Jump to content




Tachometer Not Working, 3G Civic Si


  • You cannot reply to this topic
35 replies to this topic

#16
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

Episode 2 of my 86 Civic Si project just dropped; trying to fix my broken tachometer! In this video I pull the distributor, test the ignitor module with a meter, find a new one for a prelude for cheap, install that, and my tach is still 100% dead. Would appreciate any advice! 


Edited by ADDvanced, 04 June 2021 - 01:57 AM.

I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced


#17
CSPCRX

Did you test the new one to ensure it was good and the specs matched up with those from the shop manual?


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#18
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

I do not have a signal generator, so I don't know how to do that.   I have the manuals, is there a section about testing clusters?   Must have missed it; going to go check right now.


I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced


#19
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

Second video on no tach issue:  Removed cluster, tested the harness (I think this looks right?!?), disassembled the cluster to look for obvious signs of electrical carnage, and then installed a junkyard cluster....  STILL NO TACH AT ALL.    :angry: 

WTFFFFFF


I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced


#20
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

ALSO:  I just used a meter to test continuity between the harness that plugs into the coil, and the harness that goes into the back of the cluster.   Seems mint.   

I'm thinking maybe an entirely new distributor, idk what else to do.


I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced


#21
CSPCRX

That is what I would try.  Very odd as it seems you have checked everything logically that would cause the issue.


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#22
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

Is there anyplace that sells distributors besides Cardone??


I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced


#23
CSPCRX

Back in the day, long ago when I had the stock EW motor, I used to get them at BAP.  RockAuto shows four but three of them are Cardone other is Autoline


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#24
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

This car is for sale soon.  This website is dead, all the facebook groups are hopeless and pretty much inactive, finding parts has been completely obnoxious.

I like the chassis but fuck this I am trying so hard and getting absolutely nowhere, and the giant void of accessible info and lack of parts has ruined any joy I had for this thing.


I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced


#25
CSPCRX

I know you changed the ICM but did you change the distributor?  Is it possible that the pickup or some other part is not functional or functioning correctly inside?

I would see if you can get one and try it and if it doesn’t fix it return it.  I don’t have a spare to share or I would.


Victor
86 K24 Powered CRX SI (SMF Solo2, HPDE-4 NASA & TA-A Time Attack

85 CRX DX totally original
07 Harley FXST Softail

2021 Tacoma Tow/Daily


#26
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

  • Leadfoot
  • PipPipPipPipPip
    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
cooling. a fellow member and i had a discussion years ago about this topic. i’ve only installed oem water pumps and never had overheating except once w a leak in my radiator- i don’t have direct experience u your problem.

certain water pump brands have different impeller designs. they don’t pump enough water or cavitates and it overheats. i’ve only installed oem pumps and never had the problem.

i have a couple of nos radiators. i suspended a 5 gallon bucket completely filled w water, timed how long water took to run empty. i tested 2-4 used radiators and compared. i did a post on this. search radiator test or something. borrowed a hunting thermal cabelllas scope. ran hot water through and gave great data. another science project, but don’t think this is going to yeold your problem.

did u replace tstat? . ( my tstat and rad cap were original until i finally replaced it at 265k. the rubber was hard and brittle.- but no overheating issue, not chunks broke off to circulate through the engine). if it still overheats, i’d place thermal probes on key waterlines. i bought a multi port k-type meter for my boat to monitor in/out of engine pump and lower unit pump. gives great data. be great for this. it’s sounding like a wrong/bad pump. you need to see if pump is pushing water
Keepin' it OEM

#27
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

  • Leadfoot
  • PipPipPipPipPip
    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
this sites user vol died when reddit facebook took over several years ago.

after 34-35 yrs, were getting weird things happening. i like your troubleshooting techniques/skill/videos. and would hope you would keep with it. you can see the unique challenges owning these cars. makes it tat much more special to own and drive around.

what u did makes sense to me. from my experience on these cars, the igniter fails, car doesn’t start. i assume a rebuilt dizzy is a new igniter, bearing and vacuum advance. not sure if a new dizzy is the answer either.

consider testing the tach signal at ur 90si and compare.

back in the factory line days, we’d use 10x jewelers glasses in the engineering lab to look over the components and solder joints. you’d be amazed what information that gives you. swapping the clusters should have solved it

consider searching other 80’s acura and honda models for jumpy or dead tac. someone’s had this and solved it. i don’t recall this posted before on this site

i hope you stay with it. ur methods r solid, i’d hate to loose ur talent supporting this sites repair database
Keepin' it OEM

#28
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

  • Leadfoot
  • PipPipPipPipPip
    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
how many miles?

i searched civic and integra dead tach. i don’t come across pre 1990 data. read mostly1990-2000. many issues for dead tach unsolved - ur not alone. some replaced cluster, some worked, others not. some replaced igniter, some worked, others not. several problems seemed related to aftermarket distributors - proven by problem occurring after installation

a reasonable technique was to buy an aftermarket tach. connect a blue wire in dash an confirm it works. however, some reported aftermarket tach worked, oem didnt. one reported swapping a friends working cluster, and it didn’t work.

i’ve worked w a lot eclectronic halt and reliability testing and fal analysis. my hunch is to solder an auxiliary ground off the tach wires in the cluster and confirm a “true” ground. i’d also remove the pick up out of the dizzy, inspect those wires. review w jewelers glass. i’ve never looked at it. so if there r solder joints, reflow them. im going this direction bc people reported aftermarket tach work, oem does not, implying oem tach might need a cleaner, stronger signal?

another reported a new ignition coil solved it. maybe this put the power to dizzy back to spec?

look into that water pump for over heating. that old lady may had it replaced by a shop using aftermarket parts. i believe asian made honda oem pumps.
Keepin' it OEM

#29
greasemonkeyreborne 5x1g's

  • Leadfoot
  • PipPipPipPipPip
    • Group: 2018 Contributor
    • Location:Foreign national in TX
    • Drives: 9 crx's: #1 228k 87si beater, #2 concours 25K, #3 108K 87si, #4 98K parts car, #5 213K 87si parts car, #6 84 straman, #7 86si 150k #8 67k parts #9 129K si for straman conversion
there’s tremendous experience and talent in rpr membership, hopefully someone will catch ur post to help
Keepin' it OEM

#30
ADDvanced

  • Slowpoke
  • PipPip
    • Group: Members
    • Drives: 86 Civic Si, 90 Civic Si, 00 Insight 5spd, 77 Porsche 911s, 95 Audi S6 Avant, 99 Astro

I know you changed the ICM but did you change the distributor?  Is it possible that the pickup or some other part is not functional or functioning correctly inside?

I would see if you can get one and try it and if it doesn’t fix it return it.  I don’t have a spare to share or I would.

 

Episode #4:   Replacing the entire distributor, another $100 down the drain, tach still 100% dead.

 


I build cool shit  :ph34r:

https://www.youtube.com/addvanced