Speedometer Accuracy in Question

[Nige]

You lot need to get some in, 28 years and still going , the question is why .

[Elanlover]

I wonder if these pics can shed some light on this issue. I'm putting in new dial faces on the guages and at the same time I'm swapping the MPH speedo which cam with my Cali car for a KMH speedo for use here in Canada. In looking these two speedos over they seem to NOT have the same calibration marks.

The MPH one starts at about 14KMH where as the KMH speed starts at 20KMH. Also, the MPH one ends at what would appear to be about 270KMH (170mph) where the KMH speedo ends at 260KMH - but the calibration marks appear to be the same position for 170MPH and 260KMH. Meaning they aren't the same as 170MPH doesn't equal 260KMH. Could be that there's other marks out of sync as well.

Does anyone now how far off a KMH speedo is? Seems the MPH speedo is off by many reports. I wonder which is more accurate if any?

[AndyH]

Off topic I know but I just wanted to say ARSE! I'm posted to Waddo on the 28th Jan... I was hoping to be the only Elan owner there! I'll PM you dermotbell when I'm settled - we can compare motors

carry on...

[Specky]

As stated earlier the Speedo's can be Calibrated...So there's no real issue why the Dials are slightly different..


Or.... just fit either and use your Sat Nav to see which is more accurate..

or the combination of the two...

TTFN

[dermotbell]

Andy,
welcome to sleepy Lincolnshire.

That will make 3 Elans in the area, almost enough for a group

[AndyH]

Cheers! Indeed a Lincolnshire posse should be considered

You'll have to tell me where the good runs are anyway - I've been spoiled in North Scotland with excellent roads so I hope my new 'shire doesn't disappoint!

[dermotbell]

Haven't you read Clarkson, there are no good roads in Lincolnshire.

The big problem is finding quiet roads......definitely spoiled for that up there.....I miss that.

[Enright]

Haven't you read Clarkson, there are no good roads in Lincolnshire.

The big problem is finding quiet roads......definitely spoiled for that up there.....I miss that.

As usual, when Clarkson gets it wrong, he gets it spectacularly wrong!

I'm off out to visit the parents in Skeggy in a couple of hours time, and despite the recent weather having been cr@p, I'm still looking at it out there and thinking "gotta take the Elan for the B-road blast"!

Check this out on the map - it's bliss:
After Newark you have a 3 mile blast down the A17 to the first roundabout when you hang a left and head through Stapleford Woods, via Stapleford and Carlton-le-Moorland to Harmston. This begins with a few long straight sections before getting very tight and technical, then opening out again for the last bit.

Then you take the B1178 from Hamston, just touching the corner of RAF Waddington (watch out for AWACS) to Potter Hanworth. This is fast but very scenic. Potter Hanworth to Potterhanworth Booths is the B1202 and is despatched in a mile.

From Potterhanworth Booths there's an amazing "on the tops of the fens" thrash on the B1190 to Bardney. Don't fall off or you're in a 10 foot deep trench, and it's bumpy, so it keeps you on your toes!

Now from Bardney to Horncastle you're on one of my favourite roads of all time. This is perfect Elan country and what the entire route is planned around. Once you hit the national speed limit signs, you should assume that every bend between Bardney, Bucknall, Horsington, Thimbleby and Horncastle is a 90 degree-er. I've witnessed friends on motorbikes make holes in hedges and end up in fields through NOT following that advice.
There are even a couple of "Neil's @r$e-shaped furrows" in this part of the world!

After all this country desolation, Horncastle (if you make it that far) seems like a thriving metropolis and the chance to have a breather. But you don't want to stay on the A158 for long, cos there's a treat coming up.
Take the right-hand filter at the 2nd set of lights and turn South down the A153. Then just after the road becomes a 60 limit, peel off left down the B1183 towards Revesby. This road is just heaven - perfect width, brilliant surface, and every type of corner you can think of. Many of them have "warning 20mph" signs. And this is the road on which there's a big Elan-shaped hole from a couple of Christmases ago when it all went a bit wrong for me! I still love this road though.

When you get to the end of the road, you join the A155 and meet up with the usual flow passing through East Kirkby, West and East Keal (with a great little aviation museum which has a working Lancaster and a Spitfire). This is one of the main A-roads to Skeggy so is likely to be more heavily policed - watch out even though the road is tempting.

When you get to Spilsby, turn right and onto the B1195 towards Wainfleet All Saints. Yes I know it looks like madness to do so, but it's a lovely little road and due to the aforementioned policing (and congestion) on the main route - the A158, it's just as quick and much more fun. It also gets quite technical again with some very wiggly bits.

Finally after you come through Wainfleet (possibly stopping at Bateman's brewery to celebrate) you join the A52 and follow it up the coast for the last 6 miles til you reach Skegness itself.

