Every vehicle is equipped with an odometer. And people often ask if a new engine resets the odometer, and maybe you do too. Before knowing the answer, let’s delve deeper into this trending topic.
The odometer is a device that measures the total distance your car has traveled so far, usually identified as mileage.
Reading your odometer is important when you need to track the distance traveled due to pending oil changes, regular maintenance, or tire replacements.
But what happens if the readings are reset? It would certainly be nothing less than a nightmare.
Facts About Whether a New Engine Resets the Odometer
The engine and the odometer are two separate entities. The engine helps in the vehicle’s operation, while the odometer reflects the distance traveled on the road.
Many people think that when the engine is replaced for one reason or another, the mileage would reset to zero. Is this true?
1. The Truth Behind Manipulating Odometer Readings
An odometer concerns the distance traveled by your vehicle since you bought it from a dealership. It is not the engine alone that manipulates the odometer readings.
Rather, it is the entire mechanical assembly that does it! In simpler terms, the odometer indicates the mileage of the entire car, not just the engine.
For example, a heart donor is a younger individual. This does not imply that the recipient would become younger; they would remain the same age.
The same applies to the engine and the odometer. So the answer to the question “Does a new engine reset the odometer?” is no, it does not reset the odometer.
If you opt for a manual reset of the odometer, you would face legal prosecution.
Indeed, the status of the engine change must be documented, and the change in mileage must be calculated and presented. If none of this happens, you will have to bear the disastrous consequences.
2. How to Reset the Odometer?
It is legally not permitted to alter odometer readings. There are people who, before reselling their car, think about replacing the engine.
Why is that? This is due to the misconception that replacing the engine would reset the odometer values, which, in turn, would bring a good value to the car. You must understand that this is simply a mistake.
This may surprise you, but if you wish to reset the odometer, you will need to put in extra effort. You would have to rework the entire car construction.
Replacing the engine, transmission, suspension, brakes, alternator, wiring, or anything else you might think of; all of this together helps reset the odometer.
Would you be willing to do all that? In practice, the answer is no! To learn more about trending automotive topics, refer to maintenance tips.
FAQ on Odometer Reset
- Can you adjust the miles on your odometer?
Yes, you can reduce the mileage on a digital odometer to make it appear lower than the vehicle’s actual mileage.
Before the early 2000s, one had to physically roll back the numbers on a mechanical odometer designed to record the distance traveled by a vehicle.
- What are the consequences of tampering with the odometer?
In the United States, odometer fraud is punishable.
Disconnecting, resetting, or tampering with a motor vehicle’s odometer with the intent to alter the actual mileage is punishable under law 49 USC 32703.
Civil penalties may include fines of up to $10,000 per violation, with each odometer change representing a separate offense.
- How to tell if the odometer has been reset?
The simplest approach to determine if the odometer has been rolled back is to compare the miles shown on the odometer to the numbers on inspection documents.
You can also check car history reports. These documents will provide information on any mileage changes.
- What happens if you buy a used car with a rolled-back odometer?
Buying a car with a fake odometer may imply that the car’s condition is not as excellent as you think, leading to costly maintenance and repairs that you are not prepared to face.
For more information on how to detect odometer fraud on your used vehicle, watch this video from Denver7!
- What controls a car’s odometer?
The engine control unit counts all the pulses and calculates the total distance traveled by the vehicle. This implies that if you try to “roll back” the odometer, the value recorded in the ECU will be incorrect.
The figure can be read with a diagnostic computer, available in all car dealership service departments.
- What happens if you buy a car with incorrect mileage?
While criminal penalties are the most common recourse for odometer fraud, victims are entitled to civil penalties against the fraudsters, including triple damages or $1,500 (whichever is greater) and actual losses.
- How often are odometers reset?
According to this NHTSA report (PDF), about 452,000 used automobiles with incorrect odometer readings are sold each year, representing 3.47% of all used vehicle sales.
This means that if you want to buy a used automobile, you have a 1 in 29 risk of being a victim of odometer rollback fraud.
- Can a dealer or dealership reset an odometer?
A car dealer is prohibited from reducing a vehicle’s mileage for any reason. There are odometer laws that protect car buyers if the miles have been reset.
This can lead to the filing of criminal charges against the company or individual involved in the illegal action.
Wrap Up
Knowing the facts about whether a new engine resets the odometer, you clearly understand that the odometer readings will never decrease, no matter what.
Always remember to adhere to standards and never make a decision that could end up spoiling things.