Clocked mileage

[JOSEMI]

I heard quite a lot about this stupid practice and wondered about this, as a BMW mechanic assured me that is difficult to clock a BMW (E30's included) as if you do so a tiny red led would appear in the mileage clock. Also apparently the dealers have another way of knowing the mileage by measuring the engine, not sure which part or how, I believe by analysing the wear as such or something to do with the pistons and cilynders.

Perhaps by changing the speedo cluster that would be a job done, but how easy is to cheat and sell us a turd ???

It would be interesting to know ways of checking exactly how honest a mileage meter is in our cars/potential buys ?

Jose

[OllieB]

E30's are one of the easiest cars to clock,

[JOSEMI]

I know sorry - its been edited !

yep, but how easy then ! - considering the red teller ! or this is a lie then ?

Jose

[OllieB]

sounds like a lie to me mate....

[Simon13]

10 mins to clock an E30? hell even new cars are still being clocked.

Thing is when u have a really good condition E30 and people who worry alot about milege, giving the car a "haircut" as they say! can help with the price somewhat innit

[JOSEMI]

it kind of irritates me the fact that it can be THAT easy, sounds worrying

[Simon13]

i wouldn't worry as theres not alot u can do now. I have always had my reservations on my sport sometimes as it was on 66k when i bought it and i'm missing 2 MOT's one recent and the very first one it should have.

It's never smoked or used oil/water touch wood. So i cannot complain

[JOSEMI]

yeah I know what you mean, if it works it works ! Not worried myself too much, the engine on mine goes cream, I just thought it would be interesting to see the views, an to check that what the mechanic told me about the red light is true.

I recently took the cluster out to give it a clean and then the question popped... I am sure is something everyone thinks about at some point. I must say that even the screws made that sound that screws do when they have been opened for the first time... I guess I am left to wonder with this fact only

Jose

[ian332isport]

E30's have no red light or other means of detecting that it's been clocked. E36 and later cars do have this red light though. Mind you, I don't think it's that had to bypass that either.

Clocking an E30 is dead easy. I did mine actually, but I clocked it upwards

When I fitted the E30 M3 clocks, I clocked it upwards so it matched the original one I was removing. How honest is that...

Ian.

[bootyman]

It's piss easy to stop the clock on a E30 too. All you have to do is unplug one cable (Which i'm not telling you where to find) and it stops the clock. There is a seal on the plug, but 99% of people dont know about it, so will never think to check if the seal is broken or not