Odometer

By Alborz Fallah | June 02nd, 2006

The instrument that indicates distance travelled by a vehicle. Usually located near the Speedometer the Odometer tells the driver how far he has gone since last reset and also how far the car has travelled in its life. The KM reading on the Odometer go a long way to determine the resell value of cars, however the older style analogue odometers can easily be changed to show lower KMs and the electronic, digital display odometers are also not tamper proof.

http://google Kelly Birt

Hello. Could you please tell me how many kilometers a car can do? I bought a Volkswagon Polo 1997 about a year ago. It has so far done 205,000 kms. How many km’s can it do before it starts to show any problems. Thanks,
Kelly
Watto_Cobra

Kelly, it entirely depends on the quality of the car and how hard a life it’s had. Germans generally make great stuff so as long as you service it regularly not a lot should go wrong until some of the big things finally wear out such as engine, etc.

Many Falcon taxis do well over 500,000 kms and I’ve seen them even up to 800,000. I think I remember an article long ago about a land rover that clocked over a million (it didn’t mention if there were any engine rebuilds).

If you drive a quality car sensibly, service regularly, check oil/water, there’s no reason you shouldn’t see minimum 300,000 kms.
Bavarian Missile

Country or city ks?

How do the service books look? When you had it vehicle checked did you get quotes on the repairs they may needed to be done? What do you plan on using the car for?
http://google Kelly Birt

Hello and thanks very much for the replies ^_^ I have had it a year now and have already had one service and the next one is due in a couple of months-the service book looks good with no problems and it had always been regularly serviced when i boughtit.

The car seems to be doing well, I can’t really complain except for recently when i start my car (although this doesn’t happen every time I start it but quite often), when i turn on the engine and have it running it revs more than it should on its own without me putting my foot on the accelerator. Normally when I turn the engine on it is idling (I’m not sure if that is the right terminology ^_^) at 10km as it should but lately it goes up to nearly 20km on it’s own or when i’m sitting at the traffic lights. Do you know why it is doing this? I had it checked about 5 months ago (for the same reason) at the same place i have it serviced at and the guy said it was something to do with “throttle being dirty”. He cleaned it but it has been doing it again. Any adivce would be great.
Andrew M

i assume you mean 1,000RPM and 2,000Rpm not 10km and 20km?

when you start it does a few pushes of the accelerator seem to clear it and lower the revs back down?

does the revs rise on their own, or are they purely not coming down once you take your foot off the accelorator?
http://google Kelly Birt

yep i meant 1,000 and 2,000Rpm not km hehe. ^_^ I’m not very car minded. Anyway even when I push on the accelerator it doesn’t clear it or lower the revs back down whatsoever.

The revs do rise on their own. When I take my foot off the accelerator (once I come to a stop) the revs will go back down for a brief moment but then will rise again on their own and will then keep revving between 1,000 and 2,000Rpm until i turn the engine off.
Watto_Cobra

I think maybe she means 10km, 20kms while at idle in geare Andrew.M. (altho probably revving its ring off in neutral).

At work we always used Nissan forklifts. The new Maintenance Supervisor, who had some deal with Komatsu, changed us all over to Komatsu forklifts. Funny thing is he left again after 6 months and left us with all these heaps of crap.

Out of seven forks, every one of them has throttle problems. They are all drive-by-wire, as in using a electric wiring and a type of servo/solenoid instead of a traditional cable. The servo/solenoid on all of them jam up with dust, so they are always revving their heads off, very annoying.

Ford introduced the same system in BA but they don’t have to operate in the same filthy environment (steel foundry) and I’ve never heard of a drive-by-wire problem in a car, but maybe this is what Kelly is experiencing.

I can’t speak for the others but my 5Ton Komatsu fork has the following recurring problems :-
* Headlights stop working
* Horn stops working
* Drum brakes wear out quickly (dust?) and get very grabby and need relining
* Throttle is always stuffed

Anyway, Kelly, your mechanic may be right about the throttle being “dirty” meaning the shaft on the servo/solenoid sticks instead of sliding freely. (assuming your car is drive-by-wire, I wouldn’t know).
Watto_Cobra

whoops, I was to long writing a novel, haha.

OK, 2000 revs would be revving hard in neutral.
Bavarian Missile

Hi KELLY ,I need a little more info to be able to help,

when the mechanic said he cleaned the Throttle plate do you know if he just wiped it off or used a product to do the Job , such as CRC throttle body cleaner?

When the revs raise do they smoothly get higher or does it go higher the come back down?

Is the car using more fuel?

How does the car perform when cold, Smooth even idle or high idle?
http://google Kelly Birt

Haha. Thanks for your reply. I feel like when I’m at the lights and my car is revving that I’m about to challenge people to a race hehe. Btw, what do you mean by drive-by-wire? Also I’m due to take my car in for a service anyway in a months time…do you think it is ok if I wait til then to get my car checked or should I do it before then?
Thanks ^_^
Watto_Cobra

Does anyone know if a ’97 Polo has Drive-By-Wire? If its a traditional cable system, it’s either still a sticky throttle, or maybe something to do with the ECU being out of whack.
Bavarian Missile

It would have a throttle cable not drive by wire.
Bavarian Missile

Hey Watto…..Hubby has been answering her but he needs more info….I though a faulty idle jacker but he said no!
http://google Kelly Birt

I’m pretty sure when the mechanic cleaned the throttle plate he used a cleaner!

When the revs raise they get higher and come back down and then go higher and come back down and it just keeps doing this but without going any higher than 20kms when idle in gear. Also I’ve noticed that fuel seems to be going much quicker than it should and was wondering if it had to do with this or a petrol leak. When I’m driving I don’t have a problem except when I go down in gear from around the third gear down it isn’t as smooth as it should be as is a bit jerky…I hope this makes sense. ^_^
Thanks ^_^
Watto_Cobra

Kelly, normally the throttle is operated via a steel cable, same as the brakes on a push bike.

Lately, a lot of new cars are drive-by-wire. Instead of having a direct cable connection between your pedal and the throttle on the engine, it uses electronics.

The thottle pedal operates a sensor which detects how far you depress the pedal. This tells the computer how much throttle (how much fuel to inject) and opens up the throttle body (how much air to mix with the fuel).

This isn’t new technology. Planes started going “fly-by-wire” I think at least 50 years ago, as in, instead of traditional hydraulics or cables operating the elevators/ailerons, etc, it uses electronics/motors to operates these functions.

Anyway, as I said just a bit before, I don’t know if the Polo came out with this in ’97. It may be a simple sticky cable, or something more complicated if drive-by-wire.

It depends how safe you feel whether or not you want to take it in early.
Watto_Cobra

hehe I’m too slow typing BM, so a ’97 Polo has a regular cable then.
http://google Kelly Birt

Thanks everyone for your replies! I’m very much a girly girl who doesn’t know much about cars or their terms so you have been a great help! I feel safe driving the car but it is just a bit of a nuisance that’s all. But I think it is best that I take it in early so I’ve decided that I will do just that. This is a great site! I just stumbled accross it and I am happy I did! Thanks very much! ^_^
Watto_Cobra

Your Welcome.
Andrew M

Watto,
i assumed it was 2,000rpm rather than 20km because it would be a bit dangerous sitting at a red light doing 20kmh ha ha ha ha

great to see such a site could be usefull Kelly.
http://google Kelly Birt

Haha. I just read your message Andrew M. You guys are funny and helpful he he ^_^ Thanks again!
Watto_Cobra

Hehe yeah. I thought she meant, when rolling along in first with no throttle .ie. car park speed, it was doing 20km/h. No prob