Sunpro tach question

[FuriousMachine95]

I got a Sunpro tach for my car. The only problem I see with hooking it up is where the hell to put the stupid red wire. They want it on "any vehicle harness wire which is energized with battery voltage ONLY when the ignition key is in the ON (RUN) position, NOT OFF or ACCESSORIES." Does anyone else have this tach and what did you hook the red wire to?

[FuriousMachine95]

Never mind. I figured it out. I guess I should start looking before I ask huh??

[FuriousMachine95]

But for anyone else who reads this thread that has the same question, circuits for the 95-99 neon that are only energized by battery power when it key is on the on or run position are........
cruise control (fuse 10 in the fuse block)
power door locks (fuse 11)
cooling fan (fuse 10) though I wouldn't suggest putting it on that one in case the tach goes bad and blows the fuse. Then you may overheat do bad things to your engine.
back up lights (fuse 8)
And the green wire? since the Neon is a non-distributor system, you have to tear the dash apart, take the cluster out, and find the grey wire with a light blue stripe in the right hand wire harness. That is the tach wire. I would suggest taking the negative lead off the battery before tearing the dash apart. There are airbag sensors in the dash and steering columb.

[Danijh1]

i got a tachometer for my car....... 4 colors ...red, green, white, black.... where do i connect them? i know red is power and blkac is ground.... but... HELP!

a dodge neon 2000

[FuriousMachine95]

Mine was a sunpro, but it's probably the same for most tachs. The white goes on with your interrior lighting circuit, red goes on with anything powered off the battery only when the key is in the start or on position(ie: cooling fan, power door locks, cruise control, reverse lights, turn signal). The easiest way to hook these up is to pull the fuse, stick the wire in the bottom slot(that way it will still be protected by the fuse), and put the fuse back in. The green goes on your tach wire. I don't know with the 2000, but with my 95, I had to take the cluster out, and there will be a wire harness running down to the plug on the right. Take that apart and look for the grey wire with a light blue stripe. This is for the 95 mind you, so it could be different with yours. If you have a haynes repair manual, look in the back on the electrical diagrams. There should be one that is for instrument panel indicators and gauges system. Find the Tahcometer(it should be in the row near the top), and whichever wire is not the ground wire is the one you want to put it on. The harness on these cars are universal so wether or not your car had a factory tach in it, there will be a tach wire in your harness going to the plugs for the cluster. The black wire you want to put on the negative battery terminal. That way it is a "clean" ground. There won't be any interference or "noise" from everything else that is grounded to the cassis. I hope this helps you out. Good luck!!

[Danijh1]

man... that green tach wire is pissing me off......i dont see no grey and blue stripe wire on the harness "from the cluster". wouldnt it work if i got a cluster from another dodge neon with a tach in it.?

[FuriousMachine95]

I told you it might be different for you cause you're a 2nd gen where I am a 1st gen. Like I said if you have a manual, look at the wiring diagrams in the back of it and you will be able to find out what color the tach wire is. but to answer your question, yes it would work if you got a cluster with a tach in it already.

[NJH_Habitatpro]

Ok the Green wire goes to the grey base blue strip wire. You can find this wire by going under your hood to your PCM. Once there go from that wiring harness you want to split the casing and find that wire. The red wire you hook strait up to the battery. The black wire hook to a ground. white wire you want to hook up to any light in the car that comes on when you turn your lights on. There you go hope that can help you any... Also on getting a different cluster you can do that if you have a non tach cluster you can swap it for a cluster with one.

Later,
Nick