Speed, OBD-II jack, Axle Ratio ...

I felt guilty starting three separate threads for these questions, as they're all rather simple, and can probably be solved with one answer!! :bounce:

Let me first start off by saying that I've never been a speed-demon. I've always driven at 70mph on the interstate, and not much more. For years now, I would occasionally pass a car or two, but would, more or less, keep up with traffic.

I'm sticking to the same driving habits in the Sprinter. I set the cruise at 70mph, and according to the RPM gauge, I'm right around 2400-2500 RPM. It feels like people are racing around me! Even some of the trucks are passing me by. Maybe it's me and I'm just noticing more how insane people drive sitting up higher, or is there something wrong with what my speedometer says, and what I'm actually doing.

Where's the OBD-II connector on an '05 Sprinter? Is it pretty easily accessible, or is it buried somewhere? Thought about getting a ScanGauge II to monitor different stuff, but don't want to take apart half the dash board to figure out where it is.

I'm also reading about axle ratios. How do I know which axle ratio I have?

Thanks for the help,
Michael :)
 

acvr4

New member
I think mine's closer to 5mph (Scan Guage reading & I GPSed it too) when you get around there. I just figure I can go 5 over and it should be right.
I found that the computer on the Sprinter is reading the correct speed - same as the GPS - but the speedometer needle is that far off. :idunno:
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
Where's the OBD-II connector on an '05 Sprinter? Is it pretty easily accessible, or is it buried somewhere?
It's very easy to get at. I hooked up my scangauge to it but I can't tell you exactly where it is without going out to look and I'm too lasy to do that.

It's on the firewall, up fairly high, with a cover. I think it's above where the clurch pedal would be. Somewhere around there.

Actually, the speed difference (between indicated and actual) is a ratio. At 30 mph it isn't as many mph as it is at 70. It's roughly 7%.
 

PLUMMER

New member
Just got back from Las Vegas, picking up a new 2007 and noticed the same MPH differentiation. At 60 (per DIC) the needle is at 61 @ 70 the needle is at 73, @ 80 the needle is @ 80.5 @ 50 the needle is at 50 or the top side of the marker. All sppeds wee confirmed by GPS and 3 radar guns.

Surprisingly the DIC is the most accurate I have seen for all its INFO on any vehicle. I would guess a 3.92 rear axle by your rpms. My 4.18 is @ 2800 roughly @ a true 70 mph.

Do you have your window sticker ? Otherwise you'll have to search the vin code.
 
Well, there we have it then! Gotta love the Germans - they're always thinking about these little things that, to them, would seem to be helpful, but to us, we scratch our heads and say, :idunno:

One thing I noticed about the speedometer is that the "60" indicator is cocked slightly to the right of center tow on the steering wheel. I wonder if that was supposed to be aligned at dead center? It's a theory, but I doubt it's THAT simple. :)

Will have to go out and see if I can find the OBD-II connector. I was down in that area this afternoon applying some vinyl protectant, and saw something, but didn't look at it closely. I bet that's where it is. :)

One last thing ... for greater fuel efficiency, I read in another post that the speed should be kept between 68&70 ... anything over that, and it gets much worse. Is that 68-70 as read by the needle, or is it 68-70 adjusted? I would imagine that once I cross 2500 RPM, that mileage would begin to drop off. Right now, my first few tanks have yielded about 23mpg, and at highway speeds, I have the needle mark exactly on the 70 hash.

-Michael
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
We got a consistent 24mpg on our last road trip going 70mph (GPS reading) on our T1N.

One of these days (trips), I'm going to try for a reported 28mpg at 55mph (GPS reading). It sure is going to be a loooonnnngggg trip. :bounce:
 
I wouldn't be opposed to it at all. I don't do a huge amount of long-distance driving - perhaps a trip or two per year in excess of 1,000 miles. Most of my driving is down to Illinois and around South-Central and Southwestern Wisconsin. The thing that makes me nervous are the crazys that give you dirty looks when you're going 70! I would HATE to see their reaction when I would go 55!

I guess if I try it, I'll do three things:

1. Get bullet-proof glass installed

2. Remove my rear-view mirror

3. Fold my side mirrors in

That way, if my life is going to end, I won't see it coming! :bounce:
 

BaywoodBill

pre-Yuppiedom
I wouldn't be opposed to it at all. I don't do a huge amount of long-distance driving - perhaps a trip or two per year in excess of 1,000 miles. Most of my driving is down to Illinois and around South-Central and Southwestern Wisconsin. The thing that makes me nervous are the crazys that give you dirty looks when you're going 70! I would HATE to see their reaction when I would go 55!

I guess if I try it, I'll do three things:

1. Get bullet-proof glass installed

2. Remove my rear-view mirror

3. Fold my side mirrors in

That way, if my life is going to end, I won't see it coming! :bounce:
:clapping:
 

ChasM

New member
I checked the speedo and odo accuracy on my new standard height '07 Sprinter 2500 passenger van with the 4.1_ rear ratio. After utilizing many miles of CA mile markers, both the odo and speedo check out remarkably close. At one mile/60 sec the speedo is as close to reading 60 mph as I can visually determine. At 2,400 rpm the speedo indicates just above 60 mph (about 61+ mph by interpolation). At 2,800 rpm the speedo indicates just above 70 mph (about 71+ mph by interpolation).

Fuel mileage on the 450 mile trip home from the dealer (LA to Sacramento) in the brand new unladen vehicle with speed 60 - 65 mph was 21.8 mpg. Since the vehicle was new and the highway was mostly flat.... speed, rpm and load on engine was varied as much as practical for proper engine 'break-in'. The next 200 miles netted almost 18 mpg in mostly city driving. The first 340 mile trip towing a lightweight travel travel (loaded weight close to 5,000 lbs) with a KTM 525 EXC 4 stroke dirt bike in the van netted 14.0 mpg driving 55 - 60 mph about half freeway and half steep up and downhill driving in the Sierra Nevada mountains between Hwy 99 and Yosemite. I was pleasurably surprised and gratified by the towing prowess of the new 3.0 L V6. Incidentally, the computer generated mpg is very close to but slightly optimistic to the actual measured mpg.

I did the whole trailer towing trip on one tank of fuel!! 339.4 miles/24.166 gal fuel. The analog fuel gauge seems to indicate the fuel level fairly accurately. The Reserve warning came on very early at the 3/16 level. At fillup, the gauge indicated just above '0' (less than 1/16).
 

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