Gagarin

The needles on my speedometer aren't accurate, I think.

I set it @ cruise at 45 MPH instance, I DIC-over to the AVG speed and I reset it. It should go to 00 and then to whatever it's first reading. If I'm at 45 it should read 45. Sometimes it reads 43 or 44. Repeat the reset and it reads just below 45 again. To get it at 45, I have to speed up to get the needle above the 45 mark.

It progressively gets a little worse. It's a bit annoying.

I haven't tested it with my GPS and it's speed reading - which was always 100 percent dead-on on my S-10.

Would this be something a dealer would fix if I'm loud enough? It should read what it's supposed to - it's not like it's reading wrong because of inflation or tire ware, the gauges are just off. I don't think they ever 'zero' correctly.

Any advise or shared experiences here?
`Chad

saltyfishguy

The dic is counting the average speed of you getting to 45 also, it's just an overall average of the speed since you last reset it. Mine reads like 26 or so and I can say that I am not travelling at 26 mph but that most if not all of my driving is in town usually no faster than 50, rarely ever see highway lately.

Gagarin

Right - it's an average. Thanks for checking that I knew that =) That certainly could be confusing.

But if I reset it the first number it should say is the speed I'm going at that point, and it always gives me a number a little slower than what my needle says.

So what I do, I 'info' over to the AVG MPH dial, and then I hold reset. It zeroes and then the speed comes up. 44 or 43 MPH, I look at my needle, and my needle looks like it's dead on 45.

a76marine

Wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the cruise doesn't hold a constant speed the whole time. If there's even a slight incline or even a tight corner the car will have to accelerate... but the Cruise doesn't tell it to accelerate when it first drops to 44, it will wait until it's 2 or 3 MPH off before hitting the gas.

Clevelandhhrss

Trust you DIC....lol
It's a computer.
Try this ((3.4560^22)/45)*9435= .....in your head, lol, or hand calculate....lol
Well what is the answer? AHHHHHHHH.... you need a computer. Get my point?

jx3

I've notice the same on mine. Is 1 or 2 mph really worth bothering the dealer with? Is it really worth being HHRless for 2 or more days?

I look at it this way..........

If the computer is truly accurate vs the needle, then there is a built in safety margin if you are traveling the speed limit (yea right, like anyone does that ). Just last month my wife got cited for doing 4 miles over the posted speed limit in a "prestigous" part of town were the local PD is very strict. Maybe if she had that built in margin...........

Gagarin

I actually don't have a clue what your point is. I trust the computer. The whole car is run by the computer.

The needles are all controlled by the computer, too, they're not analog. They're just not working right.

Gagarin

I don't know. Trying to run the speed limit but realizing your actually 1 or 2 below can be very annoying for everyone else who is just *a little* faster than you and wondering why you're not running the speed limit.

dbfruth

I tested my speedometer using a handheld GPS. It was dead on. I would suggest that if you are concerned there might be a discrepancy you test it the same way. I once had a Neon that read 5 mph too fast. I always wondered why cars would pass me when I was going the speed limit or 5 over. I just learned to compensate in my head since there was no fix for it.

Leon

When you do test it against the GPS, let us know what you find...