Add a Tach

[da-chief]

SO if I am reading the various threads properly, I can add a tach to my cluster by simply buying a 98-03 Ranger/Explorer cluster with a tach in it, and plug and play. Is that right?

 

[RonD]

Yes, but actually 1996 to 2003 Ranger or Mazda cluster will work, plug and play

All Rangers were pre-wired for a tach
Explorer clusters may need some re-pinning of the wires, its year specific, so get the year first then someone can be more specific, lol

 

[da-chief]

I have a tach instrument panel from a wrecking yard that is apparently dated 6-15-99, and I am putting it in my 2000 Ranger with a 2.5L. I found this bit of info on setting up the tach to read properly, is this correct:?
Only Pin 16 of the 16-pin grounded ==> V8
Only Pin 8 of the 10-pin grounded ==> V6
Neither grounded ==> 4cyl

.

 

[RonD]

No, you won't need to do that, its only if you were changing engine size that you needed to move the ground wire

The gauges are all wired the same internally, well 1996-2003
The truck wires are where the grounds were changed for 4cyl or V6, or if you added V8 then you needed to re-pin or add a ground wire

Your 4cyl will have the correct ground for a 4cyl tach, wouldn't matter if cluster came from a 4 or 6 cylinder Ranger/Mazda

 

[da-chief]

That is what was confusing me, I have no idea what this panel was in, bought it on the Big "E".

 

[cbxer55]

Yes, but actually 1996 to 2003 Ranger or Mazda cluster will work, plug and play

All Rangers were pre-wired for a tach
Explorer clusters may need some re-pinning of the wires, its year specific, so get the year first then someone can be more specific, lol

My 98 doesn't have a tach. So you're saying the wires are there for one under the dash? Because I am going to go old school hood tach. Like a lot of late 60's early 70's Pontiac's had.

 

[RonD]

Yes, the tan/yellow wire on the 16-pin plug on the cluster, its on pin 15

In engine bay you could tap it on the PCM(computer) harness, same tan/yellow wire comes from pin 48 of the PCM, this is the source for the tachometer signal to the dash

 

[Pavix]

I did this today, I have a 97 Ranger 2WD, 2.3L XLT. Mine didn't have a tach and I was lucky enough to find a tach that was within 2-3k of my actual mileage and was actually for a manual truck. Plug and play. The hardest part of this is locating and finding all the screws and there are a LOT of them. 2 behind the hood release, 2 I think on the bottom of the plastic trim under the steering wheel, 4 for the metal plate under the plastic trim on the bottom, 3 undernead the top part of the dash above the instrument cluster. 2 on the center control stack. 4 for the cluster itself.