[SapphireBlackG01]

Originally Posted by akhbhaat

Yeah, you're definitely a first-time BMW owner.

LOL.

[visor]

Originally Posted by SteveMD

I'm not buying another BMW. Yesterday I set the heat to 80 and when I measured it with my NIST calibrated thermocouple in four random locations, front and rear, it was only 79.4 degrees.

I'm pissed!

Good one!

Two reasons for the optimistic speedo.
1. Euro regulations as mentioned in the C&D article.
2. To make us BMW drivers think that we have a more powerful car by making us think we're going faster than we actually are! Can you imagine us doing handheld stopwatch 0-60 times just by looking at the speedo? Wow, 5.6 secs! (according to C&D for the manual 330i).

[StevoSEA]

Originally Posted by sdorn

I have the stock wheels and tires. The car is only two weeks old. I tested using the GPS multiple times over long stretches of interstate with the cruise control set at different speeds, and the difference was constant between the speedometer and the GPS.

Driving around Atlanta I don't have to worry about the speedometer that much because there is a lot of traffic around, and like was mentioned above you just stay with the flow. However, I often drive on interstates in rural areas where there may not be any other traffic. I need to be able to set my cruise control at a precise speed (within 1 mph) in order to make the best time while at the same time not have to worry about getting a ticket. This has never been a problem with any other car.

Plus, it is just one of those things with me. I need my clocks to be set within seconds of the atomic time. I need my speedometer to be accurate. I need my thermostat to maintain accurate temperatures. I expect instruments that measure something to be accurate, regardless of whether it is in my car or anywhere else.

Whats worse is that the car knows the correct speed. If you get into the unlock menu and display Menu 8 that shows the actual speed, it is correct within 1-2 km/h which would be great. Why would a car have the accurate information available, and then display inaccurate information? It makes no sense.

I have read that the german manufactured autos speedometers are purposly set at 5-7% fast for liability issues and german safety laws (if what i have read is incorrect, i would like to know)

[KUweatherman]

Originally Posted by sdorn

I just want my damn speedometer fixed.

There is nothing to fix...

That's what three pages of replies is trying to say.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by sdorn

I would have to argue that it is a serious safety hazard to have an inaccurate speedometer, which is a plausible argument.

A safety issue? You mean like if someone hooked up a bomb to your car that would detonate if you go slower than, say, 50mph?

[One-Way]

If I took my ticket to court, I could've brought this up.

"Your honor, the radar might have said 79, but I can prove that the speedometer in my car is wrong, and I was only doing.. 35? "

[BMW Lawman]

Even our police cars that have "certified calibration" accuracy have a +/- accuracy of 1 mile per hour. Its common knowledge that every car manufacturer makes the speedos read just slightly faster than your actually going.....its all about liability in these sue happy times we live in.

[BMW Lawman]

Originally Posted by One-Way

If I took my ticket to court, I could've brought this up.

"Your honor, the radar might have said 79, but I can prove that the speedometer in my car is wrong, and I was only doing.. 35? "

And by the way, RADAR and LASER both have a margin of error of plus or minus 1 mile an hour. So if you're ever cited and one mile an hour makes a difference in the fine, make sure you bring up the margin of error and request the lower fine.

[visor]

Originally Posted by Airboy

A safety issue? You mean like if someone hooked up a bomb to your car that would detonate if you go slower than, say, 50mph?

Speed. Now that was a good movie!

[NaTuReB0Y]

there are bigger fish to fry........

[David328M-Sport]

Originally Posted by ward

also the fuel gauge is pessimistic

and the fuel economy guage

[330m]

Remember, the +5% / -0% is a manufacturing tolerance and each car will be somewhere within that range.

A 1mph 'factory' error would beat even that of a certified & calibrated instrument. 5% of the full scale is good for any mechanical gauge, so there is really no problem.

There'll be worse accuracy for sure on your fuel gauge, temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, cabin temp settings, battery voltage gauge, MPG guage, wash/wipe warning light, oil pressure switch,

There all gonna be crap accuracy, which is OK for the job in hand.

[LEDZEP]

All the talk about safety, accuracy, etc. is moot. The real reason this is done is money! Your odometer works with your speedometer. BMW couldn't care less how fast you're going - but how FAR you're going. By deliberatly setting the speedo to read high they insure that the car reaches the end of its warranty much sooner by reporting more miles than you have actually driven.

This has been discussed before, but do that math and you'll see.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

All the talk about safety, accuracy, etc. is moot. The real reason this is done is money! Your odometer works with your speedometer. BMW couldn't care less how fast you're going - but how FAR you're going. By deliberatly setting the speedo to read high they insure that the car reaches the end of its warranty much sooner by reporting more miles than you have actually driven.

This has been discussed before, but do that math and you'll see.

The summary page from Car and Driver showed the ODO was accurate, if I read it right. Speed is 4.5% high and ODO is 0.7% low.

[voltron1011]

Originally Posted by Airboy

A safety issue? You mean like if someone hooked up a bomb to your car that would detonate if you go slower than, say, 50mph?

Very good

[ben1364]

We have had some way out threads........................ <g>

[parafrog]

3 pages on this? i went straight to the last page to state "big fricken deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

i can't believe this is actually a thread.

[jdhill]

I am not upset that they are possibly saving me from a speeding ticket, but I am upset that I bought an extended warranty that will be running out prematurely. I am no math matician(sp?) but I paid a s!#@load of money for the extended warranty and want to get the most out of it! You can bet if my transmission went out or motor seized at 101K I will be knocking on BMW's door! Anyone good with math should figure out the most screwed you could get mileage-wise by the time you hit the 50 and 100K warranty limits.

[ward]

it's not hard math

if your speedo's 5% high (and the odo is too, it may be calibrated to account for the fast speedo)

5% of 50,000=2,500 miles big friggin whoop

[vladinecko]

Originally Posted by LEDZEP

All the talk about safety, accuracy, etc. is moot. The real reason this is done is money! Your odometer works with your speedometer. BMW couldn't care less how fast you're going - but how FAR you're going. By deliberatly setting the speedo to read high they insure that the car reaches the end of its warranty much sooner by reporting more miles than you have actually driven.

This has been discussed before, but do that math and you'll see.

then howcome no one takes them to court for false advertising since they promise 50,000 miles but only give you however less it ends up being?

even if deep down they were really doing this for liability reasons and wanted to save some lives and blah blah blah, i think avoiding false advertising law suits should concern them a lot more from economical perspective, don't you think?

[ic]

Come on, guys, only the speedo is optimistic, the odo is quite accurary.

[gr8sho]

Originally Posted by sdorn

I know this is common knowledge for many BMW owners, but I just realized that it is true!

Mine is accurate to within acceptable tolerance. I've measured this against several speed measuring devices setup by the local county police.