Tachometer Issue

[bones]

Has anybody had issues with the tachometer going to zero at idle?

[babbage]

Nope, is the car running rough, did it stall?

[Jimimac43]

Mine does it on occasion, car running fine, I tap on the tach and it works. Been told to check the connection to the tach, it is not that much of a problem for me to tear into the dash. My .02s worth. Good luck.

[bones]

Removed cluster & cleaned connections. Tachometer is still acting weird.

[Glenn-ho]

My tach has also been doing the same thing. I also cleaned the tach connections and it still does the same thing.

[dwrwebb]

several people have reported this issue, apparently...which connection(s) did you check/clean (where are they located...). I have heard (but not yet verified) that the EI system has a connection for the tach..perhaps start there...

[ctrlraven]

It's not hard to remove the gauge cluster and then take apart the cluster to remove the tach which is its own stand alone unit. It has metal points that click into the gauge cluster circuit board.

[dwrwebb]

how do you access all of that? I thought most manufacturers made it difficult to access the instrument cluster b/c people could then change the odometer...anyway, how do you access the tach?

[fastblackmerc]

how do you access all of that? I thought most manufacturers made it difficult to access the instrument cluster b/c people could then change the odometer...anyway, how do you access the tach?

Remove the cluster surround, then remove the gauge cluster.

Not difficult.

[dwrwebb]

ok...and from there I can check the plugs to the tach? Orperhaps I can check those plugs without removing the bezel...I shouldprobably start with the easiest stuff first and go from there...

[boatmangc]

Mine has done it since I got it. From about 800 RPMs it just drops, no rhyme or reason. A light thump to the bezel with the knuckles seems to get it back.
I took my cluster out and all connections were great.

Next I'm going to put a stop in at 800 so it cant fall below that. :mad2:

[ByronRACE]

If anyone knows how to fix this problem, or where to look, I'd be grateful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkCBRvtlAl4

I first noticed this issue after driving down a rough boardwalk. My guess is the vibration did something. Most of the time the tach is fine. When this problem manifests, it's at/near idle and the tach will get stuck reading zero until you raise the engine RPM above 1200 or so...then it will spring to life and either work normally, or read about 1/2 the normal scale. If you then raise rpm to about 2500RPM, the half scale problem always goes away and the tach reads fine until the next time you return to idle. It may or may not do it again for a day, or week. Sometimes it will do it constantly; usually not.

Irritating.

B

[dwrwebb]

... A light thump to the bezel with the knuckles seems to get it back.


Same here...sometimes it takes more of a "medium thump" though. All my connections were fine as well. I have just learned to either ignore it or to the "tap trick." I'm fine with that though, since it doesn't really have an effect on anything but my OCD...:banned:

[LeoVampire]

Take apart the dash and clean all the connections with rubbing alcohol and a good cotton swab.

Just a suggestion to eliminate any thing on that end of the diagnoses.

There is a write up on one of the threads for taking the dash apart and gauges out.

[fastblackmerc]

I'd clean the contacts with a pencil eraser. It will make them shiney!

[LeoVampire]

I'd clean the contacts with a pencil eraser. It will make them shiney!

Some are a bit too delicate for an eraser!

Francisco had a contact problem with the removable face on his KenWood the alcohol and swabs clean up did the trick and stopped the display from resetting every time he touched a button on it.

[Glenn-ho]

Must be another solder joint problem. I replaced mine with another that I purchased from a member here. Works just like it is supposed to now. I tried to clean the connections before replacing it with no luck.

[omarauder]

+1.. is there a small circuit board attached to the Tach? Can't tell as I've never had mine apart yet, but it would be worth going over it for a bad solder joint.