Your vehicle comes with a variety of instruments, one of which is the odometer. The odometer keeps track of how many miles your car has traveled. You should be aware that certain factors can impact your odometer’s accuracy. Let’s find out: do bigger tires affect odometer mileage readings?
Your vehicle’s odometer is set for the stock tires that were put on at the factory. But if you add bigger or smaller tires, they may affect your odometer’s accuracy.
Key Takeaways
- Putting larger (or smaller) tires on your vehicle will affect your odometer and speedometer readings.
- You must get your odometer and speedometer appropriately recalibrated every time you change your tires.
- You can bring your vehicle to a mechanic to have your odometer and speedometer recalibrated appropriately for your new tires.
Will Bigger Tires Change My Odometer Mileage?
Yes, bigger tires affect odometer accuracy, and could change the reading you get. Larger tires end up traveling a longer distance each time they go around because of their size. As a result, larger tires tend to make your odometer have a lower reading than your actual travel mileage.
If you put larger tires on your vehicle, you should ask a mechanic to recalibrate the odometer to suit the size of your tires. This should fix the problem.
You should have the odometer recalibrated each time that you put new tires on your vehicle. This is true even if you stick with the same tire size the vehicle had when you bought it.
Why Is Your Odometer Reading Important?
Your odometer keeps track of the total distance your vehicle travels, from the moment it is manufactured all the way until today.
Knowing the mileage is crucial information when it comes to timing maintenance and when to change the tires. Also, buyers often base their decision on whether to purchase a used car based on the odometer reading.
Additionally, as a vehicle owner, you’re required by law to take care of the odometer and make sure it reads the correct mileage.
Will Smaller Tires Change the Odometer Reading?
Yes, smaller tires will affect your odometer reading. However, the effect is the opposite of what you get with larger tires.
If you don’t recalibrate the odometer, it’s going to read that there are more tire revolutions, as a smaller tire has to turn more to cover the same distance.
Just like with the larger tires, you will need to get a recalibration done on the car and odometer to make sure that it will still have correct readings.
Do Bigger Tires Affect the Speedometer?
Yes, larger tires do affect the speedometer. This is one of the ways wheel size affects car performance.
As you probably already know, the speedometer keeps track of how fast you’re driving.
The speedometer gets its reading on how many revolutions the tires make and how quickly they do so.
If you change the size of the tires to be bigger, you must also recalibrate the speedometer.
If you have larger tires and don’t get your speedometer recalibrated, you’ll get inaccurate speed readings.
How Can I Recalibrate My Odometer for the Larger Tires?
This will depend on the type of odometer that is found in your vehicle.
If you have a mechanical odometer, there is more work involved in a recalibration. You may need to have a professional step in and do a lot of the work for you.
The good news is that most modern cars will have an electronic odometer. You can pull out the owner’s manual and see how to recalibrate these. It often just takes a few buttons.
If you have trouble or any doubts, bring your vehicle to a mechanic.
Should I Get Bigger Tires on My Car?
When you’re adding larger tires to your vehicle, it is usually on an SUV or a truck. Larger tires can make your vehicle look amazing and can be a lot of fun for off-roading adventures.
However, you’ve got to make sure you don’t use tires that are too big for your vehicle.
You may not want to put bigger tires on a regular car, but it can make sense on a sports car. Choose a set that is wider and larger to increase the performance that you get for the car.
These tires will provide the superior traction that you want from a sports car, as well as greater stability for making those sharp corners.
Final Thoughts: Do Bigger Tires Affect Odometer Mileage Readings?
Changing the size of the tires on your car will affect the readings on your odometer and speedometer.
You must get your odometer and speedometer recalibrated whenever you change the tires on your vehicle. This is especially true if you’re getting larger or smaller tires.