Let's Screw-Up Your Steering Column With A New Tachometer and Gear Shifter!
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 7,265
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From: Prince George, BC
Geno's garage carry those.
located factoty tac plug but my wires are different colors they are gray /w lire blue srip then black orange then back looked on my 89 parts truck and its the same i have a1992 d350 5.9 a isspro gagage that was reffered to what would be the proper way to wire it please help !!!!! 
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1
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New to DTR. This thread was lot's of help. I managed to install my ISSPRO EV Tach but for some reason it does not read the RPM. All it does is light up.
I checked for voltage to the tach and it checks out fine. I even did a continuity test all the way to the ECM plug and it beeps and has zero Ohms.
All my wiring seems correct. I went ahead and purchased the wire loom from Geno's and like somebody mentioned earlier that white wire at the harness side has some sort of filter that does not have continuity but the yellow one does.
Can somebody help me sort this out?
Is there some sensor on the engine that needs to be installed? Is a sensor already avail and may be damaged?
I haven't filled out my sig... 92 W250, Inter cooled.
I checked for voltage to the tach and it checks out fine. I even did a continuity test all the way to the ECM plug and it beeps and has zero Ohms.
All my wiring seems correct. I went ahead and purchased the wire loom from Geno's and like somebody mentioned earlier that white wire at the harness side has some sort of filter that does not have continuity but the yellow one does.
Can somebody help me sort this out?
Is there some sensor on the engine that needs to be installed? Is a sensor already avail and may be damaged?
I haven't filled out my sig... 92 W250, Inter cooled.
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Non isspro tach and using factory tach harness?
NOW STOP!
We need to eye-ball a few things so that we get it right the first time.
- I want a small hole just big enough for the cable and no more in the event the gage has to permanently come off.
- The hole needs to be where it will help hold the cable in the correct place when considering the steering column's inner workings.
I held the new pod/cover over the steering column, just above where it would nest, and marked where the hole needed to be in relation to the properly placed cable. A 1/4" hole is plenty big enough.
Looking at how it falls with the pod presents with this.
OK, fine. But let's stop with the tach install and do the trans OD column shifter thing . . . ..
It seems the later 1st Gen trucks share the same steering column as the '94 and up 2nd gens. This is what allows us to use the aforementioned gage pod, and further, the 2nd Gen version of the gear shift lever. It has the transmission's over-drive button built into the handle. Moving the switch there will allow one to mount a transmission oil temperature gage in place of the OEM OD button for example. KEWL!
It's a very simple swap. Just GENTLY drift the shifters mounting pin from the bottom up. A couple of taps had mine pop right out.
With the exception of the OD switch and associated pig-tail they're nearly identical.
(That with OD on top)
When installing the new shifter, you'll need to move the shifters spring forward a bit so as to properly engage the new shifter. With that, gently tap the mounting pin about flush.
- > The OD switch wiring will run forward, along the right side of the column. I found it necessary to cut off the OEM plug, and extend the two wires about eight inches so as to better reach the OEM OD switch wiring. It's best to do that now.
- Now you can assemble the lower section of the column cover. That being the section closest to the dash.
- Now pull the tachometer's cable up through the OEM column cover making sure the cable is in the proper place regarding the tilt/shifter guts. Tugging the cable from both ends will help nest the parts without a bunch of slack in the way.
- Nesting the new gage pod on top of the column should have the cable fall as such.
Now we need to affix the new gage pod to the OEM steering column cover. The Cover I used came with double-sided adhesive tape as well as four small plastic barbed pins. I chose the latter for a better fit.
- Using the plastic push-pins requires you to drill holes through the covers to lock them together. Be sure to drill where the pins won't interfere with the covers snap-locks and screw bosses and such.
- Completing that allows us to install the final bottom section of the column cover.
- Now we can connect the tachometer wiring. Refer to your tachometer's manufacturers wiring instructions.
- And install the gage itself. As my gage is a press-in type fit, I found it helpful to wrap a couple of layers of electrical tape around the gage body to make it fit right and stay put.
To finish the job, we need to make the final electrical connections.
Those running a tach that has you use a sensor on the alternator or crankshaft dampener need to go ahead and sort that out, else, you can use the same dash-light +12vdc power as well as the +12vdc switched power and common for powering your gage. READ, UNDERSTAND & FOLLOW your tachometer's wiring diagram.
The OEM factory tachometer plug offers the following:
- 18ga Black = +12vdc for gage lights
- 20ga Orange = 12vdc Common
- 18ga Red = Switched +12vdc
- 20ga Grey w/light blue tracer = Tachometer Signal From PCM
To connect the new OD shifter switch, find, cut and connect the new OD switch wires to the following wires from the OEM OD switch plug:
- 18ga Black = One side of the OD switch
- 20ga Orange w/white tracer = The other side of the OD switch.
NOTES:
1- You can connect the new OD switch in parallel with the OD switch and have both if you like.
2 - The remaining two wires are for the light that comes on when you work the switch. The new column shifter does not include a light. Sorry. Perhaps you can build it into a new custom information center.
Buttoning things up presents with the following.
We need to eye-ball a few things so that we get it right the first time.
- I want a small hole just big enough for the cable and no more in the event the gage has to permanently come off.
- The hole needs to be where it will help hold the cable in the correct place when considering the steering column's inner workings.
I held the new pod/cover over the steering column, just above where it would nest, and marked where the hole needed to be in relation to the properly placed cable. A 1/4" hole is plenty big enough.
Looking at how it falls with the pod presents with this.
OK, fine. But let's stop with the tach install and do the trans OD column shifter thing . . . ..
It seems the later 1st Gen trucks share the same steering column as the '94 and up 2nd gens. This is what allows us to use the aforementioned gage pod, and further, the 2nd Gen version of the gear shift lever. It has the transmission's over-drive button built into the handle. Moving the switch there will allow one to mount a transmission oil temperature gage in place of the OEM OD button for example. KEWL!
It's a very simple swap. Just GENTLY drift the shifters mounting pin from the bottom up. A couple of taps had mine pop right out.
With the exception of the OD switch and associated pig-tail they're nearly identical.
(That with OD on top)
When installing the new shifter, you'll need to move the shifters spring forward a bit so as to properly engage the new shifter. With that, gently tap the mounting pin about flush.
- > The OD switch wiring will run forward, along the right side of the column. I found it necessary to cut off the OEM plug, and extend the two wires about eight inches so as to better reach the OEM OD switch wiring. It's best to do that now.
- Now you can assemble the lower section of the column cover. That being the section closest to the dash.
- Now pull the tachometer's cable up through the OEM column cover making sure the cable is in the proper place regarding the tilt/shifter guts. Tugging the cable from both ends will help nest the parts without a bunch of slack in the way.
- Nesting the new gage pod on top of the column should have the cable fall as such.
Now we need to affix the new gage pod to the OEM steering column cover. The Cover I used came with double-sided adhesive tape as well as four small plastic barbed pins. I chose the latter for a better fit.
- Using the plastic push-pins requires you to drill holes through the covers to lock them together. Be sure to drill where the pins won't interfere with the covers snap-locks and screw bosses and such.
- Completing that allows us to install the final bottom section of the column cover.
- Now we can connect the tachometer wiring. Refer to your tachometer's manufacturers wiring instructions.
- And install the gage itself. As my gage is a press-in type fit, I found it helpful to wrap a couple of layers of electrical tape around the gage body to make it fit right and stay put.
To finish the job, we need to make the final electrical connections.
Those running a tach that has you use a sensor on the alternator or crankshaft dampener need to go ahead and sort that out, else, you can use the same dash-light +12vdc power as well as the +12vdc switched power and common for powering your gage. READ, UNDERