GPS as substitute for odometer anyone? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

gmercoleza · #1 08-28-2006, 12:09 PM

OK, the odo in my 380SE is slipping even more. After registering a measly 13mpg on my last fillup, I calculated and determined that the odo is reporting about 40% of actual miles now (it used to report 66.6%). I fear it will continue to slip more and will soon be dead. Not that it's useful anymore anyway.

I really need an odo for mpg readings and maintenance schedule. Rather than pump a few hundred bucks into getting it rebuilt, I think purchase of a GPS in the $200 to $300 range is more logical and justified.

I would like to know if there is a GPS out there in this price range - or less - that will record and keep track of the miles I drive without me having to specify a route beforehand. I am looking for the cheapest route here, as odometer substitute is my main objective, rather than navigation (though nav would be a fringe benefit). How about one of these: http://shop1.outpost.com/product/4894030?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG ?

Anyone? TIA

Wes Bender · #2 08-28-2006, 07:01 PM

A GPS would work in lieu of a speedometer because almost all will indicate your speed, but I don't know of any that would log miles covered. Mostly they track point to point.

Why not do a search on the diesel forum for odometer repair and then fix yours. Probably way cheaper than buying a GPS and it really isn't difficult to do.

Wes

Larry Delor · #3 08-28-2006, 07:36 PM

I paid $120 to get my speedo/odo rebuilt on my old 420SEL. Prices should still be around that figure.

iwrock · #4 08-28-2006, 07:43 PM

Wow. The speedo in my 88 300TE is starting to have problems. For every 10 miles that I travel, it registers 1 mile...

Are you concerned with the vehicle no longer passing the mileage test? Hows about the vehicle history showing a discrepency in the miles?

gmercoleza · #5 10-04-2006, 02:50 PM

I ended up getting this: http://www.garmin.com/products/geko201/ for only $59 brand new from Fry's (web special). Couldn't be happier. Does trip, average speed, maximum speed (neat), has a speedometer, etc. Interestingly, I found that my 380SE speedo is fast by about 2 mph whereas all my other vehicles are dead accurate. Really cool, tons of features, and I can take it hiking or use it as a cycle computer. I also bought a map-based step-by-step WAAS enabled voice guidance GPS, but that's another story...

mgburg · #6 10-08-2006, 11:27 AM

Gmercoleza:

I bought a GARMIN GPS-12XL ($189.87 [tax included] from Gander Mountain) back in September of 2000...stuck in on the dash of my vehicle (purchased the cigarette-lighter power-adapter), and it's been a God-send ever since!

Anytime I would be going on extended runs with any other vehicle, I'd transfer the unit & plug to that vehicle and away I'd go.

Now, the 12XL gives you a few different screens - "bread crumb" so you can find your way out of unfamiliar territories (Works beautifully!), actual speed on two different screens (your preference as to what you like better in the "speedometer" mode for the size of the MPH display ... One mode I call BSD [Back-Seat-Driver] and the other is Anti-BSD - whatever one causes the least amount of "BSD-tongue-itis"

) and finally, it also give you the accumulated mileage - that mode still increments even if you're on any of the other different screens.

Recommendation: I don't believe that GARMIN is making the 12XL model anymore - you may want to go on-line and see if there's one available that way - then have GARMIN "refurbish" the unit and update the software for approx. $78.00 US.

I'm sending mine in this week for that exact process.

BTW: This unit HAS SAVED MY "*$$" AT LEAST 7 TIMES BY SHOWING ME HOW "BAD" AN ESTIMATOR I REALLY AM FOR HOW FAST I'M ACTUALLY GOING!!!

Each time I managed to look up and "see" how fast I was going - I'd lift the "lead" and coast back to normal - and within 2-4 minutes, there'd be an officer runnin' "gun" - (I SINCERELY believe the Lord is working in mysterious ways!

)

Anyway you go, you'll be really happy with using the GPS unit to supplement your vehicle's own odometer.

One further note...Occasionally, the satellites are prone to having to be "reset" by either NOAA, DOD or whatever other Government Alphabet Organization (we probably haven't even heard of some of them yet!

) out there. Don't fret...the satellites will always return. Sometimes the outages are as short as 5 minutes and the worst I've seen is as much as a 1/2 hour. Just consider it the "price of freedom" and all will be right with the world.

BTW-2: The ONLY thing I can congratulate Clinton on is that during the last few months of his presidency, he was responsible for issuing an edict that removed the DOD "dithering" commands that the satellites were operating under. Most consumer GPS units, at that time, had accuracy specs only as good as +/- 200 feet to 300 feet. Now, you have accuracies as good as 8-12 feet. Not too bad for tracking your vehicle's speed - or anything else you want to measure...just remember, the elevation still has issues, so don't set your bungee-cord length based on what the GPS is tellin' you...rocks aren't that forgiving!

92300SE · #7 10-08-2006, 02:07 PM

The replacement clusters for those early,gas, cars W126 are dirt cheap,anybody can pull the cluster,hook a replacement one in less then 20 min.Go to silverstarrecycling.com,big junkard in CA,I got a cluster for a 380 sec 40$ including shipping...just swap them,or search for one on ebay.

Botnst · #8 10-08-2006, 02:24 PM

GPS works great on flat, treeless land. The more terrain relief and cover you have the greater the chance for limiting the satellite constellation and also the greater the probability of multipath reflections.

Concerning selective availability (intentionally degrading the positional accuracy) it can be reinstated at the flip of a switch.

B