re: reprogramming digital odometers

[Ron Katona <ron3b@xxxxxxxx>]

Chip Eberhart wrote:
[...]
> This really ticks me off, because I'm a strong believer in purchasing well
> maintained previously driven automobiles. I would hate to think that
> someone would lease a '97 vehicle, drive it far beyond the allowed mileage,
> and instead of taking a, for example, $4,000 hit; they purchase said item
> and 'roll back the mileage'. So along comes me, and I think I'm buying a
> low mileage car, I'm paying the price for a low mileage car, but I'm
> getting a car that has an altered odometer. Now, I'm not saying that you or
> others don't have a legitimate use for this device, but it just scares me
> that such a powerful device is available to anyone/everyone with a credit
> card. I sure hope that anyone that does use such a device to get a better
> trade in value on their car, gets caught and is punished to the fullest
> extent of the law.

Yes, I agree completely as far as for those just trying to rip people
(and dealers) off, but I'm actually glad to see this type of device out
there for public consumption.

There's a reason why this digest always cautions people to get service
records when buying a used BMW. If the mileage shows a drop, you've got
them dead to rights. Most cheaters (but not all) aren't that stupid. But
if the records show 20k miles for the first two years, then only 2k for
the next year, you've got to wonder. Other than service records, having
the car inspected, and speaking to the owner to get some feel for their
credibility, you are out on a limb when buying used. No records - no
sale.

In the past, the possibility of a rolled back odometer was taken for
granted when buying used. With digital odometers, I think we all got
complacent. You've got to inspect the car for wear patterns and look at
the service records to make an educated guess as to the true mileage of
the vehicle. Have a competent mechanic take a guess at it. I think we've
gotten spoiled by the digital odometers in assuming that they are
correct.

So why is this a good thing? Well, we always bitch about BMW not giving
out maintenance info and equipment to independent mechanics and
individuals. I see this as a step in favor of the consumer who wants to
maintain their car after the warranty expires. The diagnostic software
they advertise is more interesting to me than the odometer computer, but
even that has legitimate uses in case of an out of warranty instrument
cluster failure.

The ability to check sensors and emissions equipment is very appealing.
I was wondering how I was going to reset the every 15k mile or so SRS
lights I get now after the warranty expires. There are such devices
available for American OBD-II cars, but this is the first I've heard of
for German makes. They also show that ABS can be controlled via their
diagnostic software. This is of interest to those of us who do frequent
fluid changes and want to completely flush the system. I'm interested.
- --
Ron Katona

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