C6 Tech/Performance LS2, LS3, LS7, LS9 Corvette Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Tech Topics, Basic Tech, Maintenance, How to Remove & Replace
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

speedometer calibration

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 05:43 AM
  #1  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default speedometer calibration

it is my understanding the the speedometers (two if you've got the hud) use an electrical connection from the top of the diff. to determine and display the speed of the vehicle.

back in the old mechanical days one could swap out the 'speedo' gear in the side of the tranny to adjust the speedo as needed.

is there any similiar adjustment one could make to the c6 ?
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 05:50 AM
  #2  
cbrf4i1's Avatar
cbrf4i1
Drifting
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 0
From: az
Default

none, have to get a tune or get one of those hand held tuning software like predator.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 05:56 AM
  #3  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default

Originally Posted by cbrf4i1
none, have to get a tune or get one of those hand held tuning software like predator.
you're up early !

ok, what would a handheld do for me ? would it be possible to verify that there was a difference, between the two (hud vs dash), or actual speed of 10+ mph ?
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 06:06 AM
  #4  
cbrf4i1's Avatar
cbrf4i1
Drifting
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 0
From: az
Default

Originally Posted by Zig
you're up early !

ok, what would a handheld do for me ? would it be possible to verify that there was a difference, between the two (hud vs dash), or actual speed of 10+ mph ?
hey robert, i have not gone to bed yet....hehe, the hand held predator allows you to recal in the situation of different gearing or wheel tire combo...at least that is what i remember from talking to those guys at diablosport. i would assume the hud takes the speedo reading from the same sensor, if that is the case then the hud and dash should match.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 06:09 AM
  #5  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default

Originally Posted by cbrf4i1
hey robert, i have not gone to bed yet....hehe,

Originally Posted by cbrf4i1
the hand held predator allows you to recal in the situation of different gearing or wheel tire combo...at least that is what i remember from talking to those guys at diablosport. i would assume the hud takes the speedo reading from the same sensor, if that is the case then the hud and dash should match.
i'm looking for what would cause the speedo to be off by 10-13 mph.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 06:20 AM
  #6  
cbrf4i1's Avatar
cbrf4i1
Drifting
 
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,533
Likes: 0
From: az
Default

Originally Posted by Zig


i'm looking for what would cause the speedo to be off by 10-13 mph.
sorry, i thought maybe you are looking to do some 3.90 rear or different wheel tire combo...i don't know why would hub speedo vs dash speedo be off by 10-13mph. good luck.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 06:54 AM
  #7  
shurite44's Avatar
shurite44
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,027
Likes: 6
From: Shiloh Ohio
Default

That is a strange problem. I think it may be dealership time on this problem. Good luck.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 08:43 AM
  #8  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default

Originally Posted by shurite44
That is a strange problem. I think it may be dealership time on this problem. Good luck.
i didn't mean to imply that was a problem. i'm interested in learning what could cause the issue.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
story-5

Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

 Michael S. Palmer
story-8

2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 09:31 AM
  #9  
shurite44's Avatar
shurite44
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,027
Likes: 6
From: Shiloh Ohio
Default

Originally Posted by Zig
i didn't mean to imply that was a problem. i'm interested in learning what could cause the issue.
Sounds like a problem, can you tell which one is correct? Maybe the scan and tune section could give you a clue as to what would cause it.

I put that little nervous guy ( ) in the first post to demonstrate how I feel if I have to go to the dealership for service, .

Last edited by shurite44; Jan 25, 2007 at 09:34 AM.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 09:49 AM
  #10  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default

Originally Posted by shurite44
Sounds like a problem, can you tell which one is correct? Maybe the scan and tune section could give you a clue as to what would cause it.
good idea, thanks.
Reply
Old Jan 25, 2007 | 09:06 PM
  #11  
Joe_G's Avatar
Joe_G
Tech Contributor
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
Likes: 263
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Originally Posted by Zig


i'm looking for what would cause the speedo to be off by 10-13 mph.
Putting on 13" tires would do it. So would a bad dash cluster. I am quite sure the hud uses the same VSS (vehicle speed sensor) information as the dash cluster, I don't think there are two VSS's. There is only one thing to change for this in HP Tuners.

Changing rear gears does not require a reset of the speedo calibration. You do need to adjust shift points if you have an automatic.

If you put on smaller rear tires it will change the speedo. My drag radials show 3 mph fast on the speedo since they are about 1" smaller than my normal tires.

I think I answered questions you didn't ask here. Sorry about that.

I would always recommend HP Tuners vs. a handheld. Tuners costs less if you split the cost with the buddy and can do 100 times more things. It is not as bad to learn as people think, I can do pretty well with it now.
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2007 | 06:46 AM
  #12  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default

thus far it appears that it is impossible to have an inaccurate speedometer in the c6.

save for going to 1" tires
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2007 | 08:52 AM
  #13  
haljensen's Avatar
haljensen
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 25
From: Austin Texas
Default

IMHO; If you change rear tire diameter the stock speedometer reading will be wrong.

