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Speedometer calibration available yet?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by EdTechGuy, Oct 9, 2020.

  1. EdTechGuy

    EdTechGuy New Member

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    My 2020 Prius Prime with less than 4000 miles on it has a speedometer that displays 2 mph over the actual speed, at highway speed. This is verified by the timing between mile markers (60 seconds at 62mph displayed) and Google Maps GPS (60 mph reported at 62 mph displayed). Can Toyota (or me) do anything to calibrate this?

    I admit my 2011 Prius had the same problem, but I just chalked it up to tire wear. Other forum threads have raised this question too. I learned to live with it, but wondered whether anything had changed since then?

    Corrected: "over" the actual speed limit, not under. Thanks for the feedback!
     
    #1 EdTechGuy, Oct 9, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2020
  2. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I thought manufacture do this on purpose maybe to keep the real speed down? Get larger tires to compensate for the discrepancy. It is also a known fact that the mpg display on Prius (without any EV mode in case of PP) is off by ~7%.

    Edit: Oh, wait... you are saying your speedometer is already reading slower than actual speed. That is unusual, isn't it? I thought they always read faster than the actual speed. Hmm, then you have to put smaller tires to compensate for the discrepancy. That may also increase the actual mpg to compensate for the mpg discrepancy. lol
     
    #2 Salamander_King, Oct 9, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    yep, no updates coming, ever

    been going on forever

    not gonna happen
     
    #3 bisco, Oct 9, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2020
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  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    in fact it's happening right now
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    as we type
     
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Don't you mean the speedometer is reading high, not low?
    Sorry, but this is standard industry practice here and nearly worldwide, driven in part by laws in some areas that forbid under reading, in a world where the old mechanical speedometers had a significant error spread. Back then, the meters had to be biased high in order to meet the laws. Now it is a very long-standing standard practice.

    And this is explained in many other forum threads.

    So, no, Toyota is not going to fix it. You can address it by changing tire diameter, or by installing an OBDII-port engine monitor (ScanGauge-II, or smartphone Torque app, or many other products) that will read and display the internal speed being used by the computers, which has far less error.
     
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  7. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    it wasn't so long ago
     
  8. schja01

    schja01 One of very few in Chicagoland

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    The OP is confusing.
     
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    First sentence by OP currently says his speedo is reading high. Which is as it should be, and really: if this sorta thing keeps you awake at night, you've got bigger issues.

    Switching to bigger tires to "remedy" is a fool's mission.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Oct 10, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2020
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  10. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    You're not supposed to type and drive, while high . . . :eek:
     
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    while we're singing
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    expectorating covid
     
  13. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    that is so not in the song
     
  14. Tips

    Tips Member

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  15. Jusmadam

    Jusmadam New Member

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    I doubt Toyota will ever fix this problem. With the speedometer programmed the way it is currently, Toyota avoids any possible litigation involving the speedometer from ever reading higher than your actual speed. SO... The best solution I see is changing your tire sizing. I have tire size 195/55R16. I notice the difference in actual vs. speedometer reading the most at 70 mpg, with my gps reading 72 mph. That is roughly a 3.1% difference between the two. Don't quote me on this, but I read somewhere that North American speedometers have to be within 3-4% of actual. Now if you use this handy website I found for calculations: tacomaworld com / tirecalc. sorry about the spacing, but I couldn't post the link.


    This will give you a good idea how different tire sizes will help negate the difference between actual vs. speedometer readings. The calculator gives you several different value comparisons between two different tire sizes, most importantly the speedometer difference.
    For example with my tire size: 195/55R16 3.1% difference roughly

    Tire size 195/60R16 would reduce the difference by ~ 3.14%
    Tire size 195/65R15 would reduce the difference by ~ 2.2%

    Looks like the 195/60R16 would roughly negate the difference from the actual vs speedometer reading.
    Keep in mind these are ROUGH estimates and I don't know how sensitive the speedometer is when changing between each mph or any gps for that matter. I am also not sure if this ratio holds true for all speeds. I think it would be wise to come as close as possible to reducing the differences, but avoid going over the difference.
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    How is it a problem, if speedo reads slightly high?

    Changing tire OD’s introduces much more significant “problems”: throws odo off, and a larger OD will (obviously) raise the car, reducing mpg, reduce cornering stability. If you’re ever selling the car most buyers will not be impressed. A lot of tire places (Costco for one) will refuse to install non-stock tire sizes.

    FWIW, this “problem” is mandated by various levels of government, in an attempt to slow people down a bit.
     
    #16 Mendel Leisk, Oct 18, 2023
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  17. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The factory display reads high by at least 3.17% based on the ecu values with factory tires. The worse thing is you end up driving slower than the speedometer indicates, which often upsets Ram trucks behind you.

    I use a $30 obd2 display primarily for coolant temp but secondarily to read actual speed.

    A feature I like is the coolant temp alarm which can be set lower than factory. I also have a “not to exceed” highway speed alarm to avoid tickets with no remediation options.

    Prius P10 Scanner.jpeg IMG_3210.jpeg
     
    #17 rjparker, Oct 18, 2023
    Last edited: Oct 18, 2023
  18. sylvaing

    sylvaing Active Member

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    Speedometer only or also odometer? Having a 3.3% error in odometer means the battery warranty terminates over 5000 km too soon.
     
  19. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Just the dash speedo
     
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  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah the only outlier is the speedo, by design. Too, if speed limit is for example 50 mph, and you absolutely must not fall below that, go 52~53 mph? A lot less involved.