I am trying to install a Sun Pro Tach that i have by myself on my 97 Ranger 2.3L and I have a few questions for you guys that have installed one before.

First,
What did you hook up the Power Wire to?
I probed behind the fuse box and found something that is off when the Ignition is off and on when the Ignition is on. There is no wire coming off the back of the fuse box But i am pretty sure it is part of the Radio Fuse. I was just going to take the fuse out, wrap the power wire around it and put it back in. This Radio Fuse is a 7.5amp fuse, Is this enough power and OK to hook the power wire to, and if not where would be a better place to hook it up too?

My Second Question is:
Where on the firewall is a safe place to run wire though?
I found the Tan w/ yellow Strip wire under the power distribution box that I am going to splice into and there is also a place where a few wires are grounded on the fender that i am going to use so I need to run both the ground and green tach signal wire through the fire wall, but i can't find a safe place to run it through.


My last question is:

I need to slice both the Tach signal wire and the dimmer light wire, so which connection is the best to use?

I was either going to use a quick spice connector or try and splice the wire without cutting through it and then wraping the other wire around it? I was told by someone to not cut through wires. Or is there a better way?

Sorry for the long post, I am trying to teach myself this stuff and want to Install this Tach on my own but at the same time i don't want to screw anything this up.

thanks for all your help.

 

To get through the Firewall just find a rubber grommet close to the brake booster area.

If you don't want remove the instrument clutster for a cleaner install you can get power from a keyed accessory spot on the fuse box, there should 2 of them.

The ground wire can go anywhere there is a metal to the body.

The dimmer light is the Lt blue/red stripe wire.
That can be found feeding the ashtray light .

 

Thanks Mil1ion. What do you mean by a keyed accessory spot on the fuse box. What is it and where are they? When I probed the back of the fuse box, there was an open hole with no wire coming out of it that went off when the ignition is off, but on the front side of the fuse box it looks like it lines up to the Radio fuse which is 7.5amp. i was going to just pull out the fuse wrap the wire around it and put it back in. Can I do it this way to get power or should i get power from somewhere else. Also is the 7.5 amp fuse enough power. thanks again

 

Thanks. Is there anyone that can tell me if the 7.5 amp fuse that I was thinking of connecting the Power wire to, enough power for a tach to run off or no? If not what can i connect the power wire to. I am not sure if 7.5 amps is enough power and I am having trouble finding another power supply. thanks for the help

 

Sorry, It Should be fine .
Most radio fuses are 2-3 amp.

That Tach shouldn't be a problem.

 

The tach should pull less than 1A, but try to tie it into the same circuit that it would have run off of if it was OE. The Haynes manual wiring diagrams or the fuse list in your owner's manual will tell you which circuit it goes on.

 

Thanks alot. How do you know how much power the tach or any other load pulls? If it was OE then the tach would be apart of the gauge cluster, so I have no idea what circuit powers the gauge cluster. There was not much room behind the fuse box for me to probe, but i was able to probe this one opening with no wire coming out of it and it did shut off with the ignition. When i tried to look on the other side to see which fuse this hole lined up with it looked like it lined up with the radio fuse which says 7.5 amps on it. Since this circuit shut off with the ignition I was just going to connect the power to it by wraping the fuse or putting the wire in the back of the fuse box where the opening is and crimp it down. Like I said earlier, I an not that good at electrical wiring yet, I am trying to teach myself and I was hoping i was doing this right without screwing anything up. thanks for you help

 

Look for a white/pink wire behind the cluster >>that is for the tach from the ignition module.

 

Mil1ion,
Is that white/pink wire you are talking about a power wire or the tach signal wire.

 

Tach signal wire

 

I am pretty sure on my 97 that the tach signal wire is tan with a yellow strip

 

That's the color that '90-91 F-series used.

 

I posted a question about the tack signal wire and everyone on there said it was the tan/yellow stripe wire, and on Sunpros website it says to use the same color wire.