Installing a tachometer on a car...?

[StageLeft]

I'm buying a new civic and it won't be coming with a tachometer so I was going to buy an aftermarket one from any hardware store. How much will it cost to get one of these installed? I highly doubt I'm capable of it.

 

[DannyLove]

buy a what?

 

[StageLeft]

Tachometer.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

As far as cost, it depends on the model. I've seen $400 tachs (they are nice though). You can be really cool and mount it to the hood like pontiac did a few decades ago

 

[StageLeft]

I was thinking of a $50 jobby that just sits inside the windshield on the inside

 

[geno]

It shouldn't be too hard to hook up, I'm sure there's more than enough info out there. Check superhonda.com's messageboards and ask there, it shouldn't be that difficult. Give it a shot

 

[Soybomb]

How decenet are you with wiring. Usually there are 4 wires, one to +12v, one to ground, one to the lighting on the instrument panel so you can dim it, and one to the negative lead of your idnition coil. My next question is why htough?
edit:
if you do order, get a quality one or its worthless, i highly recommend autometer brand

www.jegs.com
www.summitracing.com

 

[StageLeft]

Wiring? I can hook up an amplifier in a car and thats it. I want it because I can't stand having a standard transmission and no tachometer. GRRR

 

[geno]

How about installing a new instrument cluster? It'd look a little neater and plus you can get one out of a junker for dirt cheap.

 

[bigbootydaddy]

is this a 2001 civic??

 

[StageLeft]

2001 yep

 

[Soybomb]

Order an autometer from summit or jegs and I"ll bet you can install it yourself

 

[Lvis]

It's easy, I did it on my toyota years ago. They come with instructions, really no big deal. The hard part is mounting it so that is doesn't look awful. I managed to get mine in the dash, where a factory clock was supposed to go.

 

[iamwiz82]

is it an auto? if so, why the need for a tach? =]

 

[StageLeft]

No its not an auto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iamwiz82]

lol, had to ask =]. Actually, i am suprised it doesnt come with a tach if its manual.

 

[StageLeft]

The LX's do but not the DX's and I"m still not sure if I'm gonna buy an LX!

 

[iamwiz82]

hmmm... They arent too hard to install, just splice some wires and mount it. The directions are usually pretty complete.

 

[geno]

Ack, how can they make auto's without tachs?? I can't believe that's even a possible combo - and it's not just Honda that does this too! Makes me wonder...

 

[Soybomb]

Check this one out TACH

Avoid sunpro as its utter crap. Autoguage is the imported and lesser quality meter. Autometer and VDO are the two best brands. Remember if its not accurate (and tachs can be off by like 1k rpm or more whent they are junk guages) it defeats the whole point in having one.

 

[kumanchu]

cheap tachs are ok for normal driving. they aren't super accurate, but they aren't that bad either, they should just be used as a reference anyway. as my friend in his type r says:

factory tach -> autometer tach -> vafc

he has all of these in his car, but the vafc is the most accurate, even the autometers are off by about 600rpm at redline.

 

[Farbio]

having driven a manual honda for years, i can attest that the need for a tach is very very low. its nice to glance at on occassion, but its not like you actually need it to drive correctly or better.

to answer your question though, most decent tachs are not that hard to install, its just running the wiring correctly, and if u can do an amp, then u should be able to manage a tach as well.