Speedometer marking question
 

I should know the answer to this one since I have been driving MBs for over 25 years but I have never bothered to find out.

Since about 1973 in Australia, we have had speedometers that read in kilometres rather than miles. All the MBs delivered here since that time have had the "Euro" speedometers with the yellow markings between 50 and 60km/h. What are these markings for? I notice that the UK and US speedometers with MPH and km/h don't have the same markings.

Whilst searching for an answer I found a pic posted recently regarding the markings for the maximum speeds in each gear. I hope Vronsky does not mind me using his pic. Ignore the markings he has circled that related to his question, it is the yellow shading between 50 and 60 that interests me.

Hi Greg,

the city speed limit in Germany is 50 km/h, so my guess is that this band helps to see with one look whether you are "in a safe" speed, as the first few kilometer above will not get you stopped plus the fact that the speedometer indicates a slightly higher speed than actually driven.

Its just my guess, though, but I believe the last VW I drove in
Germany had that band, too.
Regards
Reinhard Kreutzer

Whoops!:o :o :o :eek: :eek: :o :o

Sorry, I didn't read your post all the way through!

I would love to delete it, please? It hurts my pride.

Its late here and my brain is on empty. Sorry. I think Reinhard is right, too. Speed limits are taken quite strictly over there.

That's OK. Often we are anxious to help others and reply quickly before reading their entire post. I have deleted my reply. Apology accepted. Feel free to delete your posts.

I believe those markings indicate maximum speed in the corresponding gear. One "dash" = max speed in first, etc. . .

I may be wrong, but my theory seems to work.

Please read my post right through. I know what the maximum speed in each gear marks are. The photo is reproduced from a previous post regarding that.

What I am asking is what the shading between 50 and 60 is for?

RKreutzer has got it right.
The yellow 'shading' between the 50 and 60 km/h marks is there to indicate the speed range you should be driving in, when in city areas. Many european cars have 'shading' in the 110 - 120 km/h marks to indicate the speed range for the freeways too. It's as simple as that..

Freestyler

Thanks Reinhard and Freestyler. I won't have to wonder about those markings again.