CORRECTION; If you change ring and pinion the new ring gear has the reluctor for the VSS and your speedometer will be correct.

The ECM has adjustable speedo settings via tuning for tire diameter changes.

Last edited by haljensen; Jan 26, 2007 at 09:39 PM. Reason: correct wrong statement
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2007 | 09:01 AM
  #14  
Joe_G's Avatar
Joe_G
Tech Contributor
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
Likes: 263
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Originally Posted by haljensen
IMHO; If you change rear tire diameter the stock speedometer reading will be wrong. If you change rear gear ratios the stock speedometer will be wrong.

Isn't that why the ECM has adjustable speedo settings via tuning?
It is a FACT that if you put on shorter or taller tires your speedometer WILL be incorrect. I verified it myself last Saturday with my Drag Radials with a buddy pacing me. 1" shorter tire = about 3 mph faster.

It is also a FACT that if you change gears you DO NOT have to change the speedometer calibration. I've changed gears in 2 vettes and do my own tuning so I can verify.

Again, if an automatic, you will have to change shift points.

Reply
Old Jan 26, 2007 | 08:29 PM
  #15  
CYA-Vett's Avatar
CYA-Vett
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 3,398
Likes: 2
From: Allentown PA
Default

On the C5, the speed was measured after the rear, on the half shafts, I believe the C6 is the same. Only tires height would effect its reading, not gear ratios.
Reply
Old Jan 26, 2007 | 09:35 PM
  #16  
haljensen's Avatar
haljensen
Race Director
Supporting Lifetime
 
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 25
From: Austin Texas
Default

Originally Posted by Joe_G
It is a FACT that if you put on shorter or taller tires your speedometer WILL be incorrect. I verified it myself last Saturday with my Drag Radials with a buddy pacing me. 1" shorter tire = about 3 mph faster.

It is also a FACT that if you change gears you DO NOT have to change the speedometer calibration. I've changed gears in 2 vettes and do my own tuning so I can verify.

Again, if an automatic, you will have to change shift points.

Joe_G; Your statement forced me to do some research and you are correct. The VSS reluctor is in the ring gear of the differential so when you change ring and pinion you are changing the signal to the VSS and your new speedometer reading is correct.
Tire diameter still requires an adjustment (or learn to live with it like I did).
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2007 | 05:50 AM
  #17  
Joe_G's Avatar
Joe_G
Tech Contributor
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
Likes: 263
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Originally Posted by haljensen
Joe_G; Your statement forced me to do some research and you are correct. The VSS reluctor is in the ring gear of the differential so when you change ring and pinion you are changing the signal to the VSS and your new speedometer reading is correct.
Tire diameter still requires an adjustment (or learn to live with it like I did).
Yup. FYI, and to answer Zig's question, the speedometer adjustment couldn't be much easier on HP Tuners. Piece of cake. Enter a number into a table and write the calibration to the car in 16 seconds. If you've got a buddy with a Tuners cord you can pay him $200 to license your car to his cord and adjust it (along with an absolute ton of other things you can change). Once licensed to a cord you can change your tune as many times as you want with that cord.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To speedometer calibration

Old Jan 27, 2007 | 08:21 AM
  #18  
Zig's Avatar
Zig
Thread Starter
Safety Car
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,565
Likes: 5
From: stafford country, va. Avatar: Me on turn 3 @ Bristol (The World's Fastest Half-Mile)
Default

Originally Posted by Joe_G
Yup. FYI, and to answer Zig's question, the speedometer adjustment couldn't be much easier on HP Tuners. Piece of cake. Enter a number into a table and write the calibration to the car in 16 seconds. ...
ok, direct and too the point. if i grabbed a copy of hptuners would it be possible to adjust the speedometer accuracy ? would i then be able to take it to a speedometer calibration shop and have it recalibrated ? would the shop be able to provide an official report of the inaccuracy ?
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2007 | 08:31 AM
  #19  
shurite44's Avatar
shurite44
Le Mans Master
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,027
Likes: 6
From: Shiloh Ohio
Default

I don't know for sure on HP tuners, but the handheld's I have seen only have a tire diameter for the speedo functions. So I don't think a handheld will help you. Some of them have rear end ratio functions also, but that is not for the speedo like mentioned above. Spinmonster uses HPtuner PM him.
Reply
Old Jan 27, 2007 | 10:02 AM
  #20  
Joe_G's Avatar
Joe_G
Tech Contributor
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,949
Likes: 263
From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Here's the screen you use to change it.

Reply



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:21 AM.

story-0
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE
story-5
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!

Slideshow: the top 10 things Corvette owners want in the C9 Corvette

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-30 12:41:15


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know

Slideshow: 10 Important Corvette 'firsts' that every fan should know.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-29 17:02:16


VIEW MORE
story-7
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2

Slideshow: Should you buy a 2020-2026 Corvette or wait for 2027?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-22 10:08:58


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor

Slideshow: 2027 Corvette lineup vs the world.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-24 16:12:42


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!

Slideshow: 10 major Corvette problems from the last 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-14 16:37:05


VIEW MORE