5er Instrument Accuracy
03-25-2009, 07:04 AM
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My Ride: 08 550 Carbon Sport Almost everything factory, but no sound upgrades.
Here are some stats on a recent trip: We made a trip from Atlanta to Dayton recently. The route was entirely on I-75. Nominal distance is 500 miles each way. We did not run in the sport mode and the SAT remained in the Drive position.
Distance traveled: We compared the BMW Instrument Cluster (IC) odometer with a hand held GPS and Interstate mile posts. The overall miles of the return was 492.3 on the ODO v 492.29 on the GPS. The ODO compared with Mile Posts: First check was 66.9 ODO v 67 Mile post, Second Check was 91.6 ODO v 92 Mile post.
Speed: The IC speed was compared with GPS real time speed while on ACC at 80 mph. The GPS read out varies about 2 mph so the only comparison is a WAG. I would WAG that the IC speed runs 1.5 mph faster than the GPS.
Fuel Efficiency: The ACC was set at 80 mph for most of the trip. Outbound we had mostly wet pavement and (IC) averaged 69.5 MPH. The IC MPG was 23.0, the actual was 22.1 MPG. The return saw dry pavement the entire distance and (IC) averaged 70.7 MPH. The IC MPG was 24.0, the actual was 22.9 MPG.
BTW, we pumped regular gas. The next time we will make the trip on a Hi-Test grade.
Distance traveled: We compared the BMW Instrument Cluster (IC) odometer with a hand held GPS and Interstate mile posts. The overall miles of the return was 492.3 on the ODO v 492.29 on the GPS. The ODO compared with Mile Posts: First check was 66.9 ODO v 67 Mile post, Second Check was 91.6 ODO v 92 Mile post.
Speed: The IC speed was compared with GPS real time speed while on ACC at 80 mph. The GPS read out varies about 2 mph so the only comparison is a WAG. I would WAG that the IC speed runs 1.5 mph faster than the GPS.
Fuel Efficiency: The ACC was set at 80 mph for most of the trip. Outbound we had mostly wet pavement and (IC) averaged 69.5 MPH. The IC MPG was 23.0, the actual was 22.1 MPG. The return saw dry pavement the entire distance and (IC) averaged 70.7 MPH. The IC MPG was 24.0, the actual was 22.9 MPG.
BTW, we pumped regular gas. The next time we will make the trip on a Hi-Test grade.
03-25-2009, 07:59 AM
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I also thought that the speed on the cluster was a little off too. I have a Garmin Nuvi 200 and I compared the speed measurement on that while running the cruise control in the car and the car seemed to show the speed at always being 2 mph faster. I would set the cruise control at 80 mph and the garmin would show 78 mph. I also tested this with my loaner 328i that I have right now and I am getting almost the same inaccuracy. I would set the cruise control at 80 and the garmin would hover between 77-78.
03-25-2009, 08:12 AM
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Originally Posted by sixcard' post='826234' date='Mar 25 2009, 11:04 AM
Here are some stats on a recent trip: We made a trip from Atlanta to Dayton recently. The route was entirely on I-75. Nominal distance is 500 miles each way. We did not run in the sport mode and the SAT remained in the Drive position.
Distance traveled: We compared the BMW Instrument Cluster (IC) odometer with a hand held GPS and Interstate mile posts. The overall miles of the return was 492.3 on the ODO v 492.29 on the GPS. The ODO compared with Mile Posts: First check was 66.9 ODO v 67 Mile post, Second Check was 91.6 ODO v 92 Mile post.
Speed: The IC speed was compared with GPS real time speed while on ACC at 80 mph. The GPS read out varies about 2 mph so the only comparison is a WAG. I would WAG that the IC speed runs 1.5 mph faster than the GPS.
Fuel Efficiency: The ACC was set at 80 mph for most of the trip. Outbound we had mostly wet pavement and (IC) averaged 69.5 MPH. The IC MPG was 23.0, the actual was 22.1 MPG. The return saw dry pavement the entire distance and (IC) averaged 70.7 MPH. The IC MPG was 24.0, the actual was 22.9 MPG.
BTW, we pumped regular gas. The next time we will make the trip on a Hi-Test grade.
Distance traveled: We compared the BMW Instrument Cluster (IC) odometer with a hand held GPS and Interstate mile posts. The overall miles of the return was 492.3 on the ODO v 492.29 on the GPS. The ODO compared with Mile Posts: First check was 66.9 ODO v 67 Mile post, Second Check was 91.6 ODO v 92 Mile post.
