[USMA:28362] Irish metric

Sat, 24 Jan 2004 11:14:45 -0800

Some interesting postings?  Will Irish cars also follow the switch to metric speed limit signs?
 
 
Any further information on the conversion?
 
Euric
 
 
Irish Speed Signs - Dermot, 13 july 2003
I tried to get a price for a metric dash conversion recently from a reputable dealer in Dublin and I was told that its impossible to put a metric dash board into an Irish car? So what do we all do next year when the speed signs change to KmH and we cant get Metric conversion speedo's?
re: Irish Speed Signs - John, 24 january 2004
nonsense. The dealer or the mechanic just didn't want to deal with your inquiry.

    You need not change out the whole dash, just the speedometer unit. You can find the compnay that made your car and obtain a part number for the metric model of the speedometer unit.

    Sometimes you can take the old one out and send it to a company that actually can change it over. That is new gear and faceplate, and a mo0dification of the miles to reflect the kilometre eqwuivalent.

    If that is not an option, then all you need do is get someone or yourself, if it is an easy task to do, to just swap out the old speedometer with the new speedometer.

    It is not that complicated.

    re: Irish Speed Signs - Pat Leahy, 15 july 2003
    There is no need to panic about the new KmH speed signs, apparently car speedo stickers will be distributed to all car dealerships in Southern Ireland, these are to be applied to the front of your current speedo and will display the Dominant speed in KmH, no matter what make of car or what age, unfortunately the Mile/Trip recorder will
    remain in Miles only even though the distance singage in Ireland displays Kilometres ;-(

"Km/h" not KPH - leroy walrond, 09 july 2003
Please note people, the international sign for km per hour ( even in countries not using our alphabet) is km/h ( KPH means Kilopascals per Hour.. "K" stands internationally for kilopascal. Nip the bad habit in the bud now and hopefully encourage UK roads departments to soon change as it is ridiculous that we will ahve a border with Ireland using one system. Northern Ireland another. In thos day and age it is ludicrous we in UK still "cling on" to these old things!
    re: - John, 24 january 2004
    No, KPH means nothing in SI. If there was such a unit as kilopascals per hour it would be: kPa/h. The solidus (/) means division and must be used whenever divion is intended.

    Speed is a ratio of distance per time, thus the solidus is important and needs to be there.

    P or p is not an accepted replacement for the solidus. The SI short form uses symbols and not abreviations, thus they follow the rules of symbol usage. That is no variations from standard, no wrong letters and no substitutions of letters, exponents, etc.

Metric dash (Ireland) - Dermot O'leary, 08 april 2003
Does anybody in (Southern-Ireland) know where I can buy a New Car with a Metric Dashboard ?

I am looking to buy a family estate, Volvo/Ford, whatever make, as long as it has a metric dash.

The reason that I want a Metric dash is because, I have heard a Radio interview with the Irish transport Minister 'Mr Seamus Brennan' and he has said that all the SPEED signage here in the Republic of Ireland will be changed to metric by the end of 2003/early 2004.

So it seems to me that if all the speed signs are changing, then I might as well get a car that matches the new signs!

p.s: (the distance signage is already metric)
 

    re: Metric dash (Ireland) - Raphael, 12 december 2003
    Having an entirely metric speedometer will not be essential, because British and Irish speedometers show speeds in both mph and km/h, although mph is more dominant. This means that when speed limit signs are changed, you just look at the numbers for km/h on your speedometer. Also, you'll probably find you'll end up memorising certain mph/ km/h equivalents, eg. 50km/h is about 30mph.

    re: Metric dash (Ireland) - Road Hog, 07 september 2003
    You cant get one yet baby, but I have been told that next year (2004) VW Beetles + Mercedes 'might' be available in Kilometres for the Irish market?

    re: Metric dash (Ireland) - John, 10 august 2003
    No you cant Ray, believe me when I say that I have tried, and the garages want a small fortune.

    re: Metric dash (Ireland) - Ray, 11 june 2003
    this wont be a problem you can get a metric dashboard very cheaply also i was looking around a bmw showroom and they have the option of fitting a kph dashboard for no extra charge i assume it'll be the same with other manufacturers

IRISH SPEED SIGNS - Kearon Mulcahy, 27 february 2003
I am hoping that somebody reading this 'Who lives in Ireland' might be able to shed some light on this perplexing Question?
Seamus Brennan - 'The Irish transport minister' will soon give the go ahead to change all Speed Signs in the Republic from (MPH) to (KPH). . .
but he seems to have overlooked the fact that all cars imported into the Republic are set up with (MPH) dash boards!!! and I have been relyably informed that we in Ireland will NOT be able to buy cars with (KPH) dash boards untill the 'UK' including (Northern Ireland) decide that they want to go Metric! & that might be ten or fifteen years: So folks "IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WE WILL BE WELL & TRULY STUFFED" Just imagine the scene in a years time - All Speed Signs & Distance signs in Metric, and all our cars with Imperial dash boards.... ?
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re: IRISH SPEED SIGNS - D. Cawthorne, 08 september 2003
Just a couple of points:

    There are already some european car markets which drive on the left, and use km/h (Malta and Cyprus)and further afield Australia, New Zealand, Japan and India also drive on the left and use km/h. There is no reason to suggest that just because the UK doesn't go metric, then Ireland will still import cars with MPH rather than km/h dash displays - even now Ireland is a different market - for instance you have Opel, not Vauxhall...

    Secondly, The UK government will not permit even limited metrication which is a bizzare situation - For instance "yards" could easily be replaced with "metres", with little problem... where they have been erected by forward thinking councils, they have been ordered to be removed by the government. At the same time children are taught in Metres at school, and have no idea how many yards are in a mile. What a bizzare system we have in the UK. Roll on metrication here too.

    re: IRISH SPEED SIGNS - Len Barry, 20 march 2003
    Will I be able to see these new speed signs easier in broad daylight with my fog lights switched on ?

    re: IRISH SPEED SIGNS - John McCarthy, 13 march 2003
    I agree with the original letter & I think that FOLLOW-UP is missing the point. Re: the US and Canadian markets - the situation in Ireland is very different.
    The UK has a population of approx 60 Million souls
    and so it imports cars specially made in bulk for that large market (Right hand drive/ MPH Dash) and its only a very small proportion of those vehicles that make their way over to Ireland (Population 3.5 Million souls) and probably less than 1 million of them drive.
    I suggest to you that it will prove too impractible & expensive to make cars 'specially' for the very small Irish market (right hand drive/ KPH Dash)!!!

    re: IRISH SPEED SIGNS - action, 07 march 2003
    Many cars are made in Europe for the UK and Irish market so it is quite possible to switch the speedo from MPH to KPH.
    Just look at the American and Canadian situation.
    Americans use MPH and Canadians use KPH.

    re: IRISH SPEED SIGNS - action, 07 march 2003
    Many cars are made in Europe so it is quite possible to switch the speedo from MPH to KPH.
    Just look at the American and Canadian situation.
    Americans use MPH

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