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Author Topic: Is your speedometer accurate? Post a Reply Back to Topics
mileena202

Champion Author
Oakland

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Message Posted: Mar 12, 2012 11:31:10 AM

Every time I pass by a police radar detector that displays your speed, mine always is displayed as 2-4 mph less than what my speedometer shows.

BTW, I have to rely on these as California does not have mileage markers on the highway.
REPLIES (newest first)
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FuelPump
Champion Author Los Angeles

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 10:19:40 AM

Factory specs say within 5% + or -.
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Banjoe
Champion Author Winnipeg

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 9:11:27 AM

Way off and it's a new car.

It's indicating 5% high so my warranty will be running out that much sooner.

On the other hand, it keeps me under the speed limit so maybe saving money on tickets.
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RNF
Champion Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 9:09:16 AM

Yes
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SilverBTX
Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 8:47:01 AM

Yes
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jessjames
Champion Author Huntsville

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 8:45:00 AM

Yes
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Titanic1985
Champion Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 8:43:10 AM

Yes, as compared with a GPS readout.
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EdPG
Champion Author Boston

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 7:09:16 AM

right on!
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FieroGT
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Jul 15, 2012 7:01:33 AM

Yes
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KentuckyWildcat
Champion Author Maryland

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Message Posted: Jul 13, 2012 7:40:08 AM

Yes
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Seamus4513
Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Jul 12, 2012 11:53:33 PM

Yes
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ericli3091
Veteran Author Ottawa

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Message Posted: Jul 12, 2012 10:08:16 AM

ya
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Vin63
Champion Author San Bernardino

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Message Posted: Jul 12, 2012 10:04:52 AM

Yes.
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DesertRat2011
Champion Author Riverside

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Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 10:34:35 AM

No is off high by 5 mph at 70 because of larger than stock tires
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jorobins538
Champion Author Chicago

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 2:04:50 PM

seems to be right on.
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Skateforgirl
Rookie Author Long Island

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 1:26:49 PM

I drive a Honda. Ive noticed the Hondas are dead accurate with the speed readers on school zones.

I notice that when I drive the parents Volkswagens, they are higher by 3-4 MPH.
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steffy628
Champion Author Pennsylvania

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 12:47:14 PM

Yes
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kevrob1972
Champion Author Maine

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 10:44:56 AM

yes.
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TheRavenHeart
Veteran Author Chattanooga

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 10:42:42 AM

I don't take stock in the roadside radars, only my own speedometer and my GPS. My speedometer is the standard dial type, and as far as I can tell, its pretty well spot on to my GPS.
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gator2002
Champion Author Calgary

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 10:25:09 AM

Yes
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hornet17
Champion Author Vancouver

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:57:42 AM

I have never checked it against a known good source like a GPS.
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FieroGT
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:56:56 AM

Yes, surprisingly accurate.
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bearone2
Champion Author Phoenix

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:53:28 AM

yes
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randdtso
Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:43:56 AM

No Idea!
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OceanArcher
Champion Author Mississippi

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:20:49 AM

Mileena202 --

Agreed, they do not have a specialized sign saying "mile xxx", but there are markers along side the road that do have that info. You need to do a little research ......
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BUSSY
Champion Author Dallas

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:16:06 AM

yes
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wlotocky
All-Star Author Florida

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 9:04:37 AM

yes
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MertieMan
Champion Author Lexington

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 8:44:51 AM

Test it for 60 seconds at 60 mph on the interstate and if you go exactly one mile then your speedometer is reading correctly. I would not put much faith in those street mobile radar detectors.
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vikings80
All-Star Author South Dakota

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 8:42:00 AM

yes
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captain013
Champion Author Maryland

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 8:17:01 AM

Both cars read three over actual based on those highway safety speed limit radar machines.
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kxy4fw
Champion Author Denver

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 8:00:13 AM

yes
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fkftdoc
Champion Author Kentucky

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 7:34:35 AM

yes
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russells350
Champion Author Montreal

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 7:25:07 AM

yes
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puddy
Champion Author Wisconsin

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 6:54:46 AM

yes
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SilverBTX
Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 6:54:01 AM

Yes
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RacerGene
Champion Author Alabama

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Message Posted: Jun 21, 2012 6:24:36 AM

just a little off
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GeorgeNews
Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Jun 14, 2012 4:55:39 PM

yes
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SilverBTX
Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Jun 14, 2012 4:38:07 PM

Yes
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Titanic1985
Champion Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Jun 14, 2012 4:10:20 PM

My 2 week old 2012 Chevrolet Sonic with a Digital (displays speed in numbers) speedometer matches my GPS exactly.
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sweeteddy
Champion Author Indianapolis

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 10:21:54 PM

yes
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carinthuist
Champion Author San Francisco

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 9:47:20 PM

yes.
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manaknight14
All-Star Author Pennsylvania

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 9:34:33 PM

My speedometer is definitely off. I think it shows me going about 7% faster than I actually am. I noticed this because I try to drive with the needle right at the speed limit, but one time when my fiancée was following me in another car, she had her cruise control set at the speed limit and nearly ran up my tailpipe. I think it may have started after an incident where two of my tires got slashed and I had them quickly replaced with used tires in a pinch. Those tires might have been the wrong size, hence the error.
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NYTEFLYT
All-Star Author New York

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 9:28:38 PM

Only if I'm doing less than the speed limit!
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eccerr0r
Champion Author Fort Collins

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 8:26:16 PM

Yeah I think they do that to auto speedometers just to make sure you can't use the speedometer as an excuse as to why you're speeding (that would mean it's really the manufacturer's fault for your ticket, and they sure don't want to pay your tickets).

Plus as your tires wear, it will become slower compared to the same speedometer speed.

IIRC all of my cars are like this, and usually I test against handheld GPS if I can't find a handy radar detector.
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franz1313
Veteran Author Providence

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 7:45:35 PM

My Mazda 3. Yes.
My Jetta. No. Thankfully it reads 2-4 mph fast.
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pavel809
Sophomore Author Miami

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 7:23:37 PM

100% accurate
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diesdown
Champion Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 6:20:03 PM

Yes.
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gasmaker
Sophomore Author Ohio

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Message Posted: Jun 13, 2012 5:57:16 PM

yea
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KentuckyWildcat
Champion Author Maryland

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Message Posted: May 27, 2012 8:01:18 AM

Pretty close
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jessjames
Champion Author Huntsville

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Message Posted: May 27, 2012 7:48:23 AM

Yes
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russells350
Champion Author Montreal

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Message Posted: May 27, 2012 7:37:18 AM

yes
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