Since I've picked up my 2011 Mini I have discovered the speedometer reads 5 MPH faster then I'm actually going. The dealer says this is normal and there's no fix. Does anyone know if this is true? It just doesn't smell right to me.
Thanks!

 

That is the way they are. Mine is 3 mph faster. Apparently it comes down to fines that are inflicted on European companies, for speedometers that read lower than reality, so they create this error to protect themselves. Odometers are correct, so there is no discrepancy on mileage. I have found that this ends up helping, when you pass a cop, you can say, At least I was only going xx speed.

 

Is the digital and analog speeds the same? In other words, are they both off the same amount?

 

Mine reads 3to 4 miles/hr slow. I've read on these forums that if you put the next larger size tire on your car, after the originals wear out, it'll even things out.

Dave

 

Yep, normal...to know the exact mph your Speedo is off get a GPS Unit, it will read your "speed" dead on!!

 

Yes, mine read exactly the same.

 

3-4 mph high here. Just did a 700-mile road trip and it was consistently 3-4 high when compared to the GPS. I've heard it's a BMW thing.

 

Interesting, I recently went on a roadtrip as well and had my GPS mounted, and I did notice a discrepancy between the readout on the speedometer of the mini and that of the gps, however I figured that it was surely the GPS that was inaccurate. Good to know. I wonder though how it was initially discovered by the OP or the other posters that the speedometer was off...

 

There are other post that discuss this very topic. I have a GPS and a scanguage, both show a 3mph difference than the speedometer. Most people I have talked with noticed the diffrerence after they installed their GPS units.

 

Seem to be. I'm sure the analog dial is actually digitally driven.

 

I noticed on my commute to work. Everyone was flying by me and my speedo was showing 70. I thought it was strange because in my other car, a Honda CRV, when I was showing 70 I was going with the flow of traffic. I got suspicious so I tested it with the GPS and it showed the MINI was registering 3-4 high. Trust the GPS, it is extremely accurate.

 

I have an 2011 and on the way back from buying, I noticed my speedo was off by about 2mph. I had my GPS with me and if it said 70mph the speedo said about 68.......

 

What size wheels?

I have 15's on my justa.

 

I have 16's on mine...

 

Makes sense. I think I'm going to go with 16's one of these days. I wonder how much slower the 17's register? Anyone?

 

The size of the wheel won't change things. If you order larger tires, however, it may help even things out. My old Nissan read 4 mph too slow going 70 mph, meaning I was actually going 74. This was after switching to larger than stock tires. I'd rather the gauge read too fast. Think of it as a "saving you from a ticket" feature.

 

The speedometers on all four of our cars apparently read about 3 mph higher at highway speeds than they're actually going.

I'd trust the GPS, but if you don't have one, you can check your speedo readings accuracy the old fashioned way. You'll need a highway with mile markers, sparse traffic, and a stopwatch; a split-time function would be helpful for taking multiple measures over multiple mile markers to increase reliability.

Approach the first mile marker with the speedometer indicating exactly 60 mph and maintain that exact speed throughout the measurement process. Start the stopwatch timing as you pass the mile marker. If you have a split function, you can hit the split button each time you pass another mile marker, but don't forget to keep that exact indicated speed the whole time. After a few miles, stop the watch and average your split times in seconds. Divide the average number of seconds it took to go a mile into 3600. The result will be your actual speed.

A likely example: On average it took you 63 seconds to go each mile doing an indicated 60 mph the whole way. 3600 divided by 63 = 57.14 mph actual speed.

Caution: I found a set of mile markers near my house to be off compared to other sets I've used for this.

Checking your odometer's accuracy is even easier. You'll still need accurate mile markers, but you can drive at any speeds you want. Set your trip odometer to zero as you pass the first mile marker and drive for 20 miles or so. It may take quite a few miles before you become convinced that your odometer is measuring slightly more distance than the mile markers indicate you've been.

 

There is a tire size calculator at http://www.tiresizecalculator.info/

 

The Scangauge can be adjusted in 1% steps to change its speed calibration. This also changes the trip distance measurement in proportion.
On a previous car when I changed the Scanguage MORE>SETUP>SPEED by 3% to make its trip odometer match the car's trip odometer this also made the Scangauge reported MPH match the GPS.

 

I've heard that the 17's will beat you to death. I commute in mine so I won't be upgrading. Plus my mini handles better than anything I have ever driven with the stock tires/wheels. If you do upgrade I recommend checking your speed with a GPS so you have an idea of how fast you are really going. Don't think the cops care about "but my speedo reads slow".

 

I have a 2010 MCS with 17" wheels, and it's off by 3-4 mph. Discovered this on the way back from MOTD with the GPS.

 

Embav8r: Indicated speed varies with the diameter (circumference actually) of the tire rather than the diameter of the wheel. If a speedometer over-reads mph, somewhat taller (larger diameter) tires will reduce the over-read, but it would take quite a bit of additional diameter to get a 5 mph over-read accurate.

 

It just so happens I'm a retired Police Sergeant, I won't be getting a ticket, around NJ anyway. I have a GPS that's how I know I'm reading 5 MPH faster then I'm going. 70 = 65 ect. Good to know the odometer is not affected. I'll be looking at the tire size calculator someone posted, but being in a new Mini I'm a ways off from needing tires. Thank you all for your input, it's good to know there is knowledge out there!

 

My tire size is 175/65/15, BTW.

 

When I was going to school at WyoTech one of my teachers said that there is an aftermarket speedometer that you could buy that has a GPS read out(supposedly the Rally racers use them). So your speedo would read the same as your GPS, idk if they make them for a mini or if they are universal.