Car Odometer - Types and How Does it Function

First of all, what is odometer? The odometer is the car's part on your dashboard, behind the steering wheel. It shows the distance that the vehicle has travelled.

Also, how does the odometer even get the information from the wheels? It seems crazy that the odometer is on the dashboard and counts the mileage accurately, right? The distance transmits through a single wire communication bus, going from the Engine Control Unit to the car’s dashboard.

Now that you know the basics, find out an odometer’s function and its different types!

What function does the odometer serve in a car?

The odometer is one of the most essential parts of a car. Here are some long-term and short-term functions of a digital odometer:

1. Increases Value during Resale

The odometer shows the distance a car has travelled. Mileage is one of the most important factors buyers consider when they want to sell their vehicle. As a result, low-mileage cars get better deals than high-mileage cars.

Why do low-mileage cars sell better? These cars are usually in better condition and will last a long time before you have to get any major repairs done. This lowers the cost of ownership; you don’t have to pay much for maintenance.

2. Usage of Fuel

You can check the usage of fuel and its efficiency by resetting the readings. If you are a daily commuter who wants to evaluate your monthly budget and fuel consumption, you will love this feature!

3. Duration of tyre life

A tyre’s run life falls anywhere between 10,000 km to 50,000 km. It depends on the brand of your tyres. You can base your regular servicing sessions on the odometer reading.

4. Repairing and Maintenance

When you buy a new car, you get service from the company. The company determines when you can get free car servicing based on the kilometres you travel in the car. The odometer reading displays this in front of you! This minor feature helps your car stay in condition.

Types of Odometer

There are two types of odometers. These are namely the Mechanical Odometer and the Digital/ Electronic Odometer. But, first, let’s understand the differences between them:

1. Mechanical Odometer

The mechanical odometer starts with the transmission. When you switch on your car, the internal transmission gear rotates, and the vehicle moves. This motion transfers to a network of other kits. These gears are connected to moveable digits using a drive cable. Therefore, the counting starts from the right side of the number group.

These odometers aren’t reliable because they can be rolled back easily by fidgeting with the gears. They aren’t precise too.

2. Electronic or Digital Odometer

The car digital odometer uses electronic signals and displays the value of your vehicle’s mileage on the instrument cluster or the dashboard. These odometers rely on the noted values saved in the car’s Electronic Control Unit. Using this, the odometer determines the overall mileage of your vehicle.

You don’t have to depend on mechanical odometers, and when you buy a new car, you can opt for this type of odometer for transparency and accuracy.

Can we reset the odometer?

Yes, you can reset an odometer. You must change the engine, transmission gear, brakes, suspension, wiring, and alternator. Practically, your car’s major components.

Pro-Tip: This is too much effort for something illegal. Yes, resetting your odometer is a fraud. You cannot change the settings and sell the car at a higher value.

What function does the odometer serve when buying or selling a pre-owned car?

The odometer reading is inversely proportional to its value. Therefore, a car that has less mileage sells better and vice versa. This is because an accurate odometer helps the buyer understand the preventative maintenance taken and to be taken. It also shows the lifecycle stage information and valuation for right-sizing.

Looking at the odometer, you will recognise the servicing it needs and how much it will cost. Additionally, cars with less mileage are in better condition since they are used less. Vehicles with less mileage also utilise fuel less because the system works better, so you won’t have to spend a lot of power too.

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