The car is a V6 automatic. The tach sticks at about 2200 RPM’s Everything else on the dash is A OK. Car only has 22000 miles so I thinking it can’t be worn out. Will appreciaate any help on finding the cause…bboy
Tearing dashboards apart to change instruments or instrument clusters can be difficult and expensive. There are people who specialize in doing this and they are usually found at dealerships…
So the engine revs fine? Only the tachometer is stuck?
Are you the original owner? Anybody mess with the instrument cluster?
The trouble shooting would start from the sensor from the engine and then the wiring and then the cluster. I am assuming an 04 has electronic tachometer. Changing the cluster on most cars I have dealt with is not that difficult, but gotta see what happens to the mileage on the ODO. Most states need this to be done by a shop with proper permits.
At $400+ for a cluster, I’d do nothing if the engine runs completely ok and the only symptom is the sticky needle.
My 91 Explorer tach would show zero rpm on a cold morning until the cabin got warmed up a bit and then it would suddenly pop to life and work ok.
I never replaced it and never had a problem because of it.
Instrument clusters today are all electronic plugin modules. Once you know which trim piece to pop off they’re usually very easy to remove. A dealer parts department can provide you with an “exploded view” drawing of exactly how it’s installed.
But, as Ken said. a new cluster is $$$$$$$$$$$$. I’d try the local boneyard first. Most of them now are inventoried and networked.
It’s likely the tach is operated by a stepper motor and that motor has gone stupid. Stepper motors are fairly cheap but will involve removal of the cluster to replace.
@the same mountainbike
Be careful here. Up to certain years you can just change them. Once they integrated to CAN bus a lot of information can be stored in the cluster that must match the body controller. I talked with many of the engineers at my previous job about the software that would need to be changed/downloaded to make a new cluster work in my wife’s car since hers was low buck Chrysler and they have a high line with lots of nice features. I know for a fact Chrysler keeps VIN information in the cluster and it must match the information on the body control module. Not sure about Ford or GM.
Interesting W30. I was unaware of that potential complication.
Thanks guys, I just picked the car up and brought it home. Probably 35 miles and the tach needle never moved, except when the ignition switch is turned off and the car is re-started, it goes all the way over and back to zero and then up to 2200RPMs where it lives…
Since the gauge goes full scale at initial key on, I would say you have lost signal somewhere in the vehicle harness. The full scale check says the stepper motor running the gauge can make the full movement. Something is giving it an erroneous signal for the 2200 RPM you are seeing. 22Kmiles on the car, is it under warranty still or just a really low mileage car. If under warranty take it back and they (the Ford dealer) should fix it for free.
i would say there is a wire going to the tach that is toutching a ground somewhere the cluster sounds fine and would not give up the 22000 mile odo for a working tach go to a parts house and install a monster tach hey its a mustang they should have come from the factory with a 5 inch monster tach on the dash anyway
Time to investigate what is supplying the input signal to the tach… The instrument itself seems to be working…
There is no warranty coverage on 8 year old Fords…
@Caddyman
I missed the year of the car even though it was in the title. OOps sorry