Markings on Speedometer Dial.
 

What do the Single, Double, and Triple marks on the speedometer dial suppose to indicate?

Phil

Shift points ? :confused:

Redline in each gear (otherwise known as maximum speed for each gear). Do not exceed that speed, especially on older engines, as they tend to do nasty things like throw rods out the side of the block when you do.

Peter

Do these markings on the speedometer supersede the red line on the tachometer? For example: If I was to keep the automatic transmission in first gear, and stepped on the gas, will I reach the first mark on the speedometer prior to reaching the red line on the tachometer?

Phil

No, they should match pretty close (allowing for speedo errors). Do not exceed redline on the tach under any circumstances.

Up to the W123s, most MBs didn't have tachs, hence the marks on the speedo.

Usually, automatics will upshift about 5 mph less than the hash marks even with the kickdown engaged. Watch on manual downshifts, though.

Peter

Keep those marks in mind when you're downshifting . . . it's probably easier to over rev an engine when you slip into a lower gear than running up the gears.

like MTI said, those marks are for downshifting.

for upshifting, you have the tachometer to refer to. But it is more difficult on downshifting to determine ahead of time, using the tachometer alone, if a downshift at a given speed/gear to a lower gear will over-rev the engine at that lower gear.

For downshifting, you look at the speedometer reading and the marking on the dial corresponding to your target gear - the speedometer needle should be below that hash mark for a safe gearchange.

Thanks guys. The answers make sense.


Phil

Actually the hash marks are for keeping the engine from over-revving going down hill.