Recalibrate Speedo and Odo with new tires?

'03 ES300 w/60k miles Just replaced all four tires, and the odometer and MPG calculations seem to have changed slightly. Originally I recorded 27-28MPG on the highway and

21-23 in town. Now coming in at 23-25 and 19-21. Checked a couple of fixed routes that I drive frequently, and they are reading shorter distances than before.

Asked the dealer to check the speedo and odo when it was last in, and they say there are not adjustments for tire size. Didn't check the original tires against spec but the new ones are exactly what is called for.

Any thoughts/ideas are appreciated... JS

Reply to
JCS
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The dealer is correct, there are no adjustments for the speedometer/odometer.

I've never measured tire circumferences, but there are probably variations in tire circumference between tire makers.

Tire size alone does not explain the differences you are experiencing. The shorter distances mean that the new tire's diameter is larger so it turns fewer times for a given distance. Tire diameter will vary about 1/2 inch over the tire's life due to tread wear. Theoretically, a larger diameter tire should improve fuel economy.

Different tires will have different effects on fuel economy, as will different inflation pressures. For improved fuel economy and tire life, I recommend inflating the tires about 4 or 5 PSI higher than the manufacturer's recommend tire inflation pressures, although this will result in a slightly harsher ride.

Reply to
Ray O

New tires don't mean you need to recalibrate anything. Even if the tires are a different size, the difference in the speedometer readings will be very minimal (< 1mph). It certainly should not be affecting your MPG that drastically. When you state your MPG, are you calculating this based on actual calculations or are you using the car's MPG display? Perhaps your car's MPG calculator was reset when you had the tires changed. In this case, it will take some driving before the computer gains enough inputs to bring itself back to the average you were getting before.

Make sure that the new tires were balanced properly after they were mounted. Improper balancing CAN cause a drastic change in MPG as well as nasty vibrations in the steering wheel at highway speeds.

Reply to
NYLexSC

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