[bmorebblick]

Since I've gotten my car I've always thought it never seemed like I was going as fast as my speedometer suggested. I always brushed it away as just a faster, smoother, newer ride. Then I got my Passport Max..

While you drive it uses GPS to display your speed and it is always about 3-5 mph slower than my speedometer. I started wondering if it was just the radar GPS, and then started using apps on my phone.

They too always suggest I'm traveling 3-4-5 miles per hour slower than my vehicle does...usually its about 2-3mph lower when my speedometer reads 60mph and 4-5 when it reads about 80mph.

Has anyone else ever had this issue??

[BavarianFanatic]

This is standard practice for BMW (and many other manufacturers). If you do a search you'll find dozens of threads about this.

[bmorebblick]

Son of a -_-

So annoying... I wish they would just give me an accurate read out.

Edit -
To anyone who reads this post wondering the same thing, I found this thread:
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=740977

There seems to be an alternative method of reading speed through coding, but other than that the only fix is to physically adjust the needle =(

[jwalker87]

Yup! Mine is a full 5% fast (at 80mph, that's 4mph!) I just drive accordingly, i.e. set the cruise control at 82 if I want to go 78. Annoying.

[upstatedoc]

My E90 is the only car I've owned that does this. That includes Acuras, Hondas and VW's.

[unrealii]

So you can hit 60 quicker

[BavarianFanatic]

Consider it an built-in ticket avoidance system.

[tony20009]

Yes it's off. The extent of your speedometer's inaccuracy is directly proportional to your actual speed.

Personally, I think car makers are in collusion with traffic cops, though to what end I don't know for sure:
1 - so you'll feel better when the cop gives you a ticket for going slower than you thought you were.
2 - So you'll think you are going faster than you really are and thereby be traveling at a safer speed.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by jwalker87

Yup! Mine is a full 5% fast (at 80mph, that's 4mph!) I just drive accordingly, i.e. set the cruise control at 82 if I want to go 78. Annoying.

Interesting. When my speedo says 80, the radar says 74.

[fazman]

Originally Posted by bmorebblick

Since I've gotten my car I've always thought it never seemed like I was going as fast as my speedometer suggested. I always brushed it away as just a faster, smoother, newer ride. Then I got my Passport Max..

While you drive it uses GPS to display your speed and it is always about 3-5 mph slower than my speedometer. I started wondering if it was just the radar GPS, and then started using apps on my phone.

They too always suggest I'm traveling 3-4-5 miles per hour slower than my vehicle does...usually its about 2-3mph lower when my speedometer reads 60mph and 4-5 when it reads about 80mph.

Has anyone else ever had this issue??

OP, this is called the BMW Speed Skew... it is a feature which is required in Europe I believe which is why we get it on german cars in the USA as well. With the help of your local coder, you can have them change the value of the BMW Skew to "Not Active" so your speedo will report your true land speed. Even with the Speedo skew enabled, the car knows its true speed at all times and records that for all the other components in the car.

[Dozhdbog]

80mph on the speedo = 75mph on my nav system.

[jwalker87]

Originally Posted by fazman

OP, this is called the BMW Speed Skew... it is a feature which is required in Europe I believe which is why we get it on german cars in the USA as well. With the help of your local coder, you can have them change the value of the BMW Skew to "Not Active" so your speedo will report your true land speed. Even with the Speedo skew enabled, the car knows its true speed at all times and records that for all the other components in the car.

I forgot about this part. I remember a thread discussing the effects of the "speed skewing"; the bottom line is that the mpg calculator and odometer are UNAFFECTED by this skewing, so they are correct even though the speedo is wrong.

[Dozhdbog]

My nav system has 169mph stored on it as the fastest speed it's ever gone, which means my car's speedo would have said 180... if it went that high.

My wife's GTI speedo goes to 180, why not a 3 series?

[BavarianFanatic]

Originally Posted by Dozhdbog

My nav system has 169mph stored on it as the fastest speed it's ever gone, which means my car's speedo would have said 180... if it went that high.

My wife's GTI speedo goes to 180, why not a 3 series?

You're supposed to have your electronic devices turned off during take-off and landing...

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

You're supposed to have your electronic devices turned off during take-off and landing...

[335dM]

Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic

You're supposed to have your electronic devices turned off during take-off and landing...

Lol
Good one

[wilbur_the_goose]

I solved the issue by having the coding done to enable display of the "v" (velocity) on the dash where the MPG/Average speed is listed.

[Greatdane84]

Originally Posted by wilbur_the_goose

I solved the issue by having the coding done to enable display of the "v" (velocity) on the dash where the MPG/Average speed is listed.

Yup. All I have show up now is V=

[White D]

My Pontiac G8 That i traded in for my 335D was only 1mph over.
My 333d is a full 3mph over.

[Rossland]

[QUOTE=bmorebblick;14459571]Son of a -_-

So annoying... I wish they would just give me an accurate read out.

I agree. I have never been able to understand why the speedometer in my Chev truck can be right on, yet my BMW is so far off.

[liang]

Originally Posted by Greatdane84

Yup. All I have show up now is V=

Does it actually the actual speed even if your running wheels/tires at different sizing than factory?

[ClamDigger]

Mine is anywhere from 5-7 mph off when I've TextEdit with other vehicles. I just go about 10 mph over the speed limit and it seems to work out pretty well so far.