tach problems
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga Springs New York
tach problems
ok...I recently purchased a 2000 Hardtop and sometimes the tach will go dead, as if you shut off the ignition. I lightly (barely in fact) tap the dash and it comes right back to life. The previous owner had it checked and the shop could not find anything wrong...wondering if anyone else had this problem, if I need a new cluster, that would stink but it only does it maybe once every couple of days....any advice would be greatly appreciated
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 8
From: Southwest Virginia
Welcome to the forum!
A few questions. Does the car have a HUD? If so does that tach fail at the same time as the other?
First thing I would do is remove the lower dash panel and reach up behind the IPC (Instrument Cluster Panel) and wiggle a bit and push the plug into the back of the IPC. The plug is located on the left back side of the IPC. If you still have no success then you will probably have to remove the IPC and take it apart. In the back of the IPC there is a large flexible circuit board under the main board. Remove and re-seat all the connections between the flexible board and the main board. Also under the main circuit board there are four small screws that screw through the flexible circuit board into the back of the tach. Loosen these screws and re-tighten them a couple times to make sure they are making good contact.
Click here for some really huge photo of the inside of the IPC. Click the button on the bottom for the next page, there are five pages of photos. There some in there showing exactly how the flexible circuit board attaches to the main circuit board.
Good luck
A few questions. Does the car have a HUD? If so does that tach fail at the same time as the other?
First thing I would do is remove the lower dash panel and reach up behind the IPC (Instrument Cluster Panel) and wiggle a bit and push the plug into the back of the IPC. The plug is located on the left back side of the IPC. If you still have no success then you will probably have to remove the IPC and take it apart. In the back of the IPC there is a large flexible circuit board under the main board. Remove and re-seat all the connections between the flexible board and the main board. Also under the main circuit board there are four small screws that screw through the flexible circuit board into the back of the tach. Loosen these screws and re-tighten them a couple times to make sure they are making good contact.
Click here for some really huge photo of the inside of the IPC. Click the button on the bottom for the next page, there are five pages of photos. There some in there showing exactly how the flexible circuit board attaches to the main circuit board.
Good luck
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga Springs New York
Yes, my car does have the Heads Up Display...and yes, it does fail to register also, but that tiniest of taps brings it right back to life....I appreciate the quick reply....looks like I'll be taking apart the dash in the near future....I appreciate it, I was figuring on a loose connection somewhere....why else would a small tap bring it back from the dead...thanks again....
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 8
From: Southwest Virginia
That is telling us the tach signal is not getting to the IPC. Since both your HUD and analog meter stops at the same time this pretty much eliminates the flex circuit and connections. Still could be a problem in the IPC main board but now with this information I'm betting 92% chance it is the plug on the back of the IPC. If you look Here you will see that pin A17 carries the tach signal, and you can also see that A17 is the last pin in the plug which will the the first to break contact if the plug is pull back out of the IPC. Pull the lower dash panel and reach up behind the left side of the IPC and push the plug into the IPC. I bet that will fix your problem. Probably a 5 minute fix!
