"Jumpy" Tachometer (1 Viewer)

[lcolon]

I have a strange issue with the Tachometer in my rig. I have searched but could not find a similar issue. It works fine most of the time, but will at times, suddenly die and go all the way to 0 even when the truck is running. It will stay that way for a while and then start functioning normally again.

Not sure if anyone has seen this before and where I should start looking. It may not do it for a week, then be off for an hour before it comes back on...

 

[The Machinist]

I'm not really going to be any help to you, but I will say that my fuel gauge likes to scare me into thinking I am going to run out of gas when I drive aggressively. I'm used to it now, but when the truck was new to me and I took it out and was accelerating hard to get a feel for the truck, the fuel gauge would drop by about 1/4 of a tank, it goes back up when I slow down my revs. It gave me quite a scare though!

 

[lcolon]

Thank you. The fuel gauge would make me more nervous than the Tach. I do use the Tach to make sure that I shift appropriately

 

[tperry616]

I'm not really going to be any help to you, but I will say that my fuel gauge likes to scare me into thinking I am going to run out of gas when I drive aggressively. I'm used to it now, but when the truck was new to me and I took it out and was accelerating hard to get a feel for the truck, the fuel gauge would drop by about 1/4 of a tank, it goes back up when I slow down my revs. It gave me quite a scare though!

Mine does the opposite. It loves to make me think I've got a quarter tank of gas until I make a 90 degree turn. Then it shows the real amount of gas I've got in the tank.

 

[The Machinist]

Mine does the opposite. It loves to make me think I've got a quarter tank of gas until I make a 90 degree turn. Then it shows the real amount of gas I've got in the tank.

Anytime I go up a hill it makes me think I'm using an insane amount of gas, then when I get back on flat ground for a minute, it goes back to normal. I just got back from a morning drive in the hills, and boy was that fun knowing that I'm actually getting low on gas.

You just dont get this kind of character in a new car these days.

 

[gregnash]

Isn't the tach mechanical on these? Could be a bad connection at the block where it reads the RPMs.

 

[lcolon]

I tried to trace out the wires but I guess this will require more work... I got another suggestion to check the connections at the emissions computer. I never really mess with that little box but I guess I will try to tighten things up and see what happens.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Isn't the tach mechanical on these? Could be a bad connection at the block where it reads the RPMs.

No.

The most common cause of this symptom is a bad connection at the circuit board in the cluster.

 

[lcolon]

Thank you Jim!

I do have soldering experience so I guess I could pull the cluster and "refloat" the solder that is in there (I assume). That should take care of any cold solder joints that may have worked their way loose on Washboard.

I will try to pull it this week and take a look.

Luis

 

[klinetime574]

Yeah the gauges are usually the culprit. Fuel gauge is a little more notorious than the tach though