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WIring and Installing Aftermarket Tach

  • Thread starter Thread starter go-stang5.0
  • Start date Start date Oct 11, 2003

go-stang5.0

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Jan 27, 2003
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Glenview,Il
Oct 11, 2003
#1
  • Oct 11, 2003
  • #1
Ok guyz, finally ready to instally my summitt tach w/ shift light after having it for like 8 months. I know i can hook up the tach wire to my ignition box and the + and - under the hood. But how do you get the wires there (through the firewall) and where do you guyz hook up the light source wire? Also do you take the dash off for this. Gimme all the details on the install. Thanks guyz.
 

camaroguy72

20+ Year Stangneter
Mar 10, 2003
659
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Oct 14, 2003
#2
  • Oct 14, 2003
  • #2
go-stang5.0 said:
Ok guyz, finally ready to instally my summitt tach w/ shift light after having it for like 8 months. I know i can hook up the tach wire to my ignition box and the + and - under the hood. But how do you get the wires there (through the firewall) and where do you guyz hook up the light source wire? Also do you take the dash off for this. Gimme all the details on the install. Thanks guyz.
Click to expand...

What model did u get? I just wanna see what u got b4 I can tell u how 2 install it
 

viperos

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May 19, 2003
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Bellevue, WA (yes, the land where every 16 year o
Oct 14, 2003
#3
  • Oct 14, 2003
  • #3
actually, just call summit, they can explain everything to you over the phone... they are good that way... plus, the wires go right through the firewall, through a big rubber grommet... tell me the model, and I can give you some more advice... I did the autometer tach w/ shift light on my other car... only took like 2 hrs... but that's because I kept getting phone calls... interupting my work train-of-thought.
 

S/CBlack95GT

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Apr 6, 2003
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Tampa Palms, FL
Oct 14, 2003
#4
  • Oct 14, 2003
  • #4
Actually you can splice all the wires into the factory instrument cluster's right side harness. This is how I did mine and nothing has to go through the firewall. The tach signal wire from the coil is a direct feed to the factory cluster. I believe it is a brown wire with a yellow stripe. You can splice the lights and 12v ign. wires into that harness as well.
 

go-stang5.0

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Glenview,Il
Oct 17, 2003
#5
  • Oct 17, 2003
  • #5
I have a summit brand taCH WITH A BUILT IN SHIFTLIGHT. Its the kind that changes to like 10 different colors (I got it to match the stock interior light color and didnt want a 5in monster tach, nor can I afford the cobalt ones anyways). I dont have the part number but you can see it in their catalog. Oh, and camaroguy, you've seen it I'm surprised you dont remember. I have had it for like 6 months or so. Just never ogt around to install.
 

bradsgt

New Member
Oct 18, 2002
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Savannah, GA
Oct 17, 2003
#6
  • Oct 17, 2003
  • #6
i ran my wires in with the radio. So it goes on and off with the lights. Could go with the dash lights to.
 

go-stang5.0

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Glenview,Il
Oct 19, 2003
#7
  • Oct 19, 2003
  • #7
I'm prolly gonna need to pull of some of the dash right? If so, how do I go about doing this. Also, how do you guyz run the wires so cleanly?
 
1

1fstgt

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May 27, 2003
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Oct 19, 2003
#8
  • Oct 19, 2003
  • #8
you can just pull out the instrument cluster, if i remember right it's just two little screws and the cover comes off and then there's four other screws and the instrument cluster comes out. i pulled that out and tapped into the harness back there.
 

viperos

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Oct 19, 2003
#9
  • Oct 19, 2003
  • #9
actually, you need to remove the light switch first... the headlight nob on the left of the dash... there is some pin you lift, and pull it out, then remove the 2 screws, then the whole thing just pops off... there might be 2 more screws on the bottom, but I don't remember removing those on mine... it's actually quite simple
 

The Hitman

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Oct 17, 2001
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Orlando, FL
Oct 19, 2003
#10
  • Oct 19, 2003
  • #10
S/CBlack95GT said:
Actually you can splice all the wires into the factory instrument cluster's right side harness. This is how I did mine and nothing has to go through the firewall. The tach signal wire from the coil is a direct feed to the factory cluster. I believe it is a brown wire with a yellow stripe. You can splice the lights and 12v ign. wires into that harness as well.
Click to expand...

This is how I did mine also.. way easier than running those wires through that PITA grommet.. Works great!
 
1

1fstgt

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May 27, 2003
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Oct 19, 2003
#11
  • Oct 19, 2003
  • #11
that ****in' headlight knob! i hated that thing sooo much. i couldn't get it off to save my life! finally i just pulled and ripped it off and it didn't break luckily.
 

viperos

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May 19, 2003
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Bellevue, WA (yes, the land where every 16 year o
Oct 19, 2003
#12
  • Oct 19, 2003
  • #12
how do you guys remove that thing? I had my dad do it because I couldn't get it off my self
 

go-stang5.0

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Jan 27, 2003
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Glenview,Il
Oct 20, 2003
#13
  • Oct 20, 2003
  • #13
I kinda wanna run it to my ignition box, personally I think it would be more accurate that way. Anyways, how do you guyz get it there (i.e. wheres the freaking grommet!) And also, i probably have to take off the dash to run the wires cleanly anyways right? Anyone got any more details on the head light knob. I need a bit more on it other than "Its hard to take off" like where on it the pin is, etc.
 

viperos

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May 19, 2003
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Oct 20, 2003
#14
  • Oct 20, 2003
  • #14
well, it is quite easy to tell you how to do it... actually doing it takes some luck/time... there is a little "pin" you lift away from the nob, then the light switch pulls straight out, then remove the screws on the dash itself... like above the MPH, and Gas gagues... should be 2 of them... then, that whole piece pulls out... easier said than done, but that's all that can be said
 

go-stang5.0

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Glenview,Il
Feb 11, 2004
#15
  • Feb 11, 2004
  • #15
HEy guyz, I know this is an old post but I still havent gotten around to installing the tach yet.....I really, really, honestly plan on doing it tonight. I dont remember how long I have had that thing now... Hey viperos wheres that freaking grommet. I'm gonna run the tach wire to my ignition box and put the ground under the hood. I just need to know where and how I get to the freaking grommet. Also, wheres the ignition wire and the "lights" wire that I have to splice into. Colors and where they are would be really helpful. THanks guyz. I'll see whats posted tonight when I get home from work. Hopefully there will be some useful info when I get back. Oh and if anyone has pics that would help a lot (i mean of the dash with the cover off and stuff).
 
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