Tach

[RangerFella]

I have decided, due to the availability, or lack thereof, of factory tachometers, that I want to install an aftermarket tachometer.

One question:

Which wires are which? I'm sure there are hundreds of wires behind the gauge cluster and I need to know which to hook up to which.


Thanks

 

[skippy]

I have decided, due to the availability, or lack thereof, of factory tachometers, that I want to install an aftermarket tachometer.

One question:

Which wires are which? I'm sure there are hundreds of wires behind the gauge cluster and I need to know which to hook up to which.


Thanks

tech library will get you in the right direction,there is a tach section.

 

[RangerFella]

Well I figured out which wire to splice, now I need to know...it says I have to splice off the PCM which is under the Passenger Dash, and that would involve removing the entire dashboard and everything else. Doesn't that same wire run up behind the gauge cluster? I mean...if you're able to play mix and match on a vehicle that didn't originally have a Tach and it work when you put a cluster than has a tach....

 

[sonyes]

I ended up running a feed off the tach wire under the hood. Found an unused grommet took about an hour beginning to end.

 

[RangerFella]

Oh...did that require extra wire? What did you connect the red/white to? I'm thinking of putting the red wire in the "Power Locks, Power Windows, Power Acc." slot in my fusebox under the hood since I don't have any of those things, and those things only work when the key is in the "on" position, as per the instructions for the Tach. And the white one I think I'll connect that one to one of the gauge lights or something that way the light in my tach will come on when I turn my headlights on. That's what the white wire is for right? Dim/on?

 

[RangerFella]

The wire that isn't the ground, RPM signal, or positive. Since I realize that the wire colors may differ among tachometers.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ok... yes, wire colors can vary among tachs... I'm assuming this means you bought a tach already? I'm running an Auto Meter that I got from Summit Racing, I'll try to snap a pic today.

Tell me how many wires you have an what sort of source they're supposed to be hooked to, I'll dig up your answers an post up or hit you up on AIM tonight. I'd do it now but I gotta get the tools thrown in the truck an head off to the junkyard in a few to get a front clip for my Ranger.

I forgot to mention last night I've installed tachs twice in my Ranger... the first one I put in was a relatively cheap one that looked kinda cool (you press a button an it cycles between different backlight colors), but it didn't hold up to bouncing along unimproved roads and such and stopped working after a year. Then I got the Auto Meter which IIRC was made here in the US of A and it's supposed to be vibration resistant/proof. I've had it about 9 months no probs so far.

 

[RangerFella]

I got 4 wires. Black, Green, Red, and White. The red is obviously the hot wire, black the ground, green the tach signal, and the white is, I guess, a sort of 'pilot' wire similar to the wire on amplifiers for automotive purposes (audio, I mean). It detects a positive signal and then tells the light in the tach to come on, right?


Also, the circuit...is it okay to hook it up to that circuit? The manual lists that circuit as being pwr windows, pwr locks, and pwr accessories. But the only "power" items I have in my truck is power steering. That would mean that circuit is empty, but there's a fuse in it. Should I try taking the fuse out and seeing what works and what doesn't, if anything, after removing the fuse? It's one of the big 20a fuses under the hood, not in the cab.

 

[RangerFella]

Oh, and By The Way, this is a SunPro SuperTach II that I picked up from AutoZone. It was 30 bucks, lol.

I didn't want to spend more than that anyway so it all worked out I guess, if I can get the damned thing to work

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I got 4 wires. Black, Green, Red, and White. The red is obviously the hot wire, black the ground, green the tach signal, and the white is, I guess, a sort of 'pilot' wire similar to the wire on amplifiers for automotive purposes (audio, I mean). It detects a positive signal and then tells the light in the tach to come on, right?


Also, the circuit...is it okay to hook it up to that circuit? The manual lists that circuit as being pwr windows, pwr locks, and pwr accessories. But the only "power" items I have in my truck is power steering. That would mean that circuit is empty, but there's a fuse in it. Should I try taking the fuse out and seeing what works and what doesn't, if anything, after removing the fuse? It's one of the big 20a fuses under the hood, not in the cab.

Did you get any instructions with it as to what wire had to be connected with what sort of source? One of mine had to be hooked to a keyed power, ground, illumination, and tach signal. The other had to be hooked to battery, illumination, tach signal, and ground.


I'll look into things today for you an let you know. I think my first tach was around $30-40, my new tach was around $55.

 

[skippy]

run the red to accesories fuse,black to ground,white to the head light switch(find a wire there that is only hot when lights are on),green is tach signal.

 

[lilrebelranger67]

run the white to your dimmer wire that goes to your radio, theres a tan and yellow wire in the widest white connector going to the cluster thats your tach signal use that. run your red to the 12 volt accessory wire to your radio (dont forget a fuse) and obviously ground it all with the black wire