Kmh Only Displayed On Panel- Is This Ok? (1 Viewer)

Jun 1, 2015
247
455
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36,651
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On and off since 1990
Hi, I'm having to change my moho and have been looking at a 2009 lhd chausson from a dealer. The display panel and odometer dial/reading is in kilometres only which I thought needed to be changed when the van was registered in the uk but the dealer says this is not the case. I asked how you know what speed you are doing over here and he informs me that most people put scratch marks for mph!!!! I also asked about changing the fascia and was told it would be about £500 & so it wasn't worth doing.
Grateful for any help with this
 

DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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It certainly used to be a requirement, however I have a friend of mind recently registered their French car in England, obviously that only displays kmh. It passed its mot. So I guess the answer is no.

Simple rule, 80kph is 50mph exactly, 100 is 60ish 120 is 70ish. Or put a sat navy in the window?
 
OP
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Jun 1, 2015
247
455
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36,651
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
On and off since 1990
Thank you for your prompt reply- good to know no longer a requirement.

Hadn't thought of using the sat nav (sits in it's lovely padded case most of the time :giggle:) but that's a really good idea which I would definitely do thank you.

Guess the mot would give odometer reading in km or does it not make any distinction do you know?

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funflair

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Dec 11, 2013
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Ours is in Km/Km/h only with 30 and 50 mph over the dial with stick on numbers, no problem with MOT.

Martin
 
OP
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Jun 1, 2015
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Thank you Martin, probably a good idea for me to put stickers on too! I wonder if anyone has made plastic removable overlays so that can have mph over here and then take them off when on the continent?
 
Nov 3, 2013
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Hi.
I am a Sinner,of the ",ish" Gang. That does NOT mean that DanielFord is a "Sinner?".......... LOL. Another old Navajo Indian trick i learnt at Gran pappy,s knee was..... Run at the same speed as everybody else...... only....in the middle.
Tea Bag

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pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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Mine is in miles but the mot is in km's.

Americans wouldnt know a kilometer if it jumped up and slapped them but the mot tester just assumed as its lhd it must be km's
 

Badknee

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My Eunos (MX5) has a new stick on speedo face in mph/ kmh.
 

DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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@Tea Bag I am certainly in the sinner "ish" crowd when in Europe, the kmh figures on my speedo are way too small, and the wrong colour for me to read with my sunglasses on, so I use the speed limit info from my Sat Nav (TomTom) which gives me the approximate speed limit in mph. This is another tip for you @Bridget you may find it useful to put your speedo units to KPH, you will then get the speed limit delivered to you as a KPH figure, if your sat nav gives you speed limit info?
If we convert between the two, in a 60mph limit, the Sat Nav will probably say that the speed limit is 100 KPH, 60 is actually 102 KPH, so you will be ever so slightly below the limit. And in fact since it would appear most of the muppets on the road think that the national speed limit on a single in a car is 50mph, you'll be going 8ish mph faster than everyone else :D

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OP
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Jun 1, 2015
247
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On and off since 1990
Now I will have to unzip that lovely case and see if I can input speedo units to kph (it does have speed limit info )cos that is a really good idea thank you! I would like to be doing 8mph more but unfortunately would be stuck with the numpties as van over 3500kg !:(
 

DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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Now I will have to unzip that lovely case and see if I can input speedo units to kph (it does have speed limit info )cos that is a really good idea thank you! I would like to be doing 8mph more but unfortunately would be stuck with the numpties as van over 3500kg !:(
In which case you are fine :D
 

Allanm

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Jun 30, 2013
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@Tea Bag I am certainly in the sinner "ish" crowd when in Europe, the kmh figures on my speedo are way too small, and the wrong colour for me to read with my sunglasses on, so I use the speed limit info from my Sat Nav (TomTom) which gives me the approximate speed limit in mph. This is another tip for you @Bridget you may find it useful to put your speedo units to KPH, you will then get the speed limit delivered to you as a KPH figure, if your sat nav gives you speed limit info?
If we convert between the two, in a 60mph limit, the Sat Nav will probably say that the speed limit is 100 KPH, 60 is actually 102 KPH, so you will be ever so slightly below the limit. And in fact since it would appear most of the muppets on the road think that the national speed limit on a single in a car is 50mph, you'll be going 8ish mph faster than everyone else :D
I always use my sat nav for speed, it's far more accurate than my speedo and my speedo dial had kph in red and can't easily be seen when driving in foreign parts.
But, 62 mph is 100kph, not the other way round

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DanielFord

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Jun 1, 2013
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I always use my sat nav for speed, it's far more accurate than my speedo and my speedo dial had kph in red and can't easily be seen when driving in foreign parts.
But, 62 mph is 100kph, not the other way round
I knew that LOL!

Edit to add
You have the same problem as me, I have trouble reading anything in red, sunglasses or not!
 

JeanLuc

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Nov 17, 2008
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Hymer B630 Star-Line
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When we bought our Hymer, it had stickers marking 30, 50 and 70 mph on a standard German kph dial. Having read up on the matter, I realised that it was not fully legal. It is a requirement that the speedo indicates mph and this can be achieved by the use of stickers at the critical points. The catch is that these must be illuminated at night and unless you contrive some additional lighting, this is unlikely to be the case with stickers on the plastic speedo 'glass'. Strangely, it is not an MOT failure issue***, but it is a legal requirement and might go against you in the event of an accident, or 'meaning of life' discussion with 'Plod'.
I opted to change the fascia which I got from Lockwoods Broken Link Removed . It looks identical to the Mercedes standard UK mph unit although the odometer remains in km of course (this is legal - it is only the speed that must be in mph).

*** thanks to Barclaybasher for pointing out (see below) it IS now an MOT failure issue!

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Last edited:
Apr 13, 2012
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Strangely, it is not an MOT failure issue,

From January 2012:


Speedometer
The car will fail if a speedometer is not fitted, is incomplete, inoperative, has a dial glass broken/missing or cannot be illuminated.


I looked this up this year when my speedo cable (old van) broke just before its MOT

It still passed................ the MH is not driven as part of the MOT so the tester didn't know

It was fixed shortly afterwards, might have looked strange if the mileometer read exactly the same next time...........


(y)
 
OP
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Jun 1, 2015
247
455
Cornwall
Funster No
36,651
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
On and off since 1990
The catch is that these must be illuminated at night and unless you contrive some additional lighting, this is unlikely to be the case with stickers on the plastic speedo 'glass'.
Now I remember what it was that made me think this was an issue- thank you.
 
OP
OP
B
Jun 1, 2015
247
455
Cornwall
Funster No
36,651
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
On and off since 1990
Speedometer
The car will fail if a speedometer is not fitted, is incomplete, inoperative, has a dial glass broken/missing or cannot be illuminated.
Now I've just worked out what the multi quote is for....doh!
The moho that I am looking at does have a current mot - is it possible for it to pass because it does actually work? Is there a difference between what is legally required and what is needed for mot?
If it is illegal to not have mph displayed then I would want the dealer to sort this prior to purchase.
JeanLuc is right tho, not just a case of legality but also how insurance company may have "wriggle room" should I have an accident.

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Weinsbergaman

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Feb 8, 2015
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Copied from the DVLA website:

That a speedometer has been fitted which is capable of indicating speed in both miles per hour and
kilometres per hour, either simultaneously, or by operation of a switch.
Note: We can not accept secondary devices, hand written changes or multiple stickers applied to the
speedometer. We can only accept the changes detailed below.
The speedometer must be marked up to the maximum speed of the vehicle, with graduations at 1, 2, 5, or
10mph, and with values at intervals not exceeding 20mph. For this change we can accept the following
options.
a) That the factory fitted speedometer is dual marked as standard
b) The existing (digital) speedometer is, permanently, re-programmed, through a standard feature of the
vehicle, to display the vehicle speed in mph
c) A miles per hour speedometer is fitted in-place of the factory fitted unit
d) A professional, single, miles per hour, overlay is applied directly to the speedometer face plate, not the
glass front plate (the overlay must be durable and accurate, with markings visible in both day and night
driving conditions).
e) A dual marked dial / facia has been added as a replacement to the factory fitted one


IMO the speedo needs to show MPH and be illuminated.

Thanks Antony
 
OP
OP
B
Jun 1, 2015
247
455
Cornwall
Funster No
36,651
MH
Coachbuilt
Exp
On and off since 1990
Thank you so much Antony, that solves it for me. :) Just need to go back to the dealer and see what they come up with!
 
