Is It Legal To Replace Your Odometer Yourself?
If you have a broken odometer, you may have an important question on your mind. Is it legal to replace the odometer yourself?
The short answer is yes. It’s legal to replace the odometer yourself. We even have a tutorial on replacing an instrument cluster. As long as you have basic tools and some free time, you can get the job done right in your garage.
You need to keep something very important in mind, though. It’s illegal to lie about the mileage on your car. So you want to make sure that the mileage stays accurate. We’ll show you how.
Always Write Down The Mileage On The Old Instrument Cluster Before Removing It
We encourage all of our customers to do this, regardless of whether they have a new car or an older one. This way, you can verify that the mileage on the new instrument cluster is correct.
What If I Can’t See The Mileage?
Do you have a broken instrument cluster that won’t display the mileage? You have two options:
- If your car has an ODB-II port, attach a scanner to the port and read the mileage.
- Send us your broken instrument cluster for repair. In most cases, we can pull the mileage from the cluster.
If You Have A Newer Car
On all modern vehicles, the mileage is stored electronically. Where it’s stored depends on your make. For example:
- In many GM vehicles and some Japanese cars, the cluster stores the mileage.
- In some cars, the ECU stores the mileage.
- In other cars, the BCM stores the mileage.
When you install the new instrument cluster in many newer cars, the mileage will automatically appear. The new instrument cluster will get the information from the vehicle. In modern vehicles, the instrument cluster is just a display. It receives information from:
- The ECU
- The BCM
- Chips and sensors around the vehicle
However, this is not always true. If you can't see the mileage on your display, give us a call. You may be able to simply replace the cluster, or you may need to send the cluster to us so we can pull the mileage from it. We'll let you know up front what your options are.
If You Have An Older Car
On many older cars, the mileage needs to be set manually. If you order a replacement instrument cluster from us, let us know what the mileage is. We’ll set it manually on the new cluster for you.
To sum it up: it's legal to replace the odometer on your vehicle. You just need to make sure that the mileage is accurate.