Just bought a '97 1500 ... speedo is 9 mph high at all speeds ... ???

We just bought a '97 1500 and the speedometer is 9 mph high at all speeds, and the odometer is 2/10 mile slow in 10 miles. I'm not concerned about the odometer ... it says 9.8 miles in a measured 10 mile stretch ... no big deal. It's the speedo that is curious. It says 30 - you're going 21 ... it says 50 - you're going 41 ... etc. Is there an adjustment in it to change this ?? Does a person have to remove the speedo and reposition the needle ??

Reply to
Hayseed
Loading thread data ...

Sure sounds like it... if it were a tire size difference (from the original size programmed into the PCM), it would read proportionally higher the faster you went. It's pretty easy to do - I believe you can remove the plastic shield with the cluster still in place. Just pull the dash bezel off (two screws behind the cupholders, two more in the ashtray), and you can then remove the screws holding the clear cover on the cluster (I think they're the brass-colored ones - but it's been a while) - then the needle will just pull off. It's splined, but not keyed, so you can just re-position it.

Reply to
Tom Lawrence

First check the tire size against what the factory put on the truck. Sounds like you have smaller tires than factory OR the tires are a different brand that doesn't measure the same diameter. If they are the same size take the truck to a dealer and have them reprogram the speedo to read properly. IF you pull the needle off you will likely damage the drive motor that moves it. It is also possible that someone else was running larger tire on it and had a programmer change the speedo settings to match those tires.

Reply to
Steve W.

If this were due to a tire size, the speedometer would not be consistant in the amount of error. At low speeds, the speedometer would be close and the faster you went, the farther off it will get. The fact that the speedo is always the same amount of MPH in error and the odometer does not agree with the speedometer shows that it has nothing to do with tire size.

Reply to
TBone

That's right ... if it were tire size, it would be off a certain percent NOT a consistant amount at all speeds. Thanks to all that replied and helped me !!!! I removed the dash 'bezel', removed the plastic instrument cover, and repositioned the needle. It took me 8 or 10 tries, but now it is dead on !! By-the-way, aren't those handheld GPS devices FANTASTIC !! I borrowed my sons (he uses it for fishing) ... it has a view that displays a speedometer/odometer ... unbelievable !!

... THANKS again !!

Reply to
Hayseed

If you assumed the GPS reading is correct and the Truck speedo was incorrect you may be wrong.

Reply to
High Sierra

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.