My odometer reset itself to 0!?!?

[deck]

Alrighty. It's cold outside. It's been at or -20c for the last week. The news has stories about cars freezing to death on the open road.

So far I'm lucky. I service my car regularly and it has been running very well during this cold snap. The car is parked outside 98% of the time. It is outside every night, even during this wicked cold.

Today I was able to bring it inside for a few hours. I figured I'd let it warm up a bit and it would save me a cold walk later. It was inside a heated garage for maybe 2 hours. Long enough for all of the ice and snow built up to fall off or melt away. The card turned on just fine, as you would imagine.

As I'm driving outside in the -20c weather, I get a few blocks and then the warning light for my parking break AND the warning light for my ABS come on. I find this alarming for two reasons; a) the warning lights are on and b) I don't have ABS. I read the manual and it said that I should turn off the car for a bit and turn it back on. If the lights are still there get the car serviced. This is where things get really weird.

I turned off the car for 30 seconds and then turned it back on. The lights were still there but my odometer, which previously read over 74,000km, now read 000000km.

I turn off the car again, pull and release the hand break, pump the breaks and the gas and the clutch, turn the car back on - same results. Warning lights for the breaks and 0km logged on the odometer.

The car was still driving alright and stopping when I pressed the breaks. The hand break was also preventing the car from rolling away. So I kept on with the night. I later parked for about 20 minutes. By this time the car had logged 5km on the odometer (now 000005km). When I came back the warning lights were still on but the odometer had reset again! I proceeded to my next destination. This time I left the car off for a good two hours and it got nice and fridged. When I turned it on this time the warning lights had gone away and the odometer had retained the last bit of mileage, 7km total.

I made sure to check my trip odometers in case they were on -- they were not and I was looking at my real logged mileage.

The question is -- how the hell can this happen? The odometer is digital so the information is logged in the computer. Is it possible the cold and heat killed the memory? I've brought the car inside from the extreme cold before without any problem. Why would my breaks warn me when there is nothing wrong and why would the ABS appear when I don't have it installed?

I hope my car isn't dying.

[MR_Candyman]

I'm sorry but I've been able to start my car iin -50c before so to hear about "cars freezing to death on the open road" is just crap. Somebody might flood their 88 buick and can't get it running again, but there's no "cars freezing to death on the open road."

It sounds to me like your computer is malfunctioning and will need to be replaced. Hopefully it's not out of warranty, because it'll be expensive. I VERY much doubt that the cold had anything to do with your problem.

Now suck it up, -20 isn't that bad. You should spend some time in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Yukon, NWT, Alaska, ect.

[RageOfFury]

Sounds like the on board computer went belly up. Time to go to the dealership.

[david]

The value of your car just when up. (Y)

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

what make, model and year is the car? I would talk to the dealership if you can, or a mechanic. Not sure of the laws in Montreal, but I am pretty sure it is "illegal" to reset the odometer. I know you didn't do it purposely, but getting it emission tested or selling it could lead you into a lot of trouble :p

For 74,000, sounds like it is 2003-2004?

[Pilsbury]

He already said it's a 2003 Suzuki Aerio :)

Sounds like the ECU / Computer died...

[Archstroke]

Sounds like an ECU problem. You will need to get that fixed if you want to sell it later. And cars don't die in -20c temperature, yesterday it was -32c and everyones car at my dorm still worked.

[Rudnartim]

Diesel engines if not prepared for winter with things such as anti-gel in the fuel will stop running if it gets cold enough, not because they die but because the fuel gels up in the lines and cant get to the motor

[MR_Candyman]

ya, but he said they were freezing to death on the open road. That implies they were running and moving. Even diesels don't die like that

[Rudnartim]

if its cold enough they can, and itll most likely happen in older vehicles that havent neccassarily been well maintained all the needs to happen is the fuel lines gel up

[deck]

I think a lot of people are missing the point of the back story.

First, -20 is still very cold.

Second, cars 'dying on the open road' was added for dramatic effect. And despite what everyone says about it not being cold enough to kill cars, you might want to speak to CAA and all of drivers stuck in traffic due to stalled cars on the highway. That's not including the many people who couldn't even start their cars. During this snap, on the coldest days, the wait for a CAA truck was 3+ hours...if you were lucky.

In any case, if the computer died how else will that affect my car? Will it cause any of the other electronics to fail or make it unsafe? How much are new computers anyway? It's almost 6 years old the car; i bought it for 7000$ when it was 4 years old. Likely I will drive it until it's dead, so should I care about resale? Emissions testing is moot because it's not required here, but I service the car every 6 months.

[MR_Candyman]

umm....in all the provinces I listed before, the temperatures consistently get below -20 and we have none of these problems with mass amounts of dead vehicles on the highway. Some people have starting issues with old cars, ya, but after the car's running they stay running.

Anyways, the dying computer can affect everything attached to it. If you don't have ABS, it won't affect that, but it can effect (depending on if things are direct wired, wired to separate computers, or if all going to a central computer, they will all be affected differently) head lights, markers, tail lights, air bags, stereo, seat (if powered and hooked up to computer-usually for memory control), seat belts (those tensioners are hooked up to the computer), automatic transmission gear shifting + back up lights, fuel mixture, ignition timing. There's probably more but I haven't slept yet.

[qdave]

  djlegion said:

The value of your car just when up. (Y)

sell it while you can :p

[chconline Veteran]

Exactly, -20c is not that cold, especially in Canada. Even my car starts every time without a block heater and runs just fine and heat comes out after a minute...

  qdave said:

sell it while you can :p

"Mint condition Suzuki Aerio. Never driven before -- 0kms on the odometer. Never been hacked or modified by the user!!" :D

[wrench]

That car has an Engine control module, ABS Module, Trans module, Air bag module and instrument cluster(which is also a module) all connected together through data lines. I'm guessing here, but I expect that the Odo is saved in the instrument cluster. Likely, the instrument cluster, or Combination Meter as Suzuki calls it, is malfunctioning and will need to replaced. When they order a new one, they will program it with the mileage that you old one had.

I'm just guessing here as I said. You will need to have it diagnosed in a shop.

By the way, I live in Saskatchewan were we've just had an unusually long cold spell. It went to -35 several times. But -20C is still cold. Especially if you aren't used to it.

[The Rev]

  djlegion said:

The value of your car just when up. (Y)

THat's what I was thinking! :p

[DanManIt]

  djlegion said:

The value of your car just when up. (Y)

no doubt :rofl:

[deck]

Heh.. this will be the ad;

"Brand new 2003 Suzuki Aerio Fastback. 0km on the odometer. A few dents and dings. Wheels replaced in spring 2007. Engine repaired in summer 2007. Breaks replaced in fall 2007. Suspension repaired in 2008. Trunk repaired in fall 2008. Like new."

[dj6ross]

  djlegion said:

The value of your car just when up. (Y)

That was the first thing I said too :rofl: