I have a sick tach ...

About a week ago, I noticed a small bubble on the faceplate of my tach ('99 4Runner SR5) about the size of a dime. Never noticed it before.

By Friday, it had grown to the size of a silver dollar (remember those?), but wasn't high enough to interfere with the needle's movement. It formed smack between the 1 and the 2 on the gauge.

I took it to the dealership where I'd purchased it, and all the techs were baffled.

One said, "The tach must be getting really hot right behind that bubble."

Another countered, "No, there's nothing in the tach in that spot that COULD get hot."

Yet another offered, "If it was something in the tach getting that hot, the tach wouldn't work in the first place from the heat."

Then we have, "You'd better get that fixed soon or something's gonna melt in there and cause a fire!"

>sigh<

The head guy looked up the parts and quoted $600+ to replace the tach, and suggested that I just ignore it unless it got so big that it interfered with the needle movement or started "acting weird." He's confident that the tach's fused so it won't start an electrical fire.

Anybody ever heard of a "tach tumor" like this? Sounds to me like it may be time to take the dash apart and replace the gauge faces with Indiglos, huh?

 

I had that happen on my CBR and it was replaced under warranty. Are you out of warranty?

 

That's why I went to the dealership first -- I have 55K on it. However, the 5-yr/60K warranty is only on the drivetrain. 3-yr/36mo on everything else. :cry:

Actually, it's kinda cute. My youngest developed a similar lump on the top of her head as a baby. Consequently, her nickname still is ... "Lumpy."

Anyway, no warranty.

 

Let's see a pic... I've been scratching my chin all morning about this. Is it the surface plastic film coating or the whole thickness of the plate face coming up?

 

Bummer, I guess you'll be getting indiglos.

 

It's a very thin plastic facade that's bubbling up. Doesn't appear to be more than a few mils in thickness.

Attached is a pic. It's just really weird. Cute, but weird.

 

That is to weird.
An idea, if you can borrow on of these items from some place, you could measure the heat behind the tach.

http://www.griotsgarage.com/search.jsp?searchtext=50399

Griot's gets $100 for the item.
Point it at something with the laser, and it will read out the temp.
Something behind the tach may be to close to it that is hot and and causing that.

 

You could always put some indiglo gauges in there, it'd be a hell of alot cheaper than $600.

 

hmmm. Looks like a blister. Take the dash apart and poke the tumor with a pin. If blood comes out RUN LIKE HELL.
Serious though. I would just take the thing apart and poke it. see if it glues back down by itself. If not get a new faceplate.
Very wierd though.

 

Maybe this answers all those skeptics who wonder why some of us give names to our beasts, huh? They're living, breathing creatures!

Maybe I should've taken Shadowfax (that's my rig's name) to the ER, not to a dealership...

I'm thinking indiglos might be in order here.

 

Might be that the trace wire behind the face has grounded and heated up. That definitley looks like a heat blister.

 

Damn dude, get a PRIEST! I think I see eyes and a tongue sprouting!

Actually it may be the anti-scratch surface protective coating of plastic that comes on stuff these days, like fridge shelves, cell phone plastic windows. Maybe they never peeled it off before assembly? Looks like it's starting at the other screw which might confirm the same thing, since it's at an edge. But doesn't explain the inflation...

 

someone is playing an april's fool joke on you

 

lmao! That has got to be the strangest growth I've ever seen on a 4Runner. I'd take it apart and poke it too, or replace the gauges.

 

Over the years I've been on the forums I have heard this is quite common. Although yours is the biggest I have seen. I have a small blister on the gauge faces myself. It is the size of a smiley.

 

I pre-ordered a set of indiglos from Speedhut.com to cure the case of the strange blister ...

If and when the order is filled and I get new faceplates, I'll be sure to post the result when I take things apart.

Actually, it's kinda growing on me. Sure beats a bad case of jock itch!

 

Dude??!! I gotta watch you.. Don't know about that "biggest I have seen" kinda stuff....