Forum Discussion

majordad's avatar
majordad
Explorer
Mar 06, 2020

Odometer error

My 2001 fleetwood DP odometer reads a lot more miles than I have actually travelled. Could this be due to a shorter tire installed by previous owner, and what can I do to correct it?
  • majordad wrote:
    My 2001 fleetwood DP odometer reads a lot more miles than I have actually travelled. Could this be due to a shorter tire installed by previous owner, and what can I do to correct it?


    Need more information. Is this an electronic or a mechanical speedometer/odometer? Specifically, how far off is it?

    Yes, tire size can make a difference, but, its usually limited to about 1%-3%. Any good speedometer shop can recalibrate your odometer if need be. Law enforcement does it all the time if their vehicles are used to clock the speed of the general public. (speeding tickets)

    Chum lee
  • When I changed tire size my Cummins dealer plugged in his computer and re-calibrated the transmission compyter to read correctly. Now comparred to the GPS its off less than 1/2 mph.
  • Tyler0215 wrote:
    This post veered off topic quickly! If the speedometer was set to kilometers you would know. 60 mph is approxamatly 100 kph. Do you regularly drive at 100 or more on the highway?
    Yes different size tires can make the speedo read differently. It also screws up the odometer. Do a ten mile test and you will know how much off the speedo is.


    The SPEEDometer part of it is in both scales.

    -Speak
  • You can make the same tests with any good GPS system. Compare the speed shown on the GPS with the speedometer and also distance traveled. Why not switch back to the OEM size tires? That would be my approach.
  • This post veered off topic quickly! If the speedometer was set to kilometers you would know. 60 mph is approxamatly 100 kph. Do you regularly drive at 100 or more on the highway?
    Yes different size tires can make the speedo read differently. It also screws up the odometer. Do a ten mile test and you will know how much off the speedo is.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    5 Miles = 8KM in case you need to convert. So if you do the 10 miles by Google Maps or GPS trick someone suggested and it says 16. not 10. it's in KM.

    Another warning: I'm spreading this re the Coronavirus.
    I've seen a fact sheet that among other things said that it did not like heat as little as 26-27 (I assume C but it did not state cause in F that's sub freezing) will kill it.. well if you do the math 98.6F is 37C so how could a virus that dies at 27 infect a 37Degree human?

    The moral is beware false information.. In this specific case it can kill you. Would not be the first time lies killed people.. lots and lots of people. and likely won't be the last. But beware the false prophet (In Bibical words) or flase data.. Note that was point 3 on the fact sheet, 1 and 2 were also lies, I did not read farther.
  • I had a rental class C in Alaska. The first couple of days the mileage readings were driving me nuts. Turns out it was made in Cananda, and the odometer was in km. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to set it to miles, and I finally gave up. Not sure it can be done!

    -Speak
  • The MPH or KPH setting could be it. If not, take a 10 mile trip. Open Google Maps to track that mileage. After 10 miles of driving according to the Google Maps program, how many miles show up on your odometer?
  • Can your odometer be set to display kilometers? That would make a difference.