How to Troubleshoot a Tachometer

A tachometer is a gauge found on vehicles which displays the rpm's. Rpm stands for the revolutions per minute completed by the engine of the vehicle. This is important to know because too many rpm's can point to trouble with your engine. There are methods that you can use to troubleshoot a tachometer that is not working properly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Read your vehicle's manual. These manuals can typically offer different things that you can try if you are having trouble with the tach.

2. Check the fuses on the tachometer. A blown fuse is often the cause for a tachometer losing power and not working properly.

3. Try another tachometer. To tell whether the problem is with the actual tachometer or the wiring, you can put another tach in its place. If the other tach works, then you know that the problem is with the tach.

4. Examine the different parts of the tachometer. If you notice any loose wires or damaged parts, then it is easy to see what the problem is. Many tachometers can become melted or burned from fried connections.

5. Take it to the shop. If you have no luck troubleshooting the tach yourself, then take it to a professional to look at. They can perform a series of test to find out what the problem is with the gauge.

Tips & Warnings

• The manufacturer of the vehicle is likely to have a customer service line that can assist you in methods that you can use to troubleshoot the tachometer.
• To troubleshoot a tach, you are probably going to have to take it out of its mount. There should be only a few screws to remove to do this.

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