Speedo v odo

Volkswagen Volkswagen Advice Volkswagen Passat Volkswagen Passat Advice Volkswagen Passat 2009
...
MY VW Passat R36 and TomTom GPS show a difference of almost 7km/h at 110km/h, the car's speedo showing the higher speed. This works on a sliding scale, the VW is about 2-3km/h faster than the TomTom at 50km/h and 6km/h faster at 100km/h. I have also found that when using the odometer tests on highways, my car shows I've travelled one kilometre when I've actually only travelled about 950m. Am I right in saying that if my car believes it's travelling at 100km/h when it's actually travelling at 95km/h, that the odometer clicks over for 100km travelled when I've actually travelled 95km? If this is the case and I have a 70-litre petrol tank, if my odometer shows I have travelled 700km on a tank of petrol my fuel economy will be 10 litres for 100km. If I've actually only travelled 665km my real economy figures would be closer to 11 litres/100km.

THERE are all sorts of issues. It affects fuel-economy calculations, service intervals, warranty periods and the resale value. After all, if the odometer is 10 per cent out like the speedo, a car that reaches 100,000km, when warranties typically expire, has in reality only done about 90,000km and the warranty should still be active.

Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

Comments

Have a new question for the CarsGuide team?
More than 9,000 questions asked and answered.
Complete guide to Volkswagen Passat 2009
Complete guide to Volkswagen Passat 2009 CarsGuide Logo
Reviews, price, specs and more