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odometer accuracy

Discussion in 'Prius v Fuel Economy' started by schinia, Jun 19, 2013.

  1. schinia

    schinia Member

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    OK, "you can take this to the bank" i had a 2009 toyota Venza, and took a trip from Cape Carteret, NC to Cairo, NY. three trips in the Venza, same route, three times trip was 765 miles +or- 3 miles (due to finding eats or motel) one trip in Prius v, 800.3 miles. will post return trip mileage. it sure makes the MPG look good.
     
    #1 schinia, Jun 19, 2013
  2. woppa

    woppa Junior Member

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    Wth??? This is a serious problem if this is true.
     
    #2 woppa, Jun 19, 2013
  3. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

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    I'd like to know if it's a serious problem too. Not only does it effect gas mileage calculations, but also mileage for warranty purposes. I know v5 has different tires the v2 or v3, but the rotation difference between tires should be very small. I had check my '10 Prius IV with my GPS phone app and knew it was off slightly with the original Yoko tires, but when changed to new Bridgestones, it was dead-on accurate.
     
    #3 jhinsc, Jun 19, 2013
  4. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    Might require more than one trip to rule out things like "user error". Most major freeways have "odometer check" sections every so often, and you can also use the mile posts for a rough estimate.

    Most cars register 1-3% faster than they are actually going, this is by design. Haven't had a chance to check the V yet.
    Its also very possible that in the OP case, the Venza was wrong.
     
    #4 rdgrimes, Jun 19, 2013
  5. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

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    Honda had this problem several years back and they compensated owners with longer warranty periods, and extended the mileage on their leases. I downloaded a GPS app and will check my miles going home tonight and report back.
     
    #5 jhinsc, Jun 19, 2013
  6. woppa

    woppa Junior Member

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    This also effects resale.
     
    #6 woppa, Jun 19, 2013
  7. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    Prius odometer is actually slightly pessimistic. When you have gone 100K miles, you have really gone slightly over 100K miles.

    Tire size makes a huge difference. If either car has been through a tire change where the tires weren't exactly the same size as the ones specified, the odometer and speedometer would be off.
     
    #7 2k1Toaster, Jun 19, 2013
  8. schinia

    schinia Member

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    the Venza had new tires put on it but they were the same as the replacements. also the mileage was taken with the original equipment. near the end of the trip, i compared the mile marker's w/the prius's odometer which wasn't keeping up. (the prius wasn't keeping up) the nysthruway's (which i retired from) mile markers are extremely accurate. go figure.
     
    #8 schinia, Jun 19, 2013
  9. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    If the Prius isn't "keeping up" with the mile markers, then its registering LESS distance, not more. If its ahead of the mile markers then its registering more mileage.
     
    #9 rdgrimes, Jun 19, 2013
  10. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

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    Tonight going home I traveled 25.5 miles according to my Prius v's odometer, but my phone GPS app said I traveled 25.36 miles. This represents a difference of .552%, much lower than the OP's difference of 4.575%. If my GPS app is accurate, over actual 50,000 miles, my odometer will read 50,276 miles. I am okay with this difference.
     
    #10 jhinsc, Jun 19, 2013
  11. 2k1Toaster

    2k1Toaster Brand New Prius Batteries

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    That is more in line with the real world data and the error is purposeful.
     
    #11 2k1Toaster, Jun 19, 2013
  12. schinia

    schinia Member

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    return trip 797 miles. using different roads mile markers, as I 95, I81, I84. the odometer was racking miles faster than the roads miles. i couldn't use the gps nav unit because when i put in home, it wanted me to take a certain route, and when i kept taking my best way it kept changing the miles. i need to find a better way to measure the miles.
     
    #12 schinia, Jun 24, 2013
  13. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    You should expect ANY odometer/speedometer to be fast by 1-4%. They are designed that way. The MPH error in the speedometer will increase as speed increases.
     
    #13 rdgrimes, Jun 24, 2013
  14. schinia

    schinia Member

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    end result- OD miles 1,759.4 used 42.8 gal i get 41.1 miles per gal. this is at speeds of 65 mph to 77 mph. sound a bit much? if you subtract the 67 miles (i believe is over) i come up with 39.5 miles per gal. more believable? car was filled to almost overflowing each time, (started with full tank, and ended with a full tank) i know how many gallons i used. it's the miles i'm not sure of. unless i take the route i'm handed, then i can use the gps in the car. but i was unwilling to thru washington DC (with countless tractor trailer traffic, and the garden state pkwy,ect) what i do know is how many miles i travel a year (12,000) maybe keep track of the gallons, and calculate it that way, and leave it at that.
     
    #14 schinia, Jun 25, 2013
  15. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

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    GPS doesn't take road gradients into account so is only accurate on flat roads.
     
    #15 kithmo, Jun 27, 2013
  16. xs650

    xs650 Senior Member

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    That doesn't matter on normal highways.
    A continual 6% grade will only introduce a bit less than a 0.2% error, or less than 0.2 miles in 100 miles. Do the math.
     
    #16 xs650, Jun 27, 2013
  17. jhinsc

    jhinsc Senior Member

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    The roads in my area are mostly flat, except for the occasional overpass being the only elevation I experience.
     
    #17 jhinsc, Jun 27, 2013
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