya toaster thats what i was wondering. one of those too good tobe true cars with low milage and low price. But i guess just take more precautions and be extra prudent.