[RIDEHARD440I]

Hey Guy, I recently bought a 09 E90 X-Drive, Manual. I always thought the speedo was wrong and I proved it by checking it with my GPS. The tires and suspension are stock 225/45/17 The speedo is 5 mph high. Has anybody else had this problem??

[BBursey]

If you , I think you'll find this is common. Seemingly by design, it prevents the car from going faster than the speedo indicates given some inherent inaccuracy. If it were dead-on +/- a bit, you might actually be speeding.

Bryan

[3002 tii]

breaking the sound barrier could explain...

[Red Bread]

Most BMW's display between 5-7% high. Porsche is known to show 10% or more over. Cheap speed!

[Jon D]

My old E92 indicated +5%, as does my current F10. As others have said, this is by design to preclude any possibility of under-reading.

[GuitarDTO]

The speedometer on my 2008 335i is 5mph fast at any speed above 35. It's a little obnoxious but I've gotten used to it. The day I drove the car home with my wife following me she called and asked why I was driving so slow.

[bbg2d]

I find that its usually 3 over, sometimes 4. I just mentally adjust for it when driving.

[az34]

Originally Posted by Ridehard335

Hey Guy, I recently bought a 09 E90 X-Drive, Manual. I always thought the speedo was wrong and I proved it by checking it with my GPS. The tires and suspension are stock 225/45/17 The speedo is 5 mph high. Has anybody else had this problem??

typical BMW speedo, welcome to the club!

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by az34

typical BMW speedo, welcome to the club!

This is not unique to BMW, it's an industry standard to preclude any possibility of under-reading, which could result in a speeding violation.
At least BMW appear to 'dial-in' a constant value of 5%, whereas other cars I've driven have varied erratically between 5 and 10% over.
For info - EU vehicle manufacturers have to comply with current legislation, which states the following:
"The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed, i.e. it should not be possible to inadvertently speed because of an incorrect speedometer reading.
The indicated speed must not be more than 110 percent of the true speed plus 4 km/h at specified test speeds. For example, at 80 km/h, the indicated speed must be no more than 92 km/h."
So there you go - BMW's are made in Germany and Germany is part of the EU, therefore the speedo will, by design, over-read.

[az34]

Originally Posted by Jon D

This is not unique to BMW, it's an industry standard to preclude any possibility of under-reading, which could result in a speeding violation.
At least BMW appear to 'dial-in' a constant value of 5%, whereas other cars I've driven have varied erratically between 5 and 10% over.
For info - EU vehicle manufacturers have to comply with current legislation, which states the following:
"The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed, i.e. it should not be possible to inadvertently speed because of an incorrect speedometer reading.
The indicated speed must not be more than 110 percent of the true speed plus 4 km/h at specified test speeds. For example, at 80 km/h, the indicated speed must be no more than 92 km/h."
So there you go - BMW's are made in Germany and Germany is part of the EU, therefore the speedo will, by design, over-read.

nice speach buddy; but howcome my 2009 AudiA3 speedo is right on the spot!

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by az34

nice speach buddy; but howcome my 2009 AudiA3 speedo is right on the spot!

If you take the trouble to re-read my "nice speech" or as you mistakenly spell it: speach, buddy , you might note that the legislation states that "The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed". The clue is in the word less; in other words, there's nothing to say it can't read exactly the same as actual.
Hope that clarifies any difficulties for you .

[grimlock]

Originally Posted by Jon D

At least BMW appear to 'dial-in' a constant value of 5%, whereas other cars I've driven have varied erratically between 5 and 10% over.

What? I've been going too slow all this time!

[az34]

Originally Posted by Jon D

If you take the trouble to re-read my "nice speech" or as you mistakenly spell it: speach, buddy , you might note that the legislation states that "The indicated speed must never be less than the actual speed". The clue is in the word less; in other words, there's nothing to say it can't read exactly the same as actual.
Hope that clarifies any difficulties for you .

you say that German car speedo will be designed "over read" is'nt an Audi a german car? the only reason the speedo on BMW cars is so optimistic is to foul costumer whit warranty by reaching millages sooner than they should whit an honest speedo. Nothing to do whit legislation. Hope that clarifies "true" facts for you!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by az34

you say that German car speedo will be designed "over read" is'nt an Audi a german car? the only reason the speedo on BMW cars is so optimistic is to foul costumer whit warranty by reaching millages sooner than they should whit an honest speedo. Nothing to do whit legislation. Hope that clarifies "true" facts for you!

You do come off as a bit of rube with talk like this. You might want to look into correlation between speedometers and odometers, as they're actually not the same thing. Weird, I know. But speedometers are required to read high (and I'd bet your A3's actually does) but odometers are required to be much more accurate. In fact one of the quickest ways to calibrate a speedometer is to check it against the odometer, i.e. five minutes at an indicated 60 mph should cover exactly five miles, but in most cars, you'll only record 4.5-4.8 miles on the odometer.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by az34

you say that German car speedo will be designed "over read" is'nt an Audi a german car? the only reason the speedo on BMW cars is so optimistic is to foul costumer whit warranty by reaching millages sooner than they should whit an honest speedo. Nothing to do whit legislation. Hope that clarifies "true" facts for you!

Sorry to disappoint you, yet again, but it would appear that both 'Red Bread' and I have more of a grasp on this issue; as he succinctly puts it, odometers and speedometers are calibrated to different tolerances. I also agree that it is highly unlikely that your Audi reads exactly true.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

You do come off as a bit of rube with talk like this. You might want to look into correlation between speedometers and odometers, as they're actually not the same thing. Weird, I know. But speedometers are required to read high (and I'd bet your A3's actually does) but odometers are required to be much more accurate. In fact one of the quickest ways to calibrate a speedometer is to check it against the odometer, i.e. five minutes at an indicated 60 mph should cover exactly five miles, but in most cars, you'll only record 4.5-4.8 miles on the odometer.

Very well understood and explained
Regarding the word "rube", urban vernacular doesn't always fare well on the transatlantic exchange route, so confessing unfamiliarity, I checked it out and, as per your inference, I couldn't think of a more apposite and well chosen epithet .

[az34]

Originally Posted by Jon D

Sorry to disappoint you, yet again, but it would appear that both 'Red Bread' and I have more of a grasp on this issue; as he succinctly puts it, odometers and speedometers are calibrated to different tolerances. I also agree that it is highly unlikely that your Audi reads exactly true.

what `red bread' proof is that an idiot never come alone and that you are both in the field, odometers and speedometers work together and are dependant. As for my Audi you dont have to beleive me (i really dont care)

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by az34

odometers and speedometers work together

This may have been true during the Model T era, but hasn't been the case since a weird little invention called the computer. Look it up. Ribbit.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

This may have been true during the Model T era, but hasn't been the case since a weird little invention called the computer. Look it up. Ribbit.

Don't think rubes and computers get along too well

[llowlife]

So I can extend my warranty by 5% ?

[DrivenByE30]

This is not new ... BMW has always been so... makes the driver feel like they are driving way faster than everyone else...

It would seems that my E36 is indicating about 5 mph over what it really is doing.

[az34]

BMW

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

This is not new ... BMW has always been so... makes the driver feel like they are driving way faster than everyone else...

It would seems that my E36 is indicating about 5 mph over what it really is doing.

totally agree,i had say it from the debut: typical BMW speedo.