Speed: The IC speed was compared with GPS real time speed while on ACC at 80 mph. The GPS read out varies about 2 mph so the only comparison is a WAG. I would WAG that the IC speed runs 1.5 mph faster than the GPS.
Fuel Efficiency: The ACC was set at 80 mph for most of the trip. Outbound we had mostly wet pavement and (IC) averaged 69.5 MPH. The IC MPG was 23.0, the actual was 22.1 MPG. The return saw dry pavement the entire distance and (IC) averaged 70.7 MPH. The IC MPG was 24.0, the actual was 22.9 MPG.
BTW, we pumped regular gas. The next time we will make the trip on a Hi-Test grade.
.
03-25-2009, 08:15 AM
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speedos in cars have always got to read a percentage fast by law so that we can not blame
them if we are caught speeding
them if we are caught speeding
03-25-2009, 08:18 AM
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Good info six. Nice to know the IC is pretty accurate. By regular gas do you mean the minimum 91 vs. 93 or something?
03-25-2009, 09:20 AM
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Originally Posted by sixcard' post='826234' date='Mar 25 2009, 08:04 AM
Here are some stats on a recent trip: We made a trip from Atlanta to Dayton recently. The route was entirely on I-75. Nominal distance is 500 miles each way. We did not run in the sport mode and the SAT remained in the Drive position.
Distance traveled: We compared the BMW Instrument Cluster (IC) odometer with a hand held GPS and Interstate mile posts. The overall miles of the return was 492.3 on the ODO v 492.29 on the GPS. The ODO compared with Mile Posts: First check was 66.9 ODO v 67 Mile post, Second Check was 91.6 ODO v 92 Mile post.
Speed: The IC speed was compared with GPS real time speed while on ACC at 80 mph. The GPS read out varies about 2 mph so the only comparison is a WAG. I would WAG that the IC speed runs 1.5 mph faster than the GPS.
Fuel Efficiency: The ACC was set at 80 mph for most of the trip. Outbound we had mostly wet pavement and (IC) averaged 69.5 MPH. The IC MPG was 23.0, the actual was 22.1 MPG. The return saw dry pavement the entire distance and (IC) averaged 70.7 MPH. The IC MPG was 24.0, the actual was 22.9 MPG.
BTW, we pumped regular gas. The next time we will make the trip on a Hi-Test grade.
Distance traveled: We compared the BMW Instrument Cluster (IC) odometer with a hand held GPS and Interstate mile posts. The overall miles of the return was 492.3 on the ODO v 492.29 on the GPS. The ODO compared with Mile Posts: First check was 66.9 ODO v 67 Mile post, Second Check was 91.6 ODO v 92 Mile post.
Speed: The IC speed was compared with GPS real time speed while on ACC at 80 mph. The GPS read out varies about 2 mph so the only comparison is a WAG. I would WAG that the IC speed runs 1.5 mph faster than the GPS.
Fuel Efficiency: The ACC was set at 80 mph for most of the trip. Outbound we had mostly wet pavement and (IC) averaged 69.5 MPH. The IC MPG was 23.0, the actual was 22.1 MPG. The return saw dry pavement the entire distance and (IC) averaged 70.7 MPH. The IC MPG was 24.0, the actual was 22.9 MPG.
BTW, we pumped regular gas. The next time we will make the trip on a Hi-Test grade.
And this supposes you have the stock tires and wheels. 
03-25-2009, 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by flipnf3rno' post='826295' date='Mar 25 2009, 11:59 AM
I also thought that the speed on the cluster was a little off too. I have a Garmin Nuvi 200 and I compared the speed measurement on that while running the cruise control in the car and the car seemed to show the speed at always being 2 mph faster. I would set the cruise control at 80 mph and the garmin would show 78 mph. I also tested this with my loaner 328i that I have right now and I am getting almost the same inaccuracy. I would set the cruise control at 80 and the garmin would hover between 77-78.
03-25-2009, 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by slickE60' post='826310' date='Mar 25 2009, 12:12 PM
Regular gas??????? You must be leasing it if you're abusing your engine with regular gas .
.If one were to tear down and inspect the engines on two like cars at say 100K, what wound be found to be different between the regular used engine form the HiTest used engine? I would consider some good scientific analysis of this.
BTW when I pump regular it is 87 octane.