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Old May 17, 2005 | 09:22 AM
  #1  
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Spedometer off

I have a stock 2005 SCREW FX4 5.4L with the 18" rims and Goodyear tires. I have about 6k miles on my truck now and have noticed that my spedometer appears to be about 2-3 mph slow. I have checked multiple ways - side by side with the wife's Explorer and a friends Chevy truck, calculated mph by timing how long the mile took to drive etc...

Anyway the dealer says that Ford specs say a +/- 2 mph on the spedometer is normal and should not be fixed if in that range, and that even if I am at 3 off he couldn't really fix it because when they adjust the spedometer they have to do it in 5 mph increments up or down so I would just end up off on the high side if he bumped it up.

My question is to anyone who would know - is this all a bunch of BS? It seems to me they should be able to calibrate the spedometer almost perfectly with as advanced as these trucks are today with computers and such.

Thanks for any info.
 
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Old May 17, 2005 | 10:42 AM
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They can be adjusted to be pretty near smack dab on! ... Though accuracy from an update at the service dept. is sort of a crap shoot! Using a custom tuner I was able to get mine right on with a GPS readout and a few clicks off of or away from calculated, measured and tire documented values.
I've not found a way to get both the OD & speedo accurate yet ... They're about 7-8% out from one another best I can tell. I set the speedo right on and let the OD rack up fewer miles making my non-adjusted mpg look worse than it really is.
 
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Old May 17, 2005 | 07:17 PM
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Did you ever notice that they are always off in the dealers favor? This gets them out of the warranty faster and puts extra mileage on your vehicle and also show better fuel mileage. They are never off in the customers favor. The answer to your question is yes my 2005 F-150 is exactly 3 mph off. I have checked it with other cars and also drive through alot of areas that have the speed displays on the side of the road, it is habitually 3 mph off. Uncrichie...
 
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Old May 17, 2005 | 10:08 PM
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If you hold down your trip reset button when you start your truck. You will get digital readout of everything computer gets. Keep clicking until you get to the speed. My gauge is about 3 mph faster then the digital reading. This digital reading is what matched my GPS. I don't think Ford is out to screw you. I just think that is the way analog gauges are sometimes. It is pretty cool all of the things it shows you. Just don't wreck while playing with the readouts.
 
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Old May 17, 2005 | 10:19 PM
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Wow how did you ever find a 3mph difference? Anyway not sure if there is an easy fix except maybe if your tires are very overinflated, you could let some air out. Or maybe change brands of tires which are slightly smaller in diameter. Other and that maybe buy a tuner which will let you calibrate your speedo. Or you could just let it be and your vehicle will show less mile than it really has.
 
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Old May 18, 2005 | 08:12 AM
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I am kind of stupid today I guess - but if I show I am going 75, but really only going 72, how does that show less miles on my truck overall?
 
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Old May 18, 2005 | 09:11 AM
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Originally Posted by piercede
I am kind of stupid today I guess - but if I show I am going 75, but really only going 72, how does that show less miles on my truck overall?
It will actually show more miles on your truck. Think of it this way, if you drive with the cruise control on for one hour at 75 mph, your vehicle will think it travels 75 miles when you have physically travelled 72 miles. Extend that out and a 75,000 mile warranty will run out at 72,000 miles.

My last three new vehicles (two Escapes and a Focus) have all read high by about 3%. I just tested my new Escape the other day using a stop watch and mile markers on a perfectly straight piece of road, cruise control on, over 10 miles to minimize any error. 75 mph displayed came out to about 72.5 miles per hour. The odometer showed I went 10.5 miles.

I have long suspected what uncrichie said, that they do this to get the gas mileage up and the warranty over sooner. Maybe I am paranoid but my last 3 new cars have all done this. Again, never in my favor, always theirs.
 
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Old May 18, 2005 | 02:00 PM
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NitramJr hit it right on the head. This may be my next issue with Ford. I really wouldn't care that much but it seems that its always to THEIR benefit and not mine/ours. Its not just a Ford issue either, I have noticed it on other flavors that I have owned previously. If my brain is working correctly I believe that it gets worse also with tire wear? So in another 20-30K it could be 4-5 mph? Uncrichie...
 
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Old May 18, 2005 | 02:50 PM
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[QUOTE=[b]Den01][/b]If you hold down your trip reset button when you start your truck. You will get digital readout of everything computer gets. Keep clicking until you get to the speed.........

How exactly do you get this to work? I tried holding the reset button down when I started the truck and nothing appeared on the screen. Thanks
 
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Old May 18, 2005 | 02:55 PM
  #10  
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[QUOTE=mw1063]
Originally Posted by [b
Den01][/b]If you hold down your trip reset button when you start your truck. You will get digital readout of everything computer gets. Keep clicking until you get to the speed.........

How exactly do you get this to work? I tried holding the reset button down when I started the truck and nothing appeared on the screen. Thanks
I had the same issue getting this to work - instead mine went to CAL for calibration mode. I had to drive in circles real slow to get this to go away (according to the manuals intstructions).

I "think" you have to hold it down when the truck is off and then keep holding it as you start the truck - but I could be wrong - I will try it again after work.

Careful as well - for some reason messing with this screwed up my radio and I had to shut the truck off for awhile and let it reset before it started working again.
 
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Old May 18, 2005 | 10:51 PM
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Originally Posted by piercede
I have a stock 2005 SCREW FX4 5.4L with the 18" rims and Goodyear tires. I have about 6k miles on my truck now and have noticed that my spedometer appears to be about 2-3 mph slow.
You contridicted yourself. In your original post you said your speedo is about 2-3 mph slow. But down in your post you're saying it's fast?

I guess you ment fast though. Sorry
 
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Old May 19, 2005 | 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by datruck
You contridicted yourself. In your original post you said your speedo is about 2-3 mph slow. But down in your post you're saying it's fast?

I guess you ment fast though. Sorry

You are right - my bad - I meant my spedometer is reading faster than I am actually going.

mw1063 - I tried it how I described and it worked. You have to hold it before you start it and start it while you are holding it - then it works.

Ton of stuff in there - the speed readout in there on mine showed about 72.8 whilte the spedometer showed 75. Oh well - just have to deal with it I guess.

Thanks to all for the info.
 
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Old May 19, 2005 | 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by piercede
You are right - my bad - I meant my spedometer is reading faster than I am actually going.

mw1063 - I tried it how I described and it worked. You have to hold it before you start it and start it while you are holding it - then it works.

Ton of stuff in there - the speed readout in there on mine showed about 72.8 whilte the spedometer showed 75. Oh well - just have to deal with it I guess.

Thanks to all for the info.

Just ran outside to try it. It still will not work????????? Any ideas?
 
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Old May 19, 2005 | 12:46 PM
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Mine would not work either. Is yours a lariat?
 
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Old May 19, 2005 | 01:41 PM
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mine is a lariat. i have tried this so many times im afraid i am going to wear the starter out.
 
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