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Instrument needles don't drop to zero when car is off?

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by Air_Cooled_Nut, Jun 16, 2005.

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  1. Air_Cooled_Nut

    Air_Cooled_Nut Formula Junior

    Nov 25, 2004
    952
    Portland, Oregon
    Full Name:
    Toby Erkson
    #1 Air_Cooled_Nut, Jun 16, 2005
    Why is it in every Ferrari I've seen (so far) that the speedometer and tachometer needles are not resting in the zero position? When the car is started do they set themselves to zero? Or do they stay there until the speed/rpm reach that value, then they start moving up accordingly? I just find it extremely odd.

    Heh, now I know why many of the after-market gauges look like they do, they're imitating the Ferrari gauge face.
     
  2. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,689
    North shore, MA
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    THE Birdman
    #2 Birdman, Jun 16, 2005
    Normal for a Ferrari speedo is to stop at 10 MPH. If you are going under 10 MPH it doesn't move. Some of the speedos actually have a little rest stop for the needle at 10 MPH to be SURE it won't go lower!

    The idea of course is that a Ferrari looks like its going fast even when still, so you get an extra 10 MPH just for being in a Ferrari!

    Birdman
     
  3. steve f

    steve f F1 World Champ

    Mar 15, 2004
    12,119
    12cylinder town
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    steve
    #3 steve f, Jun 16, 2005
    mine is at 10mph stood still
     
  4. rickjaffe

    rickjaffe Formula Junior

    Mar 6, 2005
    363
    houston
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    richard jaffe
    #4 rickjaffe, Jun 16, 2005
    ditto here; speedo is 10 mph at rest and tach is at 500. thought it was just my car.
     
  5. FasterIsBetter

    FasterIsBetter F1 Veteran

    Jul 22, 2004
    5,855
    NoNJ/Jupiter FL
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    Steve W.
    #5 FasterIsBetter, Jun 16, 2005
    The Ferrari gauges, speedo and tach, are electric, not mechanical. A mechanical gauge will drop to 0, but many electric gauges do not, like the Ferrari's. As others have said, up to 10 mph, the speedo doesn't move, then starts moving once you are above that and the signal from the sender is sufficient to cause it to move. Simply a design issue in how those gauges and the sender work. It's really not an issue. I can't think of a single time other than when stopped for a traffic light that the car is doing less than 10 mph. And when the car is stopped, the gauge certainly doesn't delude me into believing I'm actually moving.
     
  6. Air_Cooled_Nut

    Air_Cooled_Nut Formula Junior

    Nov 25, 2004
    952
    Portland, Oregon
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    Toby Erkson
    #6 Air_Cooled_Nut, Jun 17, 2005
    I like Birdman's answer :D

    Just curious. FIB, my OHM meter, VW's speedo & tach stop at zero so that doesn't make sense to me...corner cutting by Ferrari, perhaps? :p But I agree, anything less than 10mph isn't worth measuring ;)

    Thanks, just found this aspect of Ferrari very odd.
     
  7. FasterIsBetter

    FasterIsBetter F1 Veteran

    Jul 22, 2004
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    Steve W.
    #7 FasterIsBetter, Jun 17, 2005
    Yeah, and when the cops see us driving down the street in a Ferrari, they assume we are going 10 mph faster than we actually are too. Especially if the car is red, which adds another 10 mph to their assumption.
     
  8. Birdman

    Birdman F1 Veteran

    Jun 20, 2003
    6,689
    North shore, MA
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    THE Birdman
    #8 Birdman, Jun 17, 2005
    Yeah, and add another 10 for a Tubi. So if you have a loud, red Ferrari, you are automatically going 30 MPH over the speed limit no matter what!

    ;)

    Birdman
     

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