Am I tachometer ready...? (Like Plug&Play)

[Tiwaz]

this is my situation by the area where you'd normally see a tachometer and I would like to install one but don't know if the canon connector dangling in the picture is what I need since most of the pictures for tachometer I have seen on eBay have 5 wires or so, can anyone chime in...?

 

[mgFray]

There are two types of tachs, one is 4-terminals (+ light - so 5 wires needed) and one has a canon connector. I believe that signals are the same in both cases. In the past the ones with the canon connectors have been less expensive because they require the special connector you might have there?

But the easier to source 4-wire should be fine as well. The 5-wire requires power, ground, tach +, tach -, and illumination lights. (Power should be applied only when the engine is running.)

The one I installed in my rig (not canon) came from SecoParts. Looks like the price has jumped a bit in the last year, but may be cheaper then ebay. (I'm not affiliated with seco in anyway, just bought from them in the past.)

 

[Tiwaz]

There are two types of tachs, one is 4-terminals (+ light - so 5 wires needed) and one has a canon connector. I believe that signals are the same in both cases. In the past the ones with the canon connectors have been less expensive because they require the special connector you might have there?

But the easier to source 4-wire should be fine as well. The 5-wire requires power, ground, tach +, tach -, and illumination lights. (Power should be applied only when the engine is running.)

The one I installed in my rig (not canon) came from SecoParts. Looks like the price has jumped a bit in the last year, but may be cheaper then ebay. (I'm not affiliated with seco in anyway, just bought from them in the past.)

MgFray, thanks for getting back, I was actually thinking that if a "canon" tach would work, it'd probably be the easiest quickest solution because the installation would require some sort of a metal bracket and screwing the canon's locking ring in place and that's it, vs. having to connect 5 wires, which honestly I wouldn't even know where

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

MgFray, thanks for getting back, I was actually thinking that if a "canon" tach would work, it'd probably be the easiest quickest solution because the installation would require some sort of a metal bracket and screwing the canon's locking ring in place and that's it, vs. having to connect 5 wires, which honestly I wouldn't even know where

Turbo trucks use the cannon plug version of tach, the signal comes from the generator, the 5 wire tach gets its signal from the tach drive that has a signal generator for the ste/ice, that signal generator may now come from the STE/ICE frequency converter Used on turbo trucks.

 

[irondad2009]

There are two types of tachs, one is 4-terminals (+ light - so 5 wires needed) and one has a canon connector. I believe that signals are the same in both cases. In the past the ones with the canon connectors have been less expensive because they require the special connector you might have there?

But the easier to source 4-wire should be fine as well. The 5-wire requires power, ground, tach +, tach -, and illumination lights. (Power should be applied only when the engine is running.)

The one I installed in my rig (not canon) came from SecoParts. Looks like the price has jumped a bit in the last year, but may be cheaper then ebay. (I'm not affiliated with seco in anyway, just bought from them in the past.)

Did you just splice the single signal wire from the tach into one of the wires coming off the sending unit?

 

[mgFray]

Did you just splice the single signal wire from the tach into one of the wires coming off the sending unit?

I bought a set of new connectors, and double throw/double pole switch. So....

tach sensor on back of engine -> connector -> switch (with my tach) -> connector -> regular diagnostic port

or

tach sensor on back of engine -> connector -> switch (with my tach) -> tach


My understanding is this is roughly how the tach that mounts on the engine cover was intended to be wired (but that is purely a guess, I never found the full schematic for that.)

 

[irondad2009]

I bought a set of new connectors, and double throw/double pole switch. So....

tach sensor on back of engine -> connector -> switch (with my tach) -> connector -> regular diagnostic port

or

tach sensor on back of engine -> connector -> switch (with my tach) -> tach


My understanding is this is roughly how the tach that mounts on the engine cover was intended to be wired (but that is purely a guess, I never found the full schematic for that.)

Ok I think I get it, But please forgive my ignorance, Why can't you just splice directly into the sending unit wire with the single tach wire? Im sure the switch serves a purpose but my little Brain doesn't get it... lol. Thank you very much for the response.

 

[mgFray]

Ok I think I get it, But please forgive my ignorance, Why can't you just splice directly into the sending unit wire with the single tach wire? Im sure the switch serves a purpose but my little Brain doesn't get it... lol. Thank you very much for the response.

I don't like splicing or cutting any of the factory wires, unless I'm reparing something.

My using the connectors I avoided splices. The switch was to ensure that the regular diagnostic port would work in the future, if I needed it. (I do have a diagnostic device, but alas no software so I've not actually used it yet.)

You could easily just use the connector and new wiring to the tach and avoid the switch and diagnostic port (instead of splicing).