heard this is true in Germany.  don't know about Canada or the US.

> From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
> Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
> Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 22:31:17 -0700
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: speedo/odo error confusion
>
> It is all big brother... the government doesn't want speeders, so they make
> the car manufacturers install speedometers that read high on purpose.  Hence
> you can do 70 in a 65 zone and "get away with it" as you are really doing 65
> or 66 MPH.
>
> The best way to measure speed is with a GPS - very accurate, both in the
> speedometer and odometer departments.  The speedometer part can easily be
> corrected by adjusting the needle - pull it off and reposition it the amount
> the error is at 65mph.  The odometer will require a different cog at the
> pickup.
>
> My Syncro with 205R14s installed was spot on speed wise and a little low
> odometer wise (2%).
>
> David Marshall
>
> Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
> 4356 Quesnel Hixon Road
> Quesnel BC Canada  V2J 6Z3
> mailto:info@fastforward.ca <mailto:info@fastforward.ca>
> http://www.fastforward.ca <http://www.fastforward.ca>
> Phone: (250) 992 7775           FAX: (250) 992 1160
>
> . Vanagon Accessories and Engine Conversions
> . Transporter, Unimog and Iltis Sales
> . European Lighting for most Audi and Volkswagen models
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
> Of Richard A. Jones
> Sent: October 24, 2001 3:48 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: speedo/odo error confusion
>
>
> I just returned from a 3100 miles trip in El Jefe.  Well,
> 3100 according to its speedo, or rather its "odo"....
>
> I've know the speedo reads high from some time.  Then
> I watched the odometer between some mile posts and
> decided it was high, too.  I thought it was gear driven
> and should be OK even if the speedo was off because of
> the calibration of the spring.  What do I know?
>
> I have the stock size tires--185 R 14--Michelin Agilis 61s.
>
> Then I decided to take advantage of I-70 which starts
> from I-15 in Utah, with mileposts to the east.
>
> Here's what I recorded
> my trip odo             I-70 milepost
> 77.8                      0
> 186.2                    100
> 292.0                    200
> 323.0                    230 (Colorado state line)
>
> Converting to percentages:
> 8.4%
> 7.1%
> 6.6%
>
> So if I drove an arbitrarily large number of miles my
> odo error would be arbitrarily small?  What's going on?
> Why should the odo error not be roughly constant.
>
> The only variable I can think of is the day started
> cool and warmed up as I drove, but only cool/warm,
> not cold/hot.
>
> Can anyone explain this?
>
> [Trip report and photos to come later....]
>
> Richard A. Jones
> Boulder, Colorado
> '81 Vanagon   Mr Bus
> '87 Syncro Westy   El Jefe
>