Despite the well known (in)accuracy of the speedometer, the odometer seems to be pretty accurate. So today we had a long trip (Salt Lake City, UT to Fallon, NV via Hwy 50), and we didn't make any detours. I noted the odometer reading at start and end and its 500 miles (could be 499-501 miles). Google maps reckons the trip was 499 miles, my TomTom reckons 501miles, so that seems pretty accurate. Within 1 mile over 500 miles is 0.2% accurate.

This accuracy seems to be independent of the tire size, I'm running 205/50-16 tires which are about 1.5% smaller than stock.

So how does the MINI do it? How does it correct for tire size etc? I have some theories that it could use the accelerometers to calibrate the tire size. But does anyone know?

 

SPEEDO.pdf

 

I would be very surprised if the odometer worked by doing anything more than counting wheel revolutions and multiplying by a fixed, standard value. If 1.5% higher mileage was expected, there are several tolerance variations that could have accounted for it. Vehicle load, tire pressure, sidewall stiffness, and amount of tread wear all contribute some variation. Even the line you take on each turn affects the distance. Nor do I trust Google Maps or a TomTom to calculate distance with very high accuracy. I think you need to get the odometer reading for a measured mile (and read odometer off the OBD for the extra decimal places).

 

This one time my odometer went crazy and racked up about 10 miles in the length of only 1. This was days after I had taken out an abs fuse, a side of which was no gauge activity, including the odometer. I put the fuse back after only several miles. Maybe the car recorded the mileage in the computer and reconciled the gauge read out later.

 

GPS is the MOST accurate way to measure both speed and distance.......

 

Meh its all relative as long as its reading within a mile or two its good.

 

Ok so this is a little off topic but I figure a good place to ask, were is the information stored for the mileage? is it stored in the speedo or on the computer someplace.
Reason i am asking is i am having my speedo and tach re done with different color LEDs and I purchased a used speedo and tach to use while the other one is out, so I am not sure what Mileage will show up. I am guessing this is stored on the computer and just fed to the odometer, but again just a guess

 

My 2011 mini reads my daily work commute distance as 34 miles where google indicate the distance as 20.9 miles. I just dont know what I am to make out of it.
Can dealer do anything about this?

 

Try setting Google for streets traveled distance, not straight line. Your car does the former. As they say, crows do the latter.

 

i did set the google for street straveled distance. and it reads 20.9 miles just as my other cars (prius, Sorrento 2011, etc.) but somehow, I take the same route, mini reads 34 miles.

 

Now it makes sense..

1 mile = 1.609344 kilometers

reset your display to mph