Aftermarket Tachometer
 

Hey, I bought a tachometer off eBay the other day. Today when I got the package I tried to install it but the wires were too short. Is there anyway to extend the wire? Also, im about 75% sure on how to install one of these things. Is there any good guide out there?

Thanks~

Re: Aftermarket Tachometer
 

Power, ground, illumination, and signal - too easy.

There is a blue wire on the passenger side headlight harness (on the frame side of the battery) that has a funky terminal on the end of it that isn't connected to anything. This is actually a tach signal wire and you can tap into that to run to the tach in your passenger compartment.

As far as lengthening the wires, well yeah. Lengthen them as long as you need to.

Re: Aftermarket Tachometer
 

Thanks. How exactly do I extend the wires though? Do I need to buy a certain type of wire, then twist the ends together? Also, for the signal, do I just splice into that blue wire? I'm unsure where to put the wires in the fusebox because I dont have the diagram.

Re: Aftermarket Tachometer
 

go to the hardware store and buy some wire that looks to be the same as the wires you have, also pick up some butt connectors. Connect new wire to old wire with butt connector and BAM! you have longer wires.. Yes, you splice into blue wire.

Re: Aftermarket Tachometer
 

Ugh. Sounds like you could **** up a wet dream when it comes to wiring.......

Wire is wire is wire as long as it's the same gauge. My guess is you don't know how to solder, right?

All you're doing is extending a connection. Think of it like a garden hose. If you have a 50 ft hose, but the patch of grass you need to water is 125 ft. away, well then you need to get an adapter and a 75' length of hose to get to your destination.

In this case, you need to get a piece of wire that will get you from point A to point B and your adapter is either a soldered joint (optimal), a crimp fitting (next best thing), or a twist and tape connection (it will work, but isn't ideal).

For the tach signal, you can either get a T-tap connection to splice into the signal wire without much disruption, or you can cut that fitting off and and join the wire directly. As far as you other wiring, use the power, ground and illumination from your stereo harness. That way you don't have to lengthen anything and it's fairly easy to determine which wire is which.

Although judging by the questions you are asking, you're probably better off paying someone to install the tach.......

Re: Aftermarket Tachometer
 

aftermarket tachs are so rice that the one i did 15 years ago on a Ford Ranger made it look RICE! :lol: and that was back when "rice" was only something you ate!