Odometer/speedometer kill switch

jhm · December 1, 2004

Just read this story on the local news. Guy takes his truck in to get sattelite radio, the installer looks under the hood and say's what is this switch for? The guy has no clue. They find out the toggle switch controls the speedo and odo. Just 2 wires! The guy bought it from Enterprise with 34k on it. They bought it from GM off lease. No way to know how many miles are really on it. It was leased twice. Since the leases always have mileage caps, somebody ran it up. Enterprise offered him his money back or another vehicle, luckily someone spotted the switch, the things probably got 134000 on it!

Taaaaaaahoe? · December 1, 2004

cant you tell by pulling the miles from another sorce? The odometer is just one place it is stored..I think its in the BCM also...

right?

jhm · December 1, 2004

I don't know if they can get the actual mileage thru the computer. I would think it depends on a number of things like where the toggle switch was spliced in. They didnt nention the hours, I wonder if disabling the odo also disables the hour meter? At least Enterprise is willing to make good for the guy.

tmf6902 · December 1, 2004

I don't know if they can get the actual mileage thru the computer. I would think it depends on a number of things like where the toggle switch was spliced in. They didnt nention the hours, I wonder if disabling the odo also disables the hour meter? At least Enterprise is willing to make good for the guy.

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I'm willing to bet that hours are seperate from miles.....the reason I do...is when I got my new cluster programmed I got my old miles put on it.....but I forgot about the hours......so I am about 400 hours short. O well......probably never sell the truck anyway.

redvett · December 1, 2004

I don't know if they can get the actual mileage thru the computer. They didnt nention the hours, I wonder if disabling the odo also disables the hour meter?

Yes miles & hours are monitored on the new vehicles. I have a 94 Corvette and way back then they monitored miles in the PCM,BCM & of course the cluster.

They started to monitor the hours because too many people were stealing miles by unhooking the speed signal but you cant stop the hour meter since the PCM records time run.

budhayes3 · December 1, 2004

The actual mileage should be in the PCM. When I had my mileage input into my Denali Instrument cluster, the guy who did it was telling my how the mileage in the PCM and the instrument cluster should match, as well as the run hours.

You can check your engine run hours by holding the trip odometer reset button while the key is off...it's pretty neat.

GM-Tech · December 1, 2004

The actual mileage should be in the PCM.
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There is no mileage stored in the PCM. It's only in the cluster in the C/K truck.

mcreyaufmiller · December 1, 2004

From what I understand, there are 3 sources for milage on the C/K trucks and other GM vehichles. The PCM, ODO, and Tranny. Not sure if this is true, but I am pretty sure there is more than 1 source.

Mike

GM-Tech · December 1, 2004

From what I understand, there are 3 sources for milage on the C/K trucks and other GM vehichles. The PCM, ODO, and Tranny. Not sure if this is true, but I am pretty sure there is more than 1 source.
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Trust me, I work for a Chevy service department and have scanned more computers and worked on more Chevy electrical systems than you can imagine. There is no other location for the mileage. I'm not sure where you're getting your information but I can guarantee you that it is wrong.

mcreyaufmiller · December 2, 2004

From what I understand, there are 3 sources for milage on the C/K trucks and other GM vehichles. The PCM, ODO, and Tranny. Not sure if this is true, but I am pretty sure there is more than 1 source.
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Trust me, I work for a Chevy service department and have scanned more computers and worked on more Chevy electrical systems than you can imagine. There is no other location for the mileage. I'm not sure where you're getting your information but I can guarantee you that it is wrong.

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No offence, but a chevy dealership has been unable to fix my Chevy truck. I have met several "Chevy Techs" that could not diagnose an engine problem without a computer. ASE certification is not what it used to be, I had a friend that was a ASE certified tech in another state and he called me to help him build a motor because he had no idea what he was doing. he knew how to use a computer and replace parts.

I am not impressed by someone telling me how they work in a service department.

Mike

redvett · December 2, 2004

Trust me, I work for a Chevy service department and have scanned more computers and worked on more Chevy electrical systems than you can imagine. There is no other location for the mileage. I'm not sure where you're getting your information but I can guarantee you that it is wrong.

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Trust me what the Tech 2 can read isnt everything thats in the vehicle. I retired from GM Engineering and there is software to check on more than you can read. For instance SDM activity that requires special software and equiptment.

mcreyaufmiller · December 2, 2004

Because all of the computer equipment on the new trucks, there are a lot of service departments that fall short because something is wrong and they cannot trace the problem. They depend on the computer to do all of the work for them.

GM-Tech · December 2, 2004

Trust me what the Tech 2 can read isnt everything thats in the vehicle. I retired from GM Engineering and there is software to check on more than you can read. For instance SDM activity that requires special software and equiptment.

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I know about the EDR that's in the SDM and the software needed to access it... which is not generally available to service departments (but can be purchased from Vetronix if you have a few thousand to spend).

I have never heard of any hidden data stored anywhere else in the vehicle and if such data exists but one cannot access it, it's a moot point.

redvett · December 2, 2004

Because all of the computer equipment on the new trucks, there are a lot of service departments that fall short because something is wrong and they cannot trace the problem. They depend on the computer to do all of the work for them.

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Really its not the computer equiptment its the people/training & management. Management has to want to be a good service to there customers in return for there return business.

GM-Tech · December 2, 2004

No offence, but a chevy dealership has been unable to fix my Chevy truck. I have met several "Chevy Techs" that could not diagnose an engine problem without a computer.
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No offense taken because I agree with you 100%. I have techs in my own service department that couldn't diagnose their way out of a paper bag. I'm the shop foreman in our shop and the go to guy when there's a problem. I'm not perfect by any stretch, but I know my limitations.

Yeah, ASE means little these days. The guys with all the patches and the toolbox the size of an apartment are usually (but not always!) the biggest bandits.

That said, I'll wait here while you go find the mileage in another computer in your truck. I'll have a very long wait.