Installing a tach in an 89 L

[89fester]

I searched the forum and found some of the threads mentioning Wil's site and articles etc. But they are not available at this time. I guess I need to run a single wire in order to get the factory tach to work? From the coil? And to which pin on which connector on the back of the cluster? I found a factory cluster this week. I just hope everything on it works.

Thanks
89 L

[qaking]

Your 89L should be pre-wired for the tach cluster. It is plug and play.

Some early 88's did not come pre-wired...like my 88L :wink:

[Tim]

Some early 88's did not come pre-wired...like my 88L :wink:

That goes for '89s too. I saw a an '89L made late in the year that lacked the wiring for anything.

Rule of thumb: If it has a rear defroster, there's wiring for the options.


Regards,

Tim

[89fester]

My car has nothing. An AM radio with a manual dial, no defrost, no rear speakers, etc. I was taking a look at the fuse panel the other day and half the slots don't even have the contacts to add a fuse.

So going under the assumption I need to run a wire, what exactly do I need to do? Which side of the coil does this wire need to come from?

Thanks
89 L

[Tim]

From the ignition coil.

There should be a screw or terminal near the connector to the dizzy wire that the tach wire is connected to.


Regards,

Tim

[qaking]

This is what you should see when you pull the old cluster off. If you are missing the yellow with green stripe tach wire, you'll have to make your own and run it to the negative side of the coil. :wink:

[EricZKC]

89 l on the positive side of the coil there will be a yellow/black wire that runs to the main wiring harness, attach your tach wire to this terminal. (just added a sunpro tach to my 89 l)

[qaking]

^^He is installing a factory tach cluster.... :wink:

[EricZKC]

yes, but the tach signal pick up wire will be the same, my understanding (although limited) is that all tachs pick up the positive signal from the coil.

[qaking]

Eric,

Your aftermarket tach may use the positive side of the coil, but the factory tach uses the negative side of the coil. If that is wrong, then the 3 EVTM's I have are misprinted and the tach in my '88L works connected to the negative side.

I'm not arguing with you, just making sure that 89fester does not burn up his tach cluster. Here is another wiring diagram showing the tach lead going to the negative side of the coil:

[EricZKC]

i stand corrected, i bow in humiliation with pie in my face... wheres the old dunce cap?

[aithanmier]

bpower took it with him when he got banned, we gotta make a new one.

[89fester]

FIRST MOD DONE!

Just got my tach cluster hooked up. Works great, off the negative side of the coil. Have to button it up tomorrow. A side benefit is my car has 23,000 less miles on it now, and the engine feels like it has more power. :wink:

I thought about spinning the speedometer to get the mileage to match my old cluster, but I calculated it would take 11 days at 85mph to 'drive' 23k. And a dremel tool spins the wrong direction anyway.

NJ 89 L

[Tim]

Re: FIRST MOD DONE!

I thought about spinning the speedometer to get the mileage to match my old cluster, but I calculated it would take 11 days at 85mph to 'drive' 23k. And a dremel tool spins the wrong direction anyway.

NJ 89 L

I took the number thingy from my old cluster and put it in the tach cluster. Unfortunately it covers the first digit so it reads 89,000 but my car actually has 189,000 miles on it...


Regards,

Tim

[Safety Guy]

Aren't Dremels reversable?

If you do spin it up with the Dremel, be sure and hook up an oil fitting to the odometer so it doesn't burn up! :lol:

Karl