(Home) Speedometers

23/12/02
just bought a 1991 townace 2.0l turbo diesel with o/d
i'm bothered that the speedometer is illegal in the uk as it reads kph and not mph. have i been given the right info ? if so , what's the answer ? please email me or post an answer , thanks !!!

- (#6529) APIAGO, 23 Dec 02

Mine's been through two MOTs and VI inspection, and is still in KPh, nothing illegal about it, as long as you have a working & accurate speed measuring device on the vehicle it is OK, it could be measuring feet per second, as long as you can convert it in your head & you know what speed you are doing it's OK. Just remember it's a factor of 1.6, I.E. 30 MPh = 48KPh, 40 MPh = 64 KPh, 50MPh = 80 KPh etc. HTH Rob.

- (#6530) Rob Drinkwater, 23 Dec 02

As Rob says, it's not illegal and, if you inspect your MOT certificate, you will see that the "mileage" is recorded in KM's. Also, you can get a brilliant replacement speedo face, reading in MPH, for about £12 from "Euro-spec 2000 Ltd" Tel 01276670628. It is not too difficult to fit and, if you have the "TEMS" suspension indicator on your speedo face, they do a replacement which incorporates this also. The odometer & trip display do, of course, remain in KM's

- (#6531) John Davis, 23 Dec 02

John, My r/l 2ct townie has had the mph and tems face fitted but it reads the odometer and trip meter in mph.
Under the gearbox where the speedo cable enters there is a small unit in line. Could this be some kind of device to convert over to mph.
I have checked the speed with my wife following and that was right. (Just so I dont go past a camera over the limit) Also the trip and odometer check as reading correct. Phil
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and many thanks to all our readers.

- (#6532) phil cook, 24 Dec 02

Yup, it's a reduction gearbox- 0.62:1. They're commonly used in import motorcycles. Only slight caveat is the loss of resolution- when you're doing 50mph, the needle is pointing at the original 50km/h / 30mph marker...

- (#6533) david miller, 25 Dec 02

At least that means that the speedo will actually show when you've gone as far as 160 Miles per hour (Laugh out load) whereas the sticker over the whole face only goes as far as 100Mph, plenty for a townie, as David says though effectively you lose resolution because the speedo has a wider effective sweep, but as you say the odometer & trip meter do show miles, the only confusing thing is the fact that for the first few years of it's Japanese life the odometer read Kilometers, now you are adding MILES to the reading, so you don't really know how many miles your vehicle has done, whereas I know ours has done a genuine 88,000 so therefore 55,000 miles, but if you had say 80,000 Km on your clock (50,000 miles) and now you've added 20,000 miles (32,000 Km), your odometer reads 100,000 , now does a prospective buyer look at it as 100,000 miles, (160,000 Km), or can you show that it has done only the 132,000 Km (82,500 Miles). Also cuases confusion for cambelt changes etc.

- (#6534) Rob Drinkwater, 26 Dec 02

Thank you all for your messages,I was scared that I had bought a Townie in haste. Finding this site has given me renewed confidence, no dobt I will need more help in the future.
Kind regards to you all,
Happy New Year

Wyn Hamer

- (#6535) Apiago ( Wyn ), 26 Dec 02

When are you guys going to bite the bullet & go metric and take the mark ,sorry euro,and succomb to the one world government ;we have & Tony has,yours fatalistically Lester

- (#6536) Lester Smith, 26 Dec 02

Ah, but, Mr Blair is really pro American. The Euro thing is mearly a guise. We'll all be going to $ when we become the 52 State of america. So it'll be all back to inches and pounds, but your gallons will be less. ;-)

- (#6537) Dave B, 28 Dec 02

i used some yellow/fluorescent stick on labels cut in very thin strips about 3x6mm(sorry i mean 1/8x1/4")stick them on the outside of the speedo at all the appropriate speedo readings, works ok & is visible at night

john

- (#6658) john collier, 3 Jan 03

I have a Toyota Previa Model 2001 importate from the Middle East (left hand drive).
The SVA (Single ehicle Approval)in GB is all OK except for my speedometer (I knew that).
But to my big surprice there is no where a KMH + MPH
unit available for a left hand drive.
Toyota has many part numbers but none will go. All MPHspeedo meters are for right hand drive and due to the "mirror" shape will never fit.
Any tips? The only req is that you have to see the numbers by day and night. Presently the light is coming from behind.

- (#6889) Pim Braun, 21 Jan 03

Leave it as it is then, follow the advice as above ref converting in your head, or you could add a speedo convertor, or stick self adhesive numbers on the speedo as an aide memoir. Regards Rob.

- (#6890) Rob Drinkwater, 21 Jan 03