Car clocking, can it be stopped?

cepheus

Why are 'mileage correction services' still legal and how can it be stopped?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12917081

I'm still amazed how this is still possible. The legislators don't seem to keep pace with the car electronics industry. Why should we have to rely on the legislators anyway? It seems like common sense to design these so they are foolproof.

Any change in the mileage should require a code from the manufacturer which is then recorded on the vehicle registration database. The Mileage can also be recorded on the same database at the service intervals not just the MOTs. If this was made a rule, then it could be the responsibility of the seller to make sure the mileage is correct or else the buyer should be able to demand their money back.

Lum

There are legitimate reasons for mileage "correction", for example if a secondhand ECU is fitted from a scrapyard, you'd need to get the mileage corrected to that of the dead ECU. Also some cars will need their mileage correcting if they are imported from a country that uses kilometers, depending on how the speedo conversion is performed.

Under current law, a sticker must be displayed by the odometer if the mileage is known to be incorrect.

Strider590

It can never be stopped....... Just made more and more difficult.

But this in itself is a danger, make something so difficult that the average Joe can't do it and what your left with is a group of the elite who can.

Like the Playstation 3 and XBOX, it was assumed to be impossible to cheat on or hack these consoles, cheats happened but nothing was done because it was "impossible". Then they realised it wasn't quite so infallible and did something about it.... Now you have the same situation, people cheat and the response is "nooooo thanks impossible".

This may start to ring a bell with some of you, but for the rest I have one word "Titanic".

Lum

Strider590 wrote: »

It can never be stopped....... Just made more and more difficult.

It's a lot easier these days actually. No longer have to dismantle the speedo and attach an electric drill, like I had to when I replaced the failed speedo in my old Escort.

jase1

The MOT register is good enough for most purposes. It takes a pretty determined clocker to clock the car back year after year (although I did find one -- an Audi that had apparently done 2000, 200, -450 and 1300 miles in its previous four years lol).

Doesn't help with newish cars though.

Lum

Anyone determined enough to clock the car between MOTs will have no problem clocking it between services too.

rev_henry

Lum wrote: »

Anyone determined enough to clock the car between MOTs will have no problem clocking it between services too.

Why would you bother servicing it if your clocking it? It hasn't gone far enough to need a service remember.

ukjoel

Its still very common but for different reasons.

It used to be dodgy dealers but there is far far less of this now as the motor industry has more big groups where this would not be tolerated. Also computerised records and the MOT and V5 records prevent this happening here.

Where it is now far more common is with retail customers - your everyday Joe Bloggs who has a car on a credit agreement or through a lease company. They set the payments based at 6000 miles a year and then find the do 18000 in year 1.

With an overpayment of 20p a mile they could get stung for £2400 after year one so they make a quick call get the car clocked back before the service for under £100 and happy days.

All the paperwork is correct, often they even service the car privately non franchise for cash in between so it runs well for the 3 years they have it. Problem is later on when you are driving a car thats documented at 18k but in reality is closer to 60k. More repair costs.

If the govt get to go over to MOTs every 2 years it will make the problem a lot worse.

cepheus

Why would you bother servicing it if your clocking it? It hasn't gone far enough to need a service remember....The MOT register is good enough for most purposes....Anyone determined enough to clock the car between MOTs will have no problem clocking it between services too.

Is is worth the effort . Services are every 6 months to a year on new cars, but they don't have an MOT until they are 3 years old, so relying on the MOT record is insufficient. Make it inconvenient enough and most of the illegal clockers will be stopped.

There are legitimate reasons for mileage "correction", for example if a secondhand ECU is fitted from a scrapyard, you'd need to get the mileage corrected to that of the dead ECU. Also some cars will need their mileage correcting if they are imported from a country that uses kilometers, depending on how the speedo conversion is performed.

Under current law, a sticker must be displayed by the odometer if the mileage is known to be incorrect.

All these issues were mentioned in the link. They are weak excuses anyway, since as I have described the 'legal clocker' should need to obtain a code from the manufacturer to electronically change it, which would then be recorded on the register.

Perhaps the root of the problem is due to technical ignorance of how electronics can be configured to stop clock adjusters and swappers. Possibly manufacturers prefer their cars to be clocked to enhance their secondhand value.

jase1

I tend to agree actually -- the problem is that it would be impossible to police. Almost by definition the clocking service providers are "a bit dodgy", so what makes you think they'll obey whatever law comes in?

B00st

Lum wrote: »

It's a lot easier these days actually. No longer have to dismantle the speedo and attach an electric drill, like I had to when I replaced the failed speedo in my old Escort.

That does depend on in how many places the car stores the mileage. BMWs have 7 or so locations including the keys and it can be very difficult to catch all of them.