Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Winter Driving - (does odometer register accurately if wheels slip in snow/ice?)

A.J. · 12-07-2010, 11:59 AM

Hi everyone,

Since yesterday was the first big snowstorm up here in Montreal, I started thinking...

If you drive a car without traction control, and you spin your tires (involuntarily, of course), does the odometer record a longer distance than the real one?
This would be a source of error in MPG calculations (At least the ones computed by hand, I don't know about the ScanGauge)

I'll try to gather data over the next few weeks & find out, but I was wondering if someone knows?

P.S. In summer, my speedometer usually reads a distance about 3% shorter than according to the GPS.

12-07-2010, 11:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
A.J. EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Posts: 57 The Countess - '03 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 90 day: 25.66 mpg (US) Thanks: 15 Thanked 7 Times in 4 Posts	Winter Driving - (does odometer register accurately if wheels slip in snow/ice?) Hi everyone, Since yesterday was the first big snowstorm up here in Montreal, I started thinking... If you drive a car without traction control, and you spin your tires (involuntarily, of course), does the odometer record a longer distance than the real one? This would be a source of error in MPG calculations (At least the ones computed by hand, I don't know about the ScanGauge) I'll try to gather data over the next few weeks & find out, but I was wondering if someone knows? P.S. In summer, my speedometer usually reads a distance about 3% shorter than according to the GPS.