Calculate your past odometer readings
If the IRS audits you for mileage or for any other reason, you’ll have to know your past odometer readings.
To create a retrospective mileage log, use the odometer reading calculator to calculate how much the odometer reading could be at certain refuelings/chargings and at the end of the month.
Before you get started, you’ll need some information:
- The starting odometer reading of your vehicle,
- The current odometer reading of your vehicle,
- Approximate fuel consumption of your vehicle,
- The date of your refuelings/chargings,
- Amount of fuel refueled per refueling/charging.
Without this information, you will not be able to calculate accurate odometer readings at certain refuelings/chargings. Without accurate odometer readings, your mileage logs will be inaccurate, so we recommend that you take the time to gather the data as soon as possible.
TIP: You can find information about the odometer readings recorded during a service visit or vehicle inspection by checking your vehicle’s history if you know its VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Check your VIN for more info.
The finished document will look like this:
Click on the image to see the full document.
You can also check Gary’s tutorial video on how to generate realistic end-of-month odometer readings based on your refuelings:
10 and 20-year rules for odometer disclosures
As of January 2021, for vehicles beginning with the Model Year 2011 odometer disclosures are required for every transfer of ownership for the first 20 years. The model Year 2010 and older vehicles are exempt from this rule, continuing to be subject to the previous 10-year odometer disclosure rule.
Fuel mileage calculator
Fuel economy in automobiles can be calculated in either US or metric units by using a Gas Mileage Calculator. Calculate your vehicle’s fuel efficiency in mpg-US (miles per gallon), mpg Imp (miles per Imperial gallon), km/l (kilometers per liter), or l/100km (liters per 100 kilometers).
Fuel economy/efficiency ratings are converted and displayed for all units, including mpg US, mpg Imp, km/l, and l/100km.
TIP: Do you have to change from a decimal odometer to a binary odometer or vice versa? Set a value and see the binary, octal, decimal, hexadecimal, and custom base versions of your odometer reading.
How to read an old odometer (step-by-step)
- Find the dashboard odometer: The speedometer panel has a rectangle-shaped glass.
- Check the arrangement: To calculate your distance, count the odometer digits. Some versions also show a tenth of a distance unit. This normally appears in a different-colored wheel.
- Read the displayed number left-to-right.
- Add the current number to the rollover: Old odometers roll back to zero after a certain limit, reducing their accuracy. Note and add these readings to gain a better idea of the vehicle’s trip distance.
- A transmission-shaft-connected gear-driven wheel drives odometers: As the shaft rotates at the same pace as the wheels, the mechanism can estimate your car’s distance by multiplying the number of spins by the tire’s circumference.
Odometer calculator by brand and model
You can find an odometer calculator with a thorough breakdown of vehicle categories, brands, models, and even memory types, where you can easily find your own vehicle to calculate the odometer for distances traveled. You can even upload your own dashboard file.
Fuel calculations
Find your car in this MPG calculator to see how many gallons of gas per mile or mile per gallon your car does by the official EPA fuel economy ratings:
How can a tire size calculator help?
The tire size calculator compares the diameter, breadth, sidewall, circumference, and rotations per mile of two tires. Then, as an added benefit, it displays samples of your speedometer reading with the first tire and the real speed you’re moving if the second tire is installed. When looking for tires that are a different size than standard, this tire calculator comes in handy.
Using MileageWise, you’ll be able to reconstruct your past mileage. With the help of our AI-based AdWise Wizard feature that fills the gaps in your incomplete logs, you can create an IRS-compliant, backtracked mileage log.
