How To: Install A Tachometer

Brian MP5T

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Installing A Tachometer

I've taken the time to write a kind of How To on a couple of subjects,

The first is how to install a tachometer adaptor on a 2002+ Protg.

(THIS IS THE ONLY WAY I FOUND TO HOOK UP A BIG TACHOMETER OR SHIFT LIGHT) Others have found a wire from the ECU..

As many have noticed, the ignition system is a coil on plug system. Meaning instead of one coil charging up and feeding in this case four spark plugs, there are two coils independently connected to two spark plugs. When I first started out with my turbo install the stand-alone fuel management system needed a tachometer signal (usually a green wire). I thought that I could just connect it to the diagnostic plug mounted on the driver side strut tower, presto problem solved. Unfortunately the car is so new that all the old tricks have been replaced by technology. Basically heres the solution. Autometer makes what is called a Tachometer Adaptor (PART #9117). It was $100.00 Canadian and was very simple to install. The unit is waterproof and has only four wires. Red, Red/Green, Black, Grey. On top of the engine are the two coils, you cant miss them because they are covering two of the spark plugs and connected to the two other ones. Remove the split loaming and electrical tape that is covering the mess of wires leading to them. There should be three wires on each coil. A Positive, Negative and Trigger. The Positive is the wire that we want. Its Black with a blue stripe. This is the same wire that feeds both coils. Cut the wire from the coils closest to the timing bulge on the cam cover. Be sure to disconnect both of them completely. The two wires still connected to the car both get connected to the Red wire on the adaptor and the other two still connected to the coils are connected to the Red/Green wire. Tape up your work and mount the adaptor away from the belts. Find a good ground for the Black wire and hook up your tachometer, shift light, or Tachometer Driven Stand alone fuel management system to the Grey wire. This is the only way to hook up a tachometer. If you bridge the wires to make one without the adaptor, you will fry the ignition system. If you only hook up one wire, you will only get half of the sparks being registered to your device. Motor at 2000 rpm = Tachometer at 1000 rpm. Included is a picture of the Tachometer Adaptor and the wiring schematic for the ignition system from the technical manuals. Feel free to ask me any questions. Ive done my Turbo from scratch; many of the problems that I have already dealt with you might be dealing with now with no easy solution.
Later
 

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Hey, I was just going to ask about this because I plan on installing a Autometer Phantom Monster Tach w/ Shift light and was wondering about the coils. Can you perhaps include the wiring diagram and pics of your tach so I can get ideas of where to put it and how it looks in the car. Thanks for the write up man. Perfect timing. Peace.
 
i see the pic :D looks nice

(scratch) but no wiring schematic????

awesome job tracking that one down


ben
 
hi, i was wondering if i needed to use the tach adapter if i was just installing a tachometer w/o a shift light? i have a 2002 DX that did not come with a factory tach installed. couldn't i just hook the tach up to the wire by the diagnostic plug?
 
i did that in my old sentra, except when i let off the gas, the tach went right to 0 rpms... :wtf:
 
give it a shot, cant hurt, easy install too. just make sure u dont put it in the wrong plug, it might **** stuff up (like me and my fuses i blew) lol
 
Re: Installing A Tachometer

Brian MP5T said:

(THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO HOOK UP A BIG TACHOMETER OR SHIFT LIGHT)
Later

Um, what do you mean "only way"??? :confused:

I just hooked up my tach the other day using the purple/white wire leading into the "diagnostics" box by the driver side firewall.

Works like a charm.
 
Um, what do you mean "only way"???

I just hooked up my tach the other day using the purple/white wire leading into the "diagnostics" box by the driver side firewall.

Works like a charm.

****************************

i jsut hooked up my tach to the wire on the diagnostics box and it works just fine.
 
I just hooked up my tach the other day using the purple/white wire leading into the "diagnostics" box by the driver side firewall.


i just did the same thing and it works just fine as well!
 
Hey,

Maybe you guys can answer something for me...what's the deal with the Autometer Tach on a car that already has a tach in the cluster? Is it just for looks, or are they really that much better than the factory one? I like the shift-light, but I never understood the tach.
 
NetGuy said:
Hey,

Maybe you guys can answer something for me...what's the deal with the Autometer Tach on a car that already has a tach in the cluster? Is it just for looks, or are they really that much better than the factory one? I like the shift-light, but I never understood the tach.
well i my self never had the autometer tach , i just had the shift light. dont really care for the big ass 5" tach
 
NetGuy said:
Hey,

Maybe you guys can answer something for me...what's the deal with the Autometer Tach on a car that already has a tach in the cluster? Is it just for looks, or are they really that much better than the factory one? I like the shift-light, but I never understood the tach.

I guess it's supposed to be faster or more precise. I think they are Rice. To each his own. I bought a Proform Shift light. Took it apart, stuck it under the dash and wired it so it would light up a set of yellow LED's in my guage cluster. It does the trick and the car isn't cluttered with all that s*** on the dash.
 
tolmanron said:
Um, what do you mean "only way"???

I just hooked up my tach the other day using the purple/white wire leading into the "diagnostics" box by the driver side firewall.

Works like a charm.

****************************

i jsut hooked up my tach to the wire on the diagnostics box and it works just fine.

I'm happy to hear of your luck. The tach adaptor works sweet too. For all of you that want info on it. if the thread is helpng, PM me.

Later...Brian
 
if your car has no tach (DX) its one thing... if your ride has one its more than accurate for a street driven car!!! and dont give me that i cant see when to shift crap...STOP.. buying parts and go out and learn to drive the car.. as you will perform better and thus the car, and it only cost you gas money.. my opinon of big tacks anyway
 
just wondering which wires need to be cut on the back on an autometer tach? orange? or orange and brown?
 
Oh s***. I don't know because I don't have a Tach like that. I used the Tachadaptor to send a tach signal to my Extra Injector Controller. Are you sure that the paper that came with the Tach dosent specify?? Autometer has manuals on the web site and the 1-800 number is manned by the best peps. Call them, they will know.
 
WRCprotege said:
if your car has no tach (DX) its one thing... if your ride has one its more than accurate for a street driven car!!! and dont give me that i cant see when to shift crap...STOP.. buying parts and go out and learn to drive the car.. as you will perform better and thus the car, and it only cost you gas money.. my opinon of big tacks anyway
I agree with you about having a tach added, if you read above you will see that I didn't install one. This was more a how to just if someone wanted to install one...
 
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