Help!

I cannot get my stock FD tach working with my TEC3. The first thing I did to make sure the output on the tec3 was working was test with an autometer gauge. The autometer gauge reads perfect so I know the problem is the way I am hooking up the stock FD tach.

Keep in mind I have a TEC3 and not the TEC3R, not sure if it matters but the TEC3 manual stated some older tachs might not working since they need a higher signal from the coils directly.

I also do not have the stock ecu in the car any longer, not sure if that matters.

I tried hooking up the tach signal to the black w/yellow stripe wire behind the guage cluster and that did not work. I made sure all grounds were connected etc...

I then thought the tach was bad and borrowed another guage cluster to test, same thing with this one.

So now I know that I need to really check everything again. So I take the actual tach out of the guage cluster. Behind the tach there are 3 screws that you can connect to.

One is definitely a ground and the others I assume are for 12+ and a signal wire? So i connected the ground which I know is defiitely a ground. I now have 2 posts left to connect to.

I then take the tec3 tach wire and touch each of the posts, one at a time, I got no readings. I then hook back up the autometer tach to make sure I didnt blow anything, and it works fine.

I really need to get this tach working and do not want to rip apart the guage cluster to put an autometer tach in there. Can anyone that has a TEC3 let me know what they did to get it working? I asked a few guys at the track and it seems they never had a problem and it should easily work. Not sure if I missed anything but if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks,

Anthony

 

I called electromotive and left a message to call me back. They actually called me back as soon as they got in, nice service.

Anyway, they stated I need to get a MSD 8920 tach adapter to convert the square wave.

For the guys with a TEC3 and an FD, are you tachs working? Did you guys have to buy this adapter? I doubt it but don't understand why I can't get mine working.

Thanks

Anthony

 

entirely different animal i imagine, but my tec2 works directly plugged into the yellow coil wire on my FC, no adapter required.

 

Anthony,

FD's work with 12v square wave so i don't see a problem. It should work without an adaptor. Something is missing. Do you have a manual so you can see the wiring diagram and know exactly which wire does what?

 

Thanks for the response enzo. I downloaded the electrical manual for the FD and found some grounds that were not attached to the body. I am going to pull the dash out tomorrow and make sure all is ok behind there as well.

It definitely is a wiring issue rather than a tach issue since a few guys on the forum told me that as well.

Thanks!!!

Anthony

 

Anthony, it should work just fine. I know that there is a ground in the pass kick pannel that needs to be grounded, and other than that... I am not sure what your wiring is like as you have built the car from scratch basicly. I cant remember the connector number off the top of my head, but I want to say X-14?? it is a larger (than the rest) solid black wire in the middle of the connector. When not using the stock ecu, you may not have grounded it... I could be off on this, but I dont believe any of the dash would work if this was not grounded or the ground to the stock fuel pump harness (yeah I know it sounds weird, but I have that wire give me strange problems).

 

BTW, I replied to you email. did you get it?

 

I had the same problem. theres a blue w/ yellow stripe wire on one of the stock connectors off the stock wiring that plugs into the stock ecu. its the wire off the smallest connector. I beleive the brown wire off the tec is the tac signal. solder those two together. then underneath or deep up under the passenger side, theres a bundle of wires w/ a big thick black wire ( as keith mentioned ) ground that and u should be good. If you still have a problem. PM me and ill get my tec book, go outside and take my panel off and see exactly what u need to do. But from what i can remember, that should do it

 

I believe its yellow with a blue tracer. I didnt mention this wire because I am guessing this is what Anthony already has connected to the TEC. Tom, when you had me look at it at my shop that day, I believe this was your exact same problem, no? you already had it connected and when i had you ground it, that is what fixed this problem for you, right?

 

Keith and TurboTommy!

Thank you for the help, it worked! It turns out that I had a bad cluster as well. After your directions that I know had to work, I tried another cluster and it worked. I also had an issue with the parking lights not working and it turned out to be the TNS relay, weird that just stopped working.

Keith, I got your email about the injectors, now that this is done I will let you know.

I was so glad to finally get this working, I drove all over NY with the FD yesterday!

Guys, thanks for the help!!!

Anthony