Can you imagine driving without any knowledge of your speed? Scary thought, right? The speedometer is a device located on your dashboard that displays how fast your car moves. Today, most speedometers are electronic and are a standard part of every vehicle.

The Most Common Problem with Speedometers

Seldom will your speedometer stop working out of the blue. While speedometer problems aren't as common, they're not impossible. Inaccurate speed is a prevalent issue within older vehicles, where the km/h may be lower or higher than the actual speed of your car. Sometimes, your speedometer may even erratically behave while you are driving. Whenever you catch these signs, it is important you get your car to an auto repair shop shortly. 

Diagnosing the Speedometer

If one of your concerns is speed accuracy, our technicians will happily test it for you. You can even do this on your own with a mile marker on the highway and a stopwatch. Furthermore, we will thoroughly examine your speed sensors, wires, and other parts associated with the speedometer. Below are some common explanations for a faulty speedometer:

• Broken speed sensor
• Malfunction in the engine control unit (ECU)
• Electrical wiring or fuse issue

Once we find the culprit, we'll offer you an estimate for the repairs and perform them if allowed.

Driving with an inaccurate or broken speedometer is highly unsafe. You may think you're off the hook by following traffic flow until you see police lights behind you. Next thing you know, you have a speeding ticket! To avoid the headaches altogether, please don't delay speedometer repairs. 

For all your automotive maintenance and repair needs in Burnaby, BC, please call or visit Nixon Automotive.