Just time to grab a bag of chips before doing it all again in reverse (order not gear)!

Autoroute says it takes 3 hours and 54 minutes to do the 90 miles from Nottingham to Skeggy - rubbish! More like 1 hr 45 mins.

Right my appetite's well and truly whetted - I'm off out for a blast!

[dermotbell]

Haven't you read Clarkson, there are no good roads in Lincolnshire.

The big problem is finding quiet roads......definitely spoiled for that up there.....I miss that.

As usual, when Clarkson gets it wrong, he gets it spectacularly wrong!

I'm off out to visit the parents in Skeggy in a couple of hours time, and despite the recent weather having been cr@p, I'm still looking at it out there and thinking "gotta take the Elan for the B-road blast"!

Check this out on the map - it's bliss:
After Newark you have a 3 mile blast down the A17 to the first roundabout......................

Agree with all after but blast on A17

The A17 is one long truck fest. Which would be fun overtaking if it wasn't for the truck convoy coming in the opposite direction. God I hate that road.

PS. Andy was that you I glimpsed going out the gate a couple of weeks ago. You peeped, I waved.................there was a moment...........que music

[Beats]

Just checked my speedo with the road angel, it's spot on up to 70mph. Must be the exception!

[stevieg8571]

Dermot, Andy,

I'm at Coningsby. I don't take the elan there too often tho (and I'm not in the country too often lately either) but will PM you guys next time it's there and maybe we could all meet for a chat and a beer.

Steve

[dermotbell]

Dermot, Andy,

I'm at Coningsby. I don't take the Elan there too often tho (and I'm not in the country too often lately either) but will PM you guys next time it's there and maybe we could all meet for a chat and a beer.

Steve

Not a bad thing if you're stationed at Coningsby as you are in the middle of nowhere, c/w Waddo

Mind you at the least the roads (excl A17) must be quiter across that way. It's amazing the diff 15 miles makes

[Candles]

Hijacking back to topic (sorry!): Someone mentioned calibrating the stock speedo. How? I have my binnacle on the bench and the speedo portion is pretty much a sealed unit. Do you need to break in?

Hijacking back off topic: I'm between Grantham & Sleaford so if you lot want to arrange a meeting (Scopwick appears to be in the middle of Sleaford, Coningsby and Lincoln and has a pub according to the map) then I'm up for forming the South Lincs (ish) M100 group: "SLIM"

[dermotbell]

Up for that post Donny.

Especially as the spring heat wave must be just around the corner

I did try to ask in the Meetings section if anyone was Lincs based, but to no avail.

Hopefully see you guys in the near future.

[Candles]

Sorry, missed the Meetings post. I don't check that area..... Maybe I should.....

[tweetdriver63]

Moving a little more towards the original topic.....

My speedo (no, I don't wear one ) is not behaving itself lately. Here's how it works: It's a little wobbly from 0 to about 30 mph, but accurate. It stays accurate, and steadies out from about 30 to 50 mph. It accelerates slightly faster than the car from about 50-55 mph, then it goes from about 55-85 mph at a mind-numbing rate, without even pushing much on the accelerator. If the car could accelerate like that, I would be bringing home major track accolades all the time. I don't think any form of vehicle ever invented could keep up. It doesn't do it every time, but most times.

Any ideas?

I read recently that for the best fuel economy, you're not supposed to accelerate between 55-75 mph. I thought, "that's impossible, unless you never go over 55 mph." I guess that was just a round-a-bout way of saying stay below 55 for the best economy. Maybe my car has figured out another way....just skip all the speeds in between.

[Elanlover]

Pretty sure the only way you could "recalibrate" the speedo would be on the engine side. The speedo is mostly mechanical in nature with the cable turning a little "wheel" at the back of the speedo. That wheel has a face that alternates between white (or silver?) and black markings. There is a little sensor that mounts to the back of the speedo that checks the speed of the alternating black and silver markings and that determines the speed registering on the gauge. So, I don't see how one could recalibrate the speedo at the speedo end unless you tried to repaint the markings (and knew what spacing to use).

If your speedo is inconsistent then you may have a loose cable at one end (likely the speedo end). When I took my speedo out I noticed the cable wasn't attached to tightly. You may have some dirt or a spill on the back of little wheel which is throwing off the sensor or, you may have a faulty sensor. Or, there may be something not right at the engine side of course but I don't know much about that end

[Costas]

Top Speed 267km/h (171mph) on the speedo, actually the needle goes to the black area since the top indication is 260 at top RPM since the car knocked off at about 7200. There is a video of my Speedometer at that speed, I can look for the link if you want. At the same time the GPS Garmin indication was 245 km/h. So thats how much "accurate" the speedo is compared to a GPS. Our gear ratio on 5th gear does NOT allow any speed greater than 245 anyways. So.... ta dah! there you go!