Pre 84 Trucks 1st gen pickups

Wiring an Aftermarket Tachometer

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 23, 2018 | 07:34 AM
  #1  
medicmoose's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Kamloops, BC
Wiring an Aftermarket Tachometer

I've got a fairly basic aftermarket tachometer that I am trying to wire up. Just a couple of questions:

1) I want the light in the tach to be dimmable...where do I splice in so that the light works with the factory dimmer switch?
2) Where do I splice in under the hood for the ignition wire? It states to splice into the negative side of ignition coil or appropriate tach signal source.

Thanks for your help!
Reply
Old Jun 23, 2018 | 10:11 AM
  #2  
medicmoose's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Kamloops, BC
Got the ignition part figured out...now just how to get the light on the dimmer?
Reply
Old Jun 23, 2018 | 10:37 PM
  #3  
RAD4Runner's Avatar
Registered User
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 7,124
Likes: 681
What model-year? Signature/Avatar are not guaranteed to be same truck as we are talking about.
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2018 | 06:02 AM
  #4  
medicmoose's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Kamloops, BC
It's a 1982 4x4 DLX. The one in the Avatar.
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2018 | 06:46 AM
  #5  
RAD4Runner's Avatar
Registered User
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 7,124
Likes: 681
Originally Posted by medicmoose
It's a 1982 4x4 DLX. The one in the Avatar.
Cool.
Should have same as 1983, correct?
Connect positive side of tach backlight to green wire that is only on when tail light is on. (I know that's same color as on our first gen 4Runner.)
Turn taillights/dash lights on.
TOUCH negative side of tach backlight to one side of dimmer rheostat. Adjust brightness, and see if tach backlight is affected. If not, touch to the other side and repeat. CONNECT to the side that affects tach backlight.
Attached Thumbnails Wiring an Aftermarket Tachometer-dashlights_dimmer_rheostat.png  

Last edited by RAD4Runner; Jun 24, 2018 at 12:10 PM.
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2018 | 07:57 AM
  #6  
medicmoose's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Kamloops, BC
Thanks for the help!
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2018 | 12:13 PM
  #7  
RAD4Runner's Avatar
Registered User
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 7,124
Likes: 681
Originally Posted by medicmoose
Thanks for the help!
Pleasure to help keep that sexy truck running well

If your tail-light relay is inside cabin, that's probably best place to tap off the positive (green) side. Would be nice if you could post pictures of the relay block front and rear. I'll also archive it, and will try to start an album showing locations / pin=outs of 1982-1983 truck relays/fuses.
Reply
Old Jun 30, 2018 | 08:16 PM
  #8  
MVP's Avatar
MVP
Registered User
 
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 26
Likes: 1
yeah that is a nice looking rig

what was the outcome of the tach project?
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2018 | 04:02 AM
  #9  
medicmoose's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Kamloops, BC
I have to take the driver's side air vent our today so in doing so I will have access to the wiring on the dimmer. I'll attempt to get the tach light wired up to the dimmer today.
Reply
Old Jul 1, 2018 | 08:03 AM
  #10  
medicmoose's Avatar
Thread Starter
Registered User
 
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 126
Likes: 6
From: Kamloops, BC
Okay, so I had the rheostat out today and I stuck the wire going to the tach light on the one side and it dimmed and brightened the light opposite to the dash lights...when dash lights were dimming the tach light got brighter. So, naturally I thought if I stuck the wire to the other side of rheostat that it would work correctly. Not the case...turning the rheostat switch did nothing and the tach light remained off. Now I'm stumped!
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
L5wolvesf
84-85 Trucks & 4Runners
13
Feb 5, 2018 06:47 PM
Dakotaneu
86-95 Trucks & 4Runners
5
Aug 9, 2014 07:30 AM
Dale Rosales
84-85 Trucks & 4Runners
8
Jan 9, 2014 11:59 AM
Johnboy21
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
3
Aug 14, 2011 12:31 PM
khamm03
95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners
1
Nov 30, 2003 10:53 PM




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 06:20 PM.