Modern automotive dashboard gauges are designed to give drivers instant, and ergonomic visibility to a full range of automotive vital signs. There are 2 gauges, however, whose accuracy and performance are so important that they’re even covered by Australian Design Rules (ADRs): speedometers and odometers.
Unlike most gauges, speedometers and odometers are universally acknowledged installations and are codified by ADR 18/xx under Australia’s Motor Vehicle Standards Act of 1989. That effectively makes them the only automotive gauges that are legally required to be installed on every registered motor vehicle in the country and to be operational and readily visible to drivers at all times.
This also means that they’re not just performance-based accessories: they’re mandatory safety items that have to be accurate at all times. This is especially important for older vehicles though, where a faulty or incorrect speedometer could not only lead to heavy fines, but also have serious implications for liability in the event of an accident.
Accurate Speed Readings are Easy with a New Aftermarket Speedometer
Let’s be honest: although today’s dashboard layouts are typically packed with everything from fuel gauges to boost meters, an updated and fully featured speedometer is the most important aftermarket automotive gauge you can buy for your car, ute, or wagon. A new in-dash speedometer/odometer combination can give you the vibration-free assurance that your speed and distance travelled are being measured and displayed with complete accuracy, and many of these universal auto gauges host an array of user and setup functions that transform them from standard speed readers into active situation awareness instruments.
With their 80mm body and 89mm dash gauge bezel diameters, high-quality aftermarket speedometers are designed to give a maximum amount of information within a minimum amount of space, with features that include:
· Digital or analog auto gauge functionality;
· Speed readings in either km/h or mph, along with maximum speed recall;
· A standard operating range from 0 – 220km/h (plus their mph equivalent);
· Separate TRIP (A) and (B) vehicle gauge odometers; and,
· Built-in adjustable speed alert.
Make no mistake: anything from worn gears to a rusted cable can affect the accuracy of your speedometer and could easily wind up costing you more than just the price of a replacement, particularly on older model vehicles. Your speedometer is a performance gauge that’s tied directly to your, and the public’s safety, which is why you want to be sure that your vehicle is equipped with the best, and most accurate aftermarket unit available.
Making Changes to Your Vehicle Doesn’t Have to Mean Losing Speedometer Accuracy
Accuracy is everything when it comes to auto gauges like your speedometer, and vehicle manufacturers are very deliberate about calibrating speedometers to ensure that they read higher than the vehicle’s actual speed. And while worn gears or a rusty cable can be easily diagnosed by a wobbly speedometer needle, there’s a full array of circumstances that can result in your speedometer actually reading less than what your automotive gauges are indicating, including:
· Mounting tyres or rims that are larger than the factory-supplied rolling stock;
· Over-inflating your tyres beyond the manufacturer’s recommendation; or,
· Changing the transmission, transaxle, or differential gear to a lower ratio.
The fact is, these are all common modifications that are regularly made to 4WD and heavy-duty off-road vehicles, with the consequence that any of them could easily push your vehicle beyond the allowable 10% plus 4km/h limit. Depending on the state, it only takes 1km/h over the limit to make the difference between hundreds of dollars in fines and multi-point demerits.
Aftermarket high-performance gauges, however, include inputs that work with all electronic speed generators as well as cable-driven speedometers to ensure maximum accuracy at all times. And for older vehicles that don’t have ECM-controlled Vehicle Speed Sensors (VSSs) on their transmissions or transaxles, you can even purchase a calibration-free GPS speed sensor and antenna that are capable of reducing an ordinary cable-driven speedometer’s 3-5% accuracy deviation to less than 0.2%, and calculating odometer accuracy to within 5 meters.
Modern Speedometers Make Driver Visibility One of Their Highest Priorities
Beyond accuracy, ADR 18/xx’s mandate for ensuring that speedometers are readily visible from the normal driving position goes beyond just physical placement. An OE speedometer whose colour and backlighting allow it to blend almost imperceptibly into an ocean of all like-coloured dash gauges can make for a dangerous distraction, especially when driving at night.
That’s why along with their black- or white-faced dials and OLED multifunctional displays, many new high-performance car gauges are designed with 5-level dimmable backlight functionality for easier transitions between day and night driving. Selectable, 10-colour illumination is also available to help with gauge perception and differentiation, including:
· White;
· Red or red amber;
· Orange;
· Green;
· Aqua or blue;
· Purple or pink; and,
· Cyan.
In short, these highly adaptable aftermarket gauges place driver visibility as one of their highest priorities. For vehicles fitted with classic-looking analog speedometers, adjustable car gauge needle viewing angles allow you to get a 100% reading from your gauge all the time, and avoid unnecessary fines, penalties, and demerits.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, you can’t ignore just how important your speedometer and odometer are. And with the being the only gauges in your vehicle whose presence and performance are legally regulated, it’s not an instrument that you can afford to take for granted once you’ve recognized that it’s not operating correctly.
When your OE speedometer starts to malfunction, a new, fully-featured analog or digital speedometer/odometer combination is the automotive gauge you want. It’ll give you the accurate peace of mind that you need to stay away from potentially costly compliance problems.
