I wonder who's bright idea at Ford it was to not equip manual trucks/suvs without tachometers while those with automatic transmissions do. My parents '96 Explorer has the automatic transmission and a tach in the instrument cluster meanwhile my '98 Ranger w/ 5 speed doesnt have one. I have noticed this with other manufacturers and models as well but it just begs the question of why? Why does a vehicle with an auto need to know the RPMs yet someone driving a manual has to rely on sound and common sense to shift and know what RPM their vehicle is at?

Just my useless thought for the day...feel free to offer any insight you might have

 

Why not? For the same reason Ford didn't put cruise control button lamps in some models/years, and did in others. (In other words, who the heck knows)?

You ought to just grab an instrument cluster w/tach from a junkyard (I've also seen them on eBay) and pop it in your '98 and not worry about it anymore.

 

useless thought of the day, done.

Next?

 

Not worried about it at all, it just strikes me as odd.

 

I have a 2000 Ranger that is an automatic and it doesn't have a tachometer. So, I don't think it's specific to what kind of transmission you have. Hell, my wife's tiny little automatic cavalier actually has a tachometer. Explain that one. lol

 

The tachometer is an option. Most std trans models are minimally equipped, so the extra options are left out. You can get a std model with a tach.

 

Tach came with the Sport option package.

 

or do as i have done, buy a cheap 25 dollar tach at autozone and slap it on there just to have something 'purdy to look at lol