How to Read a Car's Speedometer?
4 Answers
The car speedometer consists of two dials, one is the speedometer, and the other is the odometer. The car speedometer is used to display the vehicle's speed, with the unit being km/h. Methods to identify the car's dashboard: The dial marked with ×100RPM or ×1000RPM is the tachometer, indicating XX revolutions per minute. Multiply the number pointed by the needle by the unit marked on the dial to get the current RPM. For example, if the needle points to 3 and the dial is marked ×1000RPM, then it is 3000 revolutions per minute. Self-check function of the car speedometer: At the moment of starting, the vehicle will activate the self-check function. At this time, the dashboard needles will swing to the maximum and then fall back, and various regular indicator lights will turn on for a few seconds before automatically turning off, which is the normal state.
I always locate the speedometer first, that round gauge right behind the steering wheel. The number the needle points to shows your current speed in kilometers per hour. Pay special attention when the needle hits 120 on highways. Don't stare at it while driving - just glance briefly. Taking your eyes off the road for more than 2 seconds is dangerous. Back when I drove older models, I noticed slight discrepancies - the GPS navigation would show 3-5 km/h slower than the speedometer at highway speeds, so now I always keep navigation on for reference. During regular maintenance, have the mechanic check the vehicle speed sensor. If the needle fluctuates erratically, get it fixed immediately. Many newer cars use digital LCD displays which are more intuitive - the numbers turn red when you exceed speed limits.
When I first started driving, I found the dashboard utterly confusing until I discovered some tricks. The largest number on the speedometer indicates the maximum speed, and in normal city driving, the needle pointing at 60 is the typical speed. Pay special attention to the arc movement of the needle—it's more intuitive than reading numbers. Remember, the dashboard might have a 0.5-1 second delay, so avoid staring at it during sudden acceleration as it can be misleading. Once on a rainy day when the road was slippery, the dashboard showed 80, but the actual speed felt like 60 due to tire slippage—trust your instincts over the dashboard in such cases. I recommend new drivers practice on empty roads first, glancing at the dashboard position at 60 km/h to build muscle memory. An experienced driver shared a neat trick: when scanning the speedometer with peripheral vision, also check the tachometer—the angle between the two needles can help gauge speed.
The car's speedometer actually holds some secrets. In traditional mechanical dials, the bouncing needle is connected to the speed sensor of the transmission, while most new cars now use digital LCD displays. The dial markings start from 0 and increase in 20 km/h increments, with the red zone typically indicating dangerous overspeeding. Note that the displayed speed is usually 3%-5% faster than the actual GPS speed, which is a buffer value designed by mandatory national standards. Develop three habits when checking the speedometer: frequently glance at the 60 km/h zone in urban areas, confirm every 15 seconds on highways whether you're staying within 120 km/h, and avoid looking at the dashboard entirely when turning. If the needle shakes or resets to zero, it's likely due to dust in the wheel speed sensor. Modifying tire size can also cause speedometer errors—switching to larger rims requires recalibration.