Jun 11, 2011
376
435
Somerset
Funster No
16,828
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hymer s820
Exp
2000
hya when we moved back from France my french car had to have MPH for speed to get conformity cert for English reg....the Motorhome did not being exempt only change headlights lights on both and rear fogs

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OP
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Jun 1, 2015
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Hi s20hymer, when did you return and what made the motorhome exempt?
 
Feb 24, 2013
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Hymer S800
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Isn't it just typical that we overly compliant Brits have dual speeds on all UK made (or made for) vehicles, but the rest of Europe doesn't have mph on the inside of their speedos :)
 

Techno

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As said you can buy a professional original quality overlay for the dial from Lockwoods. Usually about £55 and quite easy to fit. I can swap a regular X250 series FIAT/Peugeot/Citroen dial in a bout 20 mins tops being careful.

Broken Link Removed

This is the replacement
speedo-XL.jpg

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Last edited:

Judge Mental

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Copied from the DVLA website:

That a speedometer has been fitted which is capable of indicating speed in both miles per hour and
kilometres per hour, either simultaneously, or by operation of a switch.
Note: We can not accept secondary devices, hand written changes or multiple stickers applied to the
speedometer. We can only accept the changes detailed below.
The speedometer must be marked up to the maximum speed of the vehicle, with graduations at 1, 2, 5, or
10mph, and with values at intervals not exceeding 20mph. For this change we can accept the following
options.
a) That the factory fitted speedometer is dual marked as standard
b) The existing (digital) speedometer is, permanently, re-programmed, through a standard feature of the
vehicle, to display the vehicle speed in mph
c) A miles per hour speedometer is fitted in-place of the factory fitted unit
d) A professional, single, miles per hour, overlay is applied directly to the speedometer face plate, not the
glass front plate (the overlay must be durable and accurate, with markings visible in both day and night
driving conditions).
e) A dual marked dial / facia has been added as a replacement to the factory fitted one


IMO the speedo needs to show MPH and be illuminated.

Thanks Antony


Plus a KPH speedo does not comply with "UK construction and use regulations" which are statute law? Not sure why some think its fine because it get through an MOT

"Statute - An act of a legislature that declares, proscribes, or commands something; a specific law, expressed in writing."

Insurers attitude may be interesting in a serious claim if they discover a non MPH speedo....

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/35/made

if dealer cant be assed says a lot about their attitude?..wonder what rest of van like..... If he wont change go somewhere else and buy a compliant van or get a discount and sort it out yourself......
 

funflair

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Dec 11, 2013
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since 2012
Copied from the DVLA website:

That a speedometer has been fitted which is capable of indicating speed in both miles per hour and
kilometres per hour, either simultaneously, or by operation of a switch.
Note: We can not accept secondary devices, hand written changes or multiple stickers applied to the
speedometer. We can only accept the changes detailed below.
The speedometer must be marked up to the maximum speed of the vehicle, with graduations at 1, 2, 5, or
10mph, and with values at intervals not exceeding 20mph. For this change we can accept the following
options.
a) That the factory fitted speedometer is dual marked as standard
b) The existing (digital) speedometer is, permanently, re-programmed, through a standard feature of the
vehicle, to display the vehicle speed in mph
c) A miles per hour speedometer is fitted in-place of the factory fitted unit
d) A professional, single, miles per hour, overlay is applied directly to the speedometer face plate, not the
glass front plate (the overlay must be durable and accurate, with markings visible in both day and night
driving conditions).
e) A dual marked dial / facia has been added as a replacement to the factory fitted one


IMO the speedo needs to show MPH and be illuminated.

Thanks Antony

Hi Anthony

Does this just apply to first registration or all subsequent MOT, my reading some years ago suggested it was the first registration and then if it was registered OK with the Km readings it would pass MOT.

Can you link me to the DVLA website please.

Martin
 
Jun 11, 2011
376
435
Somerset
Funster No
16,828
MH
hymer s820
Exp
2000
hya ..Bridget we returned to England in 2009 it was what was required by dvla to get reg no's... as Andy has pointed out we got overlay from lockwoods for 400 cdi m/l but its not for faint hearted to change ..best of luck

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