Speedo not accurate MY 07 3.0 R B. Any one else

[Egg]

Hi everyone,

Seems that my speedo is about 9km/h out ( slower), anyone else have a similar problem with the speedo?

[honkas]

seems to be a common issue amongst the libs..

http://forum.liberty.asn.au/viewtopic.php?t=1423&highlight=speedo

[mianos]

My MY08 3RB reads about 7 kph under at 60 according to my TomTom GPS. That's just over 10%, has anyone asked about this in regards to warranty?

[Egg]

Same as me as per my Garmin. that's why people honk me and give me the bird when they overtake, I thought when I paid 55k for a car at least the speedo would be accurate, considering the 3k piece of shit EF Falcon runabout I had was spot on with the speedo, go figure.

[Kevlar GT]

I recall reading posts about this very thing with XT Foresters and people checking with Subaru, there was something about a certain percentage variance they were allowed and that they made them like this on purpose and there was nothing that they would do about it.

It was on GTRydaz but the site is down with some upgrade issues at the moment so can't link to it.

[Moi]

My MY07 is the same but varies according to speed which is really annoying. It was out between 5% and 10% between the ranges of 60 and 120kph that I tested.

Took the measurement using 3 sources
1. GPS - internal SatNav (accessible thru the "secret menu")
2. Internal vehicle speed (accessible thru the same menu above)
3. GPS - external SatNav that I previously owned (RoadAngel)

I also thought about warranty so emailed Subaru Australia soon after I purchased the car. They were less than helpful is the only way to categorise their response. They mentioned the ADR regulations (which they actually quoted wrongly) and also said they calibrate their speedos on the "safe side" due to various states and their "zero tolerance" policy.

What they fail to understand is that my previous car (MY01 WRX) was only out by up to 3kph at 120kph which is very accurate and well within "my tolerance" They also fail to understand that some people want accuracy over being "babied" about speed limits.

There is also the argument that because you know your speedo is inaccurate you will compensate. As such, this maybe LESS safe because you run the risk of overcompensating and you could end up speeding! For instance, I ended up adding 10kph to everything simply because it's easier to read on the speedo. However, I do not recommend this because technically you're speeding in 60 zones!

In the quest for accuracy, I purchased the Globaltop HG100. It's a bluetooth GPS device that doubles as a HUD for vehicle speed (and direction). Unfortunately the projection isn't really bright enough in daylight so you can barely make out the speed on the windscreen (mind you I also had sunnies on). I've had to angle the device close to the windscreen to give me a decent readout but this then begs the question of why do I then need to project the speed onto the windscreen when I can see the device straight on

BTW I think the ADR regs are, from Jun/Jul 2006 onwards, speedos can never underate. They are allowed to overate by 10%+4 though. So the car velocity can actually be 100kph but the speedo is allowed to read anywhere up to 114 (but never less than 100)


Cheers
Teck

[deucer]

Ha! I was going to ask the same question this weekend! Looks like I'm not the only one. I suspect mine reads about 6-7km/h over when travelling at 100km/h (ie: I'm travelling 6-7km/h slower than 100). This is consistent with the findings in the Wheels magazine also. I don't notice any discernable difference at 60km/h.

I've heard of people having their speedometer re-calibrated to correct. Anyone know more about this? I'd be more comfortable knowing exactly the speed I'm doing than worrying about overcompensating and getting a speeding ticket.

Cheers,
Deucer.

[adam]

while in adelaide animal and i did a check (i forget why we thought his was accurate) and when he was doing (cruise controlled) 60km/h mine read 65.
and when leaving for melbourne at one of those "how fast are you going now?" doovies on the freeway my speedo said 110 and it said 101.

i've had a cop contact tell me that it's 10%+1 tolerance for radar readings.
has anyone else heard this or something similar?

[Moi]

I've heard of people having their speedometer re-calibrated to correct. Anyone know more about this? I'd be more comfortable knowing exactly the speed I'm doing than worrying about overcompensating and getting a speeding ticket.

Cheers,
Deucer.

Subaru Australia in their response indicated that speedo calibration is not possible. This is their exact quote

Please also keep In mind that your vehicle's speedometer cannot be
modified or recalibrated as it is a sealed component. Subaru Australia
in conjunction with Fuji Heavy industries the maker of Subaru vehicles
in Japan have discussed this matter at length, therefore we are unable
to modify the speedometer to meet individual customer needs and
requirements, our research indicates that Subaru is meeting its
requirements in relation to this matter.

I would be VERY interested to hear from other people if they did manage to get their speedos recalibrated.


Cheers
Teck

BTW I went back and Googled the ADR regs (I was quoting from memory last time) and can confirm it's correct. The ADR regs 18/03 cover all cars manufactured after 1 July 2006 (paragraph 5.3 for tolerances) If your car was built before this date then previous ADR regs will cover your instrumentation standards (presumably 18/01 and 18/02)

[UrbanGTB]

Mine is exactly 7km/hr out at almost any speed on GPS.

[Egg]

You pay over 50k for a car and they cant even get the speedo right, what a wank......

[gt_dicko]

i've had a cop contact tell me that it's 10%+1 tolerance for radar readings.
has anyone else heard this or something similar?

Not in Victoria, you get 3 Km/h over the limit, and after that you're fair game.

Seems pretty stupid as the ADR's allow for a 10% innacuracy of speedo's for new cars.

[Moi]

Seems pretty stupid as the ADR's allow for a 10% innacuracy of speedo's for new cars.

Unfortunately, the new ADR regs only allow for inaccuracy on the positive side...paragragh 5.3 of ADR 18/03

The speed indicated shall not be less than the true speed of the vehicle. At the test speeds specified in paragraph 5.2.5. above, there shall be the following relationship between the speed displayed (V1 ) and the true speed (V2).

0 ≤ (V1- V2) ≤ 0.1 V2+ 4 km/h

We stick to the speed limit according to the speedo and hold up traffic because we are really travelling slower or we go a little faster according to the speedo to compensate and run the risk of actually speeding because we can't easily or quickly read our true speed with any accuracy...what a choice

Egg summed it up nicely...

You pay over 50k for a car and they cant even get the speedo right, what a wank......

In my communications with Subaru Australia, I replied along those lines although my language wasn't quite so...forthright


Cheers
Teck

[deucer]

I think I read (in Wheels mag again) that at 100km/h the 3.0R-B is pulling 2500rpm in 6th gear. I'm pulling about 2400rpm at the indicated speed of 100km/h in 6th. So if I pick it up to 105km/h or thereabouts she'll pull 2500rpm... I also then 'seem' to be doing the same speed as most others on the freeway. In the absence of a GPS, that's the only other guide I have.

Cheers,
Deucer.

[OzSTi]

My '07 GT has exactly the same issue with the speedo.

For $350- you can have a modulator of some kind fitted to adjust the signals to the speedo to 'calibrate' it.

Not sure I'm prepared to pay $350- for Subaru's mistake.