tach is jumping all over the place

[89accordlxi]

Ok, what is going on with my tach. It likes to jump around between 1500 and 2500 rpm. Let me remind you that this is not when idling but when driving, during accelerating and decelarating.
I do have custom guages, but I ruled out rubbing since it does it during deceleration as well(meaning when I let off the gas, the tack will drop but suddenly jump up then drop back down). I only notice it if I accelerate or decelarate slowly but if I stomp on the gas it isn't noticable. Can this be electrically related? I do have msd 6l and accel coil.. If it IS ignition related, could this explain the poor gas mileage that I have been experiencing for the last couple months also. I am also experiencing some miss firing at idle could this be related to the ignition or is that something totally different?

I was thinking about disconnecting the the msd and accel and temporarily reconnecting my stock coil, but as all of you who have an accel coil know, when I cut the coil plug off, I cut it all the way up to the plug so reconnecting is virtually impossible.

Any help or suggestions would be great

Peace..

[dXsquared]

i have no clue about the TACH... just get an aftermarket one...

http://www.truckn-store.com/productImages/GAU%5FRPM%5F233911SCB%2EJPG
http://www.truckn-store.com/product.asp?returnURL=default.asp&ID=20771

http://www.truckn-store.com/productImages/GAU%5FRPM%5F233906SS%2EJPG
http://www.truckn-store.com/product.asp?returnURL=default.asp&ID=20775

Travis

[AccordEpicenter]

go and listen to your distributor, if it sounds ticking or otherwise noisy thats probably why your tach is going crazy. Even if it isnt, the distributor is probably your problem anyways. It could be related to your mis firing and what not, but it probably isnt.

['89AccordLX(Rus)]

Hello,

The tachometer is hooked up to the ignition coil. (Look at the gauge cluster schematics in the shop manual). I doubt it is a problem in the gauges themselves. Double check all your connections under the hood, check the spark plugs, make sure they are gapped properly. If I am not mistaken, you have to regap plugs when you install a high perforemance ignition system/components. Misfiring could be caused by the malfunctioning plugs. I haven't been able to find any info on how exactly the tachometer is connected to the ignition coil. Has your car started to behave in this strange fashion right after you installed the ignition parts or only recently while the parts were already installed for some time. Check for proper ground as well wherever it is required.

Hope this helps.:D

[89accordlxi]

Originally posted by AccordEpicenter
go and listen to your distributor, if it sounds ticking or otherwise noisy thats probably why your tach is going crazy.

As a matter of fact, my distributor is quite noisy. Almost a rattling, rock in a can, type of noise. Is that a sign of a bad distributor??:confused:??


Originally posted by '89AccordLX(Rus)

Has your car started to behave in this strange fashion right after you installed the ignition parts or only recently while the parts were already installed for some time.

I think the problem started shortly after I installed the MSD. I had been running the Accel coil for several months before the msd with no problems.. But I also replaced my distributor with a used one and that was when the, rock in the can, sound started. Maybe I need to get another dist.

I heard the lude si dist. will work on our accords. Is this True???

any more tips or suggestions are welcome.

Oh yeah, dxhatchback, I am planning on getting an after market tach in the near future. I just want to spend money on getting the car to run right before spending it on extras accessories.

Peace out..

[njpeter]

my tach was jumping too..shortly after I got my 88 lx w/67k miles ( now at 180) the alternator failed..when it was replaced, the jumping tach was no longer jumping..same symptoms as yours.

[AccordEpicenter]

Yeah just go to a yard and get another distributor. The distributors fail when they make the sound your describing, and also when the bearings fail, they can make a whine or squeek. Mine did that and shredded the bearings soo bad that there was a fair amount of metal dust inside the cap when i opened it. I might need another one because i think my advance/retard is messed up. BTW, when they get messed up they also can completely lock up the advance/retard mechanism

[ACCORD EX]

Originally posted by 89accordlxi
As a matter of fact, my distributor is quite noisy. Almost a rattling, rock in a can, type of noise. Is that a sign of a bad distributor??:confused:??



do you mean pinging ? does it happen while accelerating ? if so check yout ignition timing !

MIKE

[BensAccordLxi]

I had the same problem but I had to replace the Ignighter Unit.

[AccordEpicenter]

not pinging, the distributor itself makes the noise

[89accordlxi]

Thanks all for the feedback. Yeah, AccordEpicenter is right, the noise is coming from the distributor itself. How do I know if the igniter unit is bad? I can get distributors around here pretty cheap so I will probably go to the bone yard and pickup a whole distributer so I don't have to mess with changing the igniter unit, but how can I tell if the igniter is bad, just so I know..

later...
Peace

[AccordEpicenter]

usually if the ignitor is bad or going bad youll have alot of misfiring or the engine wont run/no spark. Im not exactly sure of the cause of the rocks-in-a-can sound but i think one of the pickups near the reluctor could be getting messed up??? Let me know what you find out 89accordlxi

[ACCORD EX]

yes bad ignitor = miss fire ! :D

MIKE

[89accordlxi]

All right, I replaced the distributor, and yay hoo, no more rattling. When I called the junk yard, I asked for the 87 prelude si distributor, but when I got it home, the tag on the dist. said 87 accrd lsi. Yep, you read it right, lsi. So I don't know what car the distributor came off of... But oh well, it seems to have fixed the rattling prob. and my tach doesn't seem to be jumping around anymore.
I just finished the install tonight and went for a quick drive around the block. So I guess I will have to keep a close eye on things for the next couple days before I give it the thumbs up.

Thanks again for everyone's input.

Peace out....