Hello YotaTech.. its been quite a while, but I'm back with a new Truck!!
I just picked up an '08 Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 4cyl. I love this truck so far, but this morning on my way to work I plugged in my portable GPS and found that the speedometer on my truck shows that I'm going 5mph faster than what the GPS says my speed is. I have used this GPS in other vehicles and it has been dead on with other speedometers. I'm a little worried that this brand new truck (107 mi so far!) is off by this much. Does any one know if the dealer can calibrate the speedometer or am I just being to anal about my new truck? Thanks for your help.

 

Thats actually a very common thing. Most people with GPS notice that same problem. Sometimes the GPS speed is higher, some lower. Its nothing to worry about.

 

If the speedometer is off by 5mph wouldn't mean that I am putting more miles on the odometer than I am acutally traveling?

 

I kinda noticed this too. I drove by one of those radar things that shows you your speed in a school zone. I was going 20 by my speedo it was reading 18. not really a big problem though. It might have been off and not the truck

 

oh and mines an 08 4x4

 

It's actually common for Japanese and European vehicles to read higher than actual road speed. Car and Driver did a feature on this about 6 years ago or so and found that they're routinely off by 3-5%. I know on my '91 4Runner that I was off exactly 5 km/h (3 mph). When I went from 31" to 33" tires, that fixed the problem. Now my odometer reads 5% too low, so when I go an indicated 100 kms, I've actually gone 105.

 

I would first go to a speedo place and have it professionally checked. If it is off, then I would make the dealer fix it. 5mph off could mean the difference between a ticket or no ticket. My wife's 2004 Honda was dead on even at 70mph.

 

I asked the dealer about calibrating the spedo the last time I was there and they told me that it is set from the factory and that they have no way to adjust it....

 

thats the run around

 

That's what i figured... Next time I'll talk to the service manager.

 

I have an '05 access cab 2.7L 5 speed and I've noticed that when I read the miles on my dash, I'm driving 1.1 miles for every mile marker that goes by. SO, if I'm putting 1/10th of a mile extra every mile that's an extra 10,000 miles at the 100,000 mark on my dash. BS!!! I think it's the tiny Dunlops that are throwing it off, because (I had a friend run radar on me) and when my speedo says 55 I'm actually traveling 52mph.


The good news is I'm getting really good gas mileage on long trips, 22.6 factoring in the extra miles being read....... or 25.1 miles per gallon according to what's on my dash.