Gauge Cluster Reprogramming
01-23-2011, 10:02 PM
#1
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Gauge Cluster Reprogramming
Hi all,
I searched for a DIY on how to change from white faced gauges to black and came across a post here that had this statement:
"Have the Porsche dealership reprogram your gauge cluster or get a local digital odometer guy to reprogram mileage"
I will be shopping for my first 996 in the coming months so I'm wondering, whats to keep an unscrupulous seller from changing a high mileage car to a more desirable one with low mileage readout using this method? I realize you could verify a odometer rollback through Carfax but some Carfax reports don't list mileage.
Scott
I searched for a DIY on how to change from white faced gauges to black and came across a post here that had this statement:
"Have the Porsche dealership reprogram your gauge cluster or get a local digital odometer guy to reprogram mileage"
I will be shopping for my first 996 in the coming months so I'm wondering, whats to keep an unscrupulous seller from changing a high mileage car to a more desirable one with low mileage readout using this method? I realize you could verify a odometer rollback through Carfax but some Carfax reports don't list mileage.
Scott
01-23-2011, 10:06 PM
#2
I assume it is always a risk.
Simply change the cluster and here you go, new mileage.
You better find a car with mileage on the carfax, and maintenance with mileage and date that make sense, without this paperwork, mileage can easily be updated. that is why it is important to have the maintenance paperwork .
Simply change the cluster and here you go, new mileage.
You better find a car with mileage on the carfax, and maintenance with mileage and date that make sense, without this paperwork, mileage can easily be updated. that is why it is important to have the maintenance paperwork .
01-24-2011, 09:41 AM
#3
Burning Brakes
Instrument clusters can only be reprogrammed within the 1st 100 kilometers by the dealers. It may be possible for non-dealers to alter the mileage beyond that point but don't know if it's ever been proven to happen.
There are lots of other telltales on a rollback if one looks closely enough including general wear & tear on the interior. Should you run across a car that doesn't seem to match up then just keep looking as there are plenty of cars out there from which to choose.
There are lots of other telltales on a rollback if one looks closely enough including general wear & tear on the interior. Should you run across a car that doesn't seem to match up then just keep looking as there are plenty of cars out there from which to choose.
01-24-2011, 10:04 AM
#4
Drifting
The ECU keeps a track of the hours used so that is a good ball park to use. There is some sort of formula you can use for avg mph equaling so many engine hours. I tried it out on my data and it was within 10K so while not perfect, it would show someone being silly trying to pass off a car with only 30K while the hours show up as a car that should have travelled 100K.
01-24-2011, 11:15 AM
#5
Weathergirl
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Good point on engine hours. I had a Hammer and could pull the engine hours on my old 993. It worked out to about 30mph average for a car that had seen regular driving commuting use. So that's miles/hours = 30.
For a highway car, that number would be higher than 30. For a car where the odo had been rolled back, it would certainly be less than 30. I would find it hard to believe that a Porsche had been driven at an average of 25mph it's whole life. And even if it were true, I'm not sure I'd want to own that car anyway.
Begs the question: maybe we should price used cars based on hours? a 100K mile car that's glided along the interstate in 50 mile increments at 60+ for its whole life would be much less "used up" than a 50k mile urban slogger.
For a highway car, that number would be higher than 30. For a car where the odo had been rolled back, it would certainly be less than 30. I would find it hard to believe that a Porsche had been driven at an average of 25mph it's whole life. And even if it were true, I'm not sure I'd want to own that car anyway.
Begs the question: maybe we should price used cars based on hours? a 100K mile car that's glided along the interstate in 50 mile increments at 60+ for its whole life would be much less "used up" than a 50k mile urban slogger.
