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Home >> Mercedes Benz >> 2003 >> CLK500 >> Repair and Diagnosis >> External Pages >> Different car >> Section 324 (Electrical System, Equipment & Instructions -- CLK350 Coupe (209.356)) >> Basic Knowledge >> Displaying speed, function - GF54.30-P-3025Q

Displaying speed, function - GF54.30-P-3025Q

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Models 209.3 /4 

Fig 1: Speed Display Function Diagram
G07718241Courtesy of MERCEDES-BENZ USA

The electronic speedometer (A1p8) and speedometer segment ring are used to display the vehicle speed.

Speedometer segment ring 

This is located on the second, passive level of the central display, which contains the special active areas for displaying the segments. The display of the speedometer segment ring contains 52 segments in the ECE variants and 64 segments in the USA/UK variants; these segments are visible around the inner edge of the speedometer scale.

Measuring the vehicle speed 

This display is furnished as the distance covered in one hour in either miles or kilometers.

To calculate the vehicle speed, the processor in the instrument cluster (A1) evaluates the following wheel speed signals:

The instrument cluster (A1) receives the wheel speeds in RPM via the engine compartment CAN from the ESP and BAS control unit (N47-5).

Speed limit (winter tires) 

as of 1.6.03

If a speed limit is activated using the 2nd level of the instrument cluster (A1) the speedometer segment ring is hidden.

Evaluating the wheel speed signals 

Since the wheels do not always rotate at the same speed, all four wheel speeds must be evaluated. The actual process is relatively complex, which is why only a general description is provided here: The individual wheel speeds are compared and checked for plausibility. If there are no significant differences, the vehicle speed is determined using the rotational speed of the left front wheel. If the individual wheel speed signals differ considerably, the speed signals may be faulty or the vehicle may be cornering.

Digital speedometer 

The vehicle speed is shown in digital form on the display. The default value for the display unit (km/h or mph) is stored as a country-specific unit in nonvolatile memory and can be changed via "Settings" in the Configurations/Settings menu item. The digital speed display is matched to the speedometer display by a performance map. This ensures that the value of the analog needle position and the reading shown on the display are synchronized.

IMPORTANT No speed display appears if error messages are received for all four wheel speeds. As the distance readings are also based on monitored speed, the odometer will cease to operate.

IMPORTANT The scale of the electronic speedometer (A1p8) displays either kilometers per hour or miles per hour depending on the national vehicle version.

Instrument cluster (IC), location / task GF54.30-P-3039Q