Changing the speedometer on an imported car

Old Gill

I'm interested in importing a car from the UK but would prefer the speedometer in KM (as I'm a driving instructor and it's easier for pupils).

Is changing the speedometer clock on the dashboard a big issue or would the cost negate any savings made importing?

barneygumble99

Most cars will display km and miles if you go into the onboard settings. What car is it?

Del2005

Old Gill wrote: »

I'm interested in importing a car from the UK but would prefer the speedometer in KM (as I'm a driving instructor and it's easier for pupils).

Is changing the speedometer clock on the dashboard a big issue or would the cost negate any savings made importing?

It's a lot of hassle for not much extra convenience. For an analogue speedo just get a km/h sticker and stick it to the glass.

biko

It's different for each brand.

coylemj

Old Gill wrote: »

I'm interested in importing a car from the UK but would prefer the speedometer in KM (as I'm a driving instructor and it's easier for pupils).

It will be easier for a pupil to see the speed as a digital display in the centre of the speedo rather than taking their eye of the road for long enough to figure out what number the needle is pointing at so get a car with a digital display in the centre of the speedo or alongside it and just set the units to kms.

To answer your question, lots of main dealers here are importing cars from the UK and as far as I can see, none of them change the speedo. If you look at the cars on their websites, you'll see a shot of the dash and if you can make out the top number on the speedo and it's 160 or so, that's an MPH display so it's an import. The Irish equivalent model would go up to 200 kph.

Here's an E220 coupe on Ballsbridge Motors, check out the head-on shot of the dash, the speedo goes up to 160 so it's an import.....

https://www.mslballsbridgemercedes-benz.ie/used-cars/Mercedes-Benz/E-Class/E-220/201810041163500/

If they're not bothering to change the speedo for premium cars, I can't see them doing it for any car as the labour and hassle will be almost the same regardless of model. So for a private owner, it's probably not a realistic option.

Wildly Boaring

I know theres a simple sticker for the speedo in the UK if bringing in a Jap import

Perhaps someone does similar here?
Would need to be specific to that car and model

Taypot

Driving a car with mph clocks would be a compromise.

bazz26

Lol, compromise. It's a simple matter of just training your brain, the same way people did back in 2005 when new cars switched to kph only. It's funny really as if you asked an Irish person for directions and how far some place was, I'd bet their answer would be in miles rather than kilometers. God help us if we ever had to switch to another currency, how would the millennials cope?

Anyway back to the OP situation as a driving instructor, I can understand they don't want to add confusion to learner drivers. As said it really depends on the make/model of car, some have the speed displayed digitally which can toggle between mph and kph. Others might not and your looking at changing the analog speedo dials which on some models is an awkward or expensive job.

Taypot

Lol, training your brain.

bazz26

Lol, compromise.

rainbowtrout

Go for a make/model with a digital display so it can just be switched over. Analog too much hassle.

colm_mcm

Normally I’d say it’s no problem having mph clocks; but for a driving instructors car I’d def say having kmph clocks would be better.


What car is it?

newmember2

If you're in Dublin I know Logic Automotive in Greenogue do it.

zilog_jones

Something with a digital speedo is probably the easiest solution, I suppose if you give a age/size/budget then people might be able to give more specific recommendations for what cars have them.

bazz26 wrote: »

God help us if we ever had to switch to another currency, how would the millennials cope?

Most definitions of Millennials puts them at around 20-35 years old now, so they mostly already went through the Euro changeover. Kids these days aren't Millennials

newmember2

zilog_jones wrote: »

...Most definitions of Millennials puts them at around 20-35 years old now, so they mostly already went through the Euro changeover. Kids these days aren't Millennials

What are you on?

Totally OT but millennials are people born since the millennium

Kintarō Hattori

newmember? wrote: »

What are you on?

Totally OT but millennials are people born since the millennium

'There are no precise dates for when this cohort starts or ends; demographers and researchers typically use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials

GarIT

I don't know anything about getting it done but for someone taking driving lessons anything other than the main original measurement being in Km/h would be totally unacceptable. I'd want a refund. A sticker wouldn't be good enough.

zilog_jones

No, it's the generation before that - it's people who grew up around the turn of the millennium. They're all adults now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials

Many would have started driving before the speed limits went metric.

newmember2

Still OT but I can't see the fascination with that generation. Millennials to me are those that have been born into the internet age.

Del2005

GarIT wrote: »

I don't know anything about getting it done but for someone taking driving lessons anything other than the main original measurement being in Km/h would be totally unacceptable. I'd want a refund. A sticker wouldn't be good enough.

You know the original is just a sticker on a panel inside the glass. What difference does it matter where the sticker is once it's accurate? A refund FFS!

Old Gill

Thanks, the digital display sounds the best bet

GarIT

Del2005 wrote: »

You know the original is just a sticker on a panel inside the glass. What difference does it matter where the sticker is once it's accurate? A refund FFS!

A sticker over the glass would obscure the needle. Someone nervous and just starting to drive shouldn't have to be having to do maths while learning. I'd see it no different to the instructor showing up in a left hand drive car. Sure it works the same but it's not made for Irish roads and it's an unnecessary complication.

Del2005

GarIT wrote: »

A sticker over the glass would obscure the needle. Someone nervous and just starting to drive shouldn't have to be having to do maths while learning. I'd see it no different to the instructor showing up in a left hand drive car. Sure it works the same but it's not made for Irish roads and it's an unnecessary complication.

The needle will be pointing at 50km/h whether the needle is behind or ahead of the sticker if someone needs to do maths to read it then they shouldn't be driving

goat2

I had the lend of a family members old car about 6 mths ago, was doing great until the camera van came into view, I looked at clock and thought I was under the speed limit, but the penny dropped a half an hour later when I realised I had been reading MPH and not KPH, anyway I got caught speeding, It can catch one out

PaulKK

goat2 wrote: »

I had the lend of a family members old car about 6 mths ago, was doing great until the camera van came into view, I looked at clock and thought I was under the speed limit, but the penny dropped a half an hour later when I realised I had been reading MPH and not KPH, anyway I got caught speeding, It can catch one out

Not having a pop but in fairness there's a big difference between 50km/hr and 50mph or 60km/hr and 60mph.

I've always had mph clocks and don't see the big deal at all.

Turbohymac

Lots of models and makes allow you to select either mph or kilometers..my wifes kajar had mph when it came in from uk and she had it set to km in a few minutes..and the numbers are huge so maybe the smaller captur or clio would have similar... wouldn't change speedo at all but yes for a learner car km would be fairly high on the list of essentials

Henry Ford III

I was driving a UK reg'd car yesterday (VRT process is underway) that obviously had a mph speedo.

A few minutes later it had a digital kph readout displayed too. Very clever car.