Clock --> tach swap, erratic tach

[menotti]

Hey all,
On my 87 westy I had a factory analog clock. After consulting with yall, I learned that the thing should be pre wired to take a tach should i come across one.

I got one with the relevant gauges. While I was back there, I also installed the PCB kit and temp alarm kits from gowesty instead of replacing the factory foil.

In the gif you will see the tach bouncing around 4000rpm. It does this while idle, with the engine audibly idling much less. Even while driving it seems to go up in RPM the right way when hitting the gas, but bounces erratically sometimes and settles around 4k. Any thoughts on what I might do to mess with it?

Ignore the flashing temp light - I think I have a short from the audible alarm kit and the PCB causing that. Unless that short would also cause the tach to bounce? Gonna try to fix that first and see what happens.

Thanks for any advice you have!

[t3 kopf]

When you intstalled the Go westy foil replacement kit, did you properly install the voltage regulator on it? That seems like a likely culprit.
_________________
'90 Carat w/ '95 phase 1 EJ22 OBD2 conversion

[menotti]

[menotti]

Okay a quick and interesting update. I discovered that it's likely that the tach is operating in reverse. I started the car and the tach went to roughly 4000 after making sure that the tach connection was solid from the new kit. In neutral I gave it some gas and I could regularly reproduce the tach moving in the opposite direction of what was expected. This shouldn't be happening because I have the correct orientation of the tach connector according to the gowesty instructions. But alas it seems like my tachometer is operating in reverse. Has anyone seen this before? I assume I am missing something stupid.

On the temperature gauge side I have still a regularly flashing light but no audible alarm and before installing this kit the light was not flashing. So it is either I have something installed incorrectly or the last Factory sensor was busted in this is a legitimate blinking light that I need to check. So we just had the bus serviced at a trustworthy mechanic and he assured that the cooling system was fine.

Any ideas on what I should try next?

Thanks again for your support

[menotti]

Forgot to mention that both the fuel and the temperature sensor gauges themselves seem to operate correctly. They show the right readings it's just the flashing temperature light but no audible alarm even though I have the gowesty temperature audible alarm kit. Makes me think something is causing the light to flash unrelated to the actual temperature sensor.

[bizarre]

Interesting.
I have the same issue.
Someone gave me a tach - but i was hesitant to lay down the cash for the Go Westy PCB setup.

Luckily a mate has this setup already running in his van.

I asked if he could put my tach in his van to make sure it was ok.

Guess what - exactly the same. Bouncing tach and flashing temp light. The flashing temp light is too coincidental to be a fault.
The only difference is mine is bouncing at 1k.

He put his tach back in andall is good again for his.

So my guess is both faults are tach based

See if i can post a gif?

[menotti]

[bizarre]

That i cant answer

I will have to ask him.
I have sent him this post so he might chime in

[menotti]

Awesome, thanks. It's a strange one indeed.

[bizarre]

Sent you a pm

[bizarre]

Ok - it wasn't revved when it was installed

[bizarre]

https://imgur.com/VONyF7x

Cant get how to embed it

[menotti]

[menotti]

The gowesty folks suggested I do the swap of the ground and signal wire in case the pins had been reversed on the tach. This didn't work.

HOWEVER!

I had a hunch that even though the PCB on the tach port felt snug, perhaps it wasn't snug enough. I had taken it off and reseated it before but I did it like the 10th time and it felt more "right". I switched the tach wires back to their original position and voila, the tach is acting like it should. So all along the PCB on the back of the tach just wasn't right, even though it felt like it was. See the top PCB in the photo below.

However, the temp light still flashes a bunch, at least while parked in neutral. I had read somewhere while I was researching that if you experience these symptoms, you could turn the battery on for 5 or so seconds (wait til the audible beeping stops), and then turn to ignition. Tried that, and the light no longer flashes. I'm not sure what this means for my coolant sensor (maybe dirty?) - if yall have any thoughts I'd be willing to listen.

Thanks everyone!

[bizarre]

WOW............... great news.

Guessing I am in the same boat (hopefully)

My tach has certainly been sitting around a while

[t3 kopf]

Glad you figured that out. Now that you mention that, I remember not having a good feeling about how loose that small tach board sits on those pins and I taped mine down with some strong electrical tape. I have over 3 years on my GW PCB now. The only issue ive had is that my audible coolant alarms wires burned up at the alarm and I ended up just rewiring the thing myself with thicker gauge wires. All I had ever done with it was pull my coolant level sensor to test the alarm and it instantly fried those tiny wires. After putting on tougher wires and testing it again, it works 4.0.
_________________
'90 Carat w/ '95 phase 1 EJ22 OBD2 conversion

[menotti]

Thanks again everyone for your help. Since I had swapped the connectors on that tach wire I cant seem to upright the little clip to let the wire sit back snugly into the connector.

Anyone have a good source for this types of connectors and ends so I can remake the wire? Or other tips to push the clips upright? Had been fiddling with a razor blade but I think it's stuck down