Ask the Editors: Can I Trust an ATV’s Odometer?
Not tamper-proof.
I wouldn’t mind paying well over the average price for a true low-use unit if I were sure.
Excellent question. We’ll come right out with it – tampering is tricky but it is possible. After all, even with all of the precautions (and legalities) involved with messing with the mileage reading on a modern car, it still can and does happen.
Since ATVs and SxSs are classified and sold as off-highway vehicles only, many of the state laws pertaining to the accuracy of the instrumentation do not apply. And as accomplishing odometer changes are very difficult to do with software, we have seen machines that reset to zero when the instrumentation pod itself were replaced.
As this all tends to leave us with the uncertainty associated with the “buyer beware” state of mind, the good news about items like ATVs is that they themselves tell just as strong a story about the machine’s age and care as any odometer reading if you know what to look for.
Start with service records. A well-cared for machine will have documented service. Dealership paperwork will often list the odometer reading at the time of the appointment. This is a fantastic way of making sure the numbers match up.
Hour meter & odometer. If the machine you are looking it has both an odometer and an hour meter, this is a good fail-safe. Because hour meters often operate independent of the odometer system, they can very hard to synchronize should any tampering have taken place. If you happen to see a machine with extremely low miles but high hours (or the opposite), that could be a red flag. Ask if the machine ran a lot at idle since the odometer will only be tracking when the ATV was in motion.
Ask questions – Don’t be afraid to ask if it’s the original instrument pod. If the seller comes right out and says it had to be replaced some years ago, immediately consider the very likely possibility that it has been counting from zero since then rather than the first time it was run.
Pull the dip stick (or check the sight glass) to clue in on the engine oil’s status. If it’s black and runny, it’s been well-used and likely has not been changed on regular intervals. If it’s nearly clear, there’s a very good chance it was just changed, possibly even for the purpose of selling. If it looks brown like chocolate milk, there is a blown seal between the cooling system and the engine block and finally if you notice any metal filings or fragments suspended within the oil, there is a very good possibility there are bigger issues at hand internally.
Take a look at our Guide For What to Look For When Going Used. It contains more useful tips of what to be inspecting before making your purchase decision so as to save yourself from headaches down the road – regardless of what numbers the odometer tells you.
