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Hey!

My new (to me) 99 LX Automatic has a slow speedo, it's 5-6 slow (60=55, etc). I arrived at this conclusion by comparing the speedo to two different GPS based speed apps on my phone, on the freeway with the cruise set at 55 (according to the car) and found I was doing 49-50. Is there a way to re calibrate it without taking it to the dealer?

 
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Do you have aftermarket wheels? Different tire size then OE?

 
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No, they're exactly correct and probably original wheels.

 
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I thought of the tire thing, I've had that issue before (I once ran my 1995 Saturn SL1 on four compact spares from the junkyard for four months....)

 
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Nope, and a dealer can't adjust anything in it either. All a dealer would do is try to sell you a new speedometer, and that may or may not change anything.

Make sure the tires are the correct size for the car according to the label in the door jamb.


What does the law say, within 10% error tolerance? It's at or within 10%.....

 
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I'll check the label, but I doubt AllData is wrong. It has correct hubcaps that look original, I doubt someone would have gone to that trouble.

I work at a dealer but we don't have a Honda dealership in our group, if we did I would at least get a semi-reasonable discount.

One of our service writers here told me about taking the cluster apart on his 95 Integra, setting the cruise to match a friend at 55, and taking the needle off and then putting it where it goes. I don't want to go through all that.

 
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And it's more than double 10% on 25mph parkways and school zones..... I'm not worried about tickets, I can compensate for the bad number on the dash. I just want it to work right, especially if doing so were reasonably easy/inexpensive.

 
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You can get wholesale prices from many dealers on the internet and you can see real parts catalogs.

Official Honda/Acura parts, but no discount prices
http://estore.honda.com/

Discount /wholesale prices, but shipping might kill the discount so be careful
www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/
I use this one all the time to hotlink catalog pics in the forums...
You can google for more, there are a ton of dealers selling at deep discount on the web.

Hey, put a scanner on it and drive around, see if the VSS reading is the same as what the speedometer says.

If the VSS data is more accurate or matches pace with another car or GPS....that might make it easier to make a decision on your speedo.
I've done the needle reposition thing on other brand cars in the past.

 
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to be honest, in case if most people haven't realized it yet anolog cluster/gauges aren't accurate to begin with. and that the ecu has to convert votage/data from vss to a anolog signal for the speedo to be able to read it and that where numbers starts getting way off our vss get +12v to power the sensor then the signal wire sends 0-5v reference to ecu which then the 0-5v get rescaled to 0-12v values that the anolog speedo can read

 
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you can also check to see if your vss is sending the correct signal our vss is quare wave so if you turn your wheels the signal should read go from 0 5 0 5 as you keep turning your wheel. also if your car has vtec also if your vss is bad your vtec won't engage

 
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Sounds like wrong size tires. I would double check. You might be able to change the sender. That has worked on other cars for me. You can get a speedo-healer. But it sounds like something is the wrong part.

 
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i wouldn't think so the op said it was only about 5-6 mph slower which is not really that way off. and yea you can get a speedohealer to get it to be more acurate

 
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Tires can cause a lot less difference than that.

 
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I have double and triple checked. The tires are correct, rims are original (with original hubcaps even) and I even have correct inflation.
I'm probably done worrying about this.

 
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Like ezone said, hook a scanner and double check what computer is seeing. If the car computer is off, something in between speedo and trans is not working. If good, then likely it's the speedo itself in the dash.
Miss EJ 6 is also giving very good technical pointers

 
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I'm content leaving it alone for the time being. Maybe I'll **** with it in the spring.

 
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I use a scangauge hooked up. As long as the computer is getting right numbers, it will show speed. Nothing different than having a Garmin GPS in the car.