Tach works when it wants

[Guest pathyman95]

i have a 1995 pathy xe i take awsome care of my vehicle and when little things quit working it really gets to me my tach will work on some days then other times it will jsut jump all over the place it gets annoying watching it while your driving it or if your off roading and you actually need it to work when your stuck and need everything that pooch of a motor has to get out. i have checked the back of my guage cluster and every ground i can see is their somthing im missing or could it be i have a faulty distributer sending a bad signal hope you guys can tell me whats wrong

[Electrifyliak]

I have the exact same problem with my 95 and haven't found any known causes or fixes. Hopefully someone knows something.

[headpeace]

same thing with my 93, I just learned to live with it, although I really wish I had it sometimes, like when towing, did you check the connection at the tranny?

[02silverpathy]

Now guys, go easy on me...but...............

 

I have an 1988 Honda CRX

 

......that did this to me, crazy a** tach...so hear me out!! Lol. Take out your gauges and put some fresh di-electric grease in the electrical connectors. The old grease has probably gave up and now makes an environment for a static'y response so give'r a clean shot of grease and see if that doesn't help.

 

If you want to "clean" the connectors just use a small piece of high grit sand paper and lightly scuff the copper connections then grease it down!!! --K--? Try it, this may be the most simple yet most annoying repair you have to do!

[Electrifyliak]

That sounds just crazy enough to work! j/k Thanks, I'll give that a try.

[unccpathfinder]

my 87 does the same thing...lemmie know how that goes with the grease B4 i go pulling out the gauges cuze if i do it 1st it wont work...and then if it works for all of yall it still might not work...thats how it goes i guess...

[Slick]

luckily my tach works.. cuz my speedo doesn't....

[02silverpathy]

Did anyonespend 15 min pulling screws and greasing their speedo set??? This is a ommon problem for cars that last...we really should respond here..."remember the newblood"

[02silverpathy]

BUMP!

 

Anyone at all???

 

---->use grease in their gauges to make them stop acting silly?

[Geeky907]

accually... here's the info i've been able to gleen from the local nissan dealership.... (they're REALLY kick-a$$ kinda guys)

 

1st gen, 80's - 90 (squared off gauges).... if the gauges start actin funky try replacing the voltage reg behind the gauge cluster, little thing about 2/3 the size of a pack of trident gum.... looks like a little heatsink with wires...

 

2nd gen... 90-94,5

 

freaky gauges?... buy new ones.... the factory gauge cluster (the rounded looking one) is accually failing.... it usually starts with the Tach freaking out, then the spedo will start sticking or failing to read at all... unfortunately there doesnt seem to be a fix except to replace the whole stinkin gauge cluster which is hundreds of $ from nissan....

 

now, some have said they can commit all kinds of acts of goodness towards their gauges by re-seating connectors, applying new dialectric grease to the plugs, and re-lubing the gauges and all of thease things in their own right have technical merit, and absoloutely can be attempted by the DIY'r before diagnosing a blown cluster.... however unfortuantely the 2nd gen pathy's just flat had a crappy gauge cluster....

 

- Geeky907

[02silverpathy]

hummm good to know thanks for posting Geeky!!

[Guest pathyman95]

i tried the dielctic grease it did not work i was very interested about the last thread about how the tach goes out first and then the speedo its nice to no but its not what i wanted to hear thanks for the info

[dnodog]

mine are quirky so i will try contact cleaner in my 93