How to Adjust Odometer for Bigger Tires? The Right Way
If your truck or SUV came with big tires from the factory, you’re probably wondering how to adjust the odometer so it’s accurate. The good news is that it’s not difficult to do and only takes a few minutes. Here’s what you need to know.
- Park your vehicle on a level surface and set the emergency brake
- Locate the odometer adjustment knob, which is usually located on the instrument panel near the odometer
- Turn the knob to the right to decrease the mileage reading or turn it to the left to increase the mileage reading, according to your needs
- You will hear a clicking sound as you turn the knob
- This is normal and indicates that the odometer is being adjusted
- Test drive your vehicle after adjusting the odometer to make sure it is displaying correctly before returning it to regular use
Credit: www.roadandtrack.com
Can You Adjust Your Speedometer for Bigger Tires?
If you have ever wondered if you can adjust your speedometer for bigger tires, the answer is yes! There are a few ways to go about this, depending on the make and model of your vehicle. The most common way to adjust your speedometer is to re-calibrate it using a GPS device.
This process is fairly simple and only takes a few minutes to complete. Another way to adjust your speedometer for bigger tires is to install a larger diameter tire on your vehicle. This method will also work with any size tire as long as the new tire is significantly larger than the original.
For example, if you have a 24-inch tire and install a 30-inch tire, this will effectively increase your speedometer reading by 25%. The final way to adjust your speedometer for bigger tires is by installing a device called an electronic odometer corrector. These devices are installed in line with your vehicle’s odometer and simply change the readings that it displays.
They are easy to install and usually only require a few wires to be connected. You can find these devices online or at most automotive stores.
How Do Bigger Tires Affect Odometers?
One of the most common questions we get here at Tire Rack is, “How will bigger tires affect my odometer and fuel economy?” It’s a simple question with a not-so-simple answer, as there are many factors to consider. Let’s start with the basics:
Bigger tires will definitely affect your odometer reading. How much they affect it depends on the size difference between your old tires and your new ones. Generally speaking, every 1-inch increase in tire diameter (from your old tires to your new ones) will result in about a 3% decrease in odometer reading.
So, if you go from 30″ tires to 33″ tires, you can expect your odometer to read about 3% less than it did before. Now, let’s talk about fuel economy. This is where things get a little more complicated because there are so many variables at play.
Things like vehicle weight, aerodynamics, engine efficiency, and driving habits all play a role in fuel economy. So it’s really tough to say exactly how much bigger tires will affect fuel economy without knowing all of those other factors. In general, though, bigger tires will have a small negative impact on fuel economy.
That’s because they’re heavier than smaller tires, and they create more rolling resistance (which makes it harder for your engine to move them). The good news is that the effect on fuel economy is usually pretty small – we’re talking maybe 1 or 2 mpg at most. So there you have it: bigger tires will definitely affect your odometer reading and may slightly impact your fuel economy as well.
But if you’re looking for better performance or just want that aggressive off-road look, then don’t let these numbers deter you – go ahead and make the switch!
Do Bigger Tires Put Fewer Miles on Odometers?
No, bigger tires do not necessarily put fewer miles on your odometer. In fact, it is quite the opposite. All other things being equal, a larger tire will actually rotate slower than a smaller tire.
This means that for every revolution of the wheel, the vehicle will travel a shorter distance. Therefore, you can expect to see more miles on your odometer when you have bigger tires.
Speedometer Calibration – Adjust for Bigger Tires – Accurate Shifting & Fuel Economy
How to Adjust Speedometer for Bigger Tires F150?
Your truck’s speedometer is calibrated to display the correct speed based on the factory tire size. But if you’ve installed larger tires, that information is no longer accurate. Your new, bigger tires make your truck travel a bit slower than what the speedometer says.
That can be problematic because you might inadvertently end up speeding. To fix this, you’ll need to adjust your speedometer for the bigger tires. Here’s how:
1. Find out the circumference of your new tires. You can do this by measuring the distance around the tire with a tape measure or by looking up the specs online.
2. Use a calculator to divide that number by Pi (3.14). This will give you the tire’s diameter in inches.
3. Multiply that number by 6 and then again by 0.0123611111. This last step is necessary to convert from inches to miles per hour (mph). So, if your new tires have a diameter of 33 inches, that calculation would look like this: 33 x 6 x 0.0123611111 = 2.19 mph
4. Compare that final number to your truck’s current MPH reading at 60 mph indicated on the open highway.
If it’s off by more than 3%, you’ll need to adjust your speedometer. For our example above, since 2 . 19 mph is only about 1% off from what it should be, we wouldn’t need to make any adjustments.
However, if yours is further off than 3%, here’s how much faster or slower your truck is traveling compared to what your speedometer says: Percent Off How Much Faster/Slower You’re Going Than What The Speedometer Says -1% You’re going one mph faster than what it says +1% You’re going one mph slower than what it says -2% You’re going 2 mph faster than what it says +2% You’re going two mph slower than what it says -3% You’re going 3 mph faster than what it says +3% You’re going 3 mph slower than what it says 5 . To adjust your speedometer, find an empty stretch of road where you can drive without worrying about getting pulled over. Then use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the screws holding down the black plastic panel under your steering wheel column.
Conclusion
If you have ever changed the size of your tires, you may have noticed that your odometer changes as well. This is because the distance that your car travels in one revolution decreases as the tire size gets bigger. In order to keep an accurate reading on your odometer, you will need to adjust it for the new tire size.
Here is a quick guide on how to do this: First, find out the circumference of your new tires. You can do this by measuring the distance around the outside of the tire (from one sidewall to the other).
Once you have this measurement, convert it into miles using a calculator or online converter tool. Next, divide this number by 4 (since there are 4 different sides to a tire). This will give you the distance traveled in one complete revolution of the tire.
Now, take this number and multiply it by 1000 (this converts it into feet). Finally, divide this number by 5280 (the number of feet in a mile) to get your final result. This final number is what you will use to adjust your odometer.
For example, if your new tires have a circumference of 79 inches (2.01 meters), then each revolution covers about 0.189 miles (0.304 kilometers). To adjust your odometer accordingly, multiply 0.189 by 1000 and then divide by 5280; this gives you a factor of 0.00003556406460551017… which you would then use like so: old reading + 0.0000355640646055101. = new adjusted reading. So if your old odometer reading were 1234 miles, then after making this adjustment, it would become 1234 + 0.
00003556406460551011. = 1234. 00012224128194825626. miles —an increase of just over 1/8th mile per gallon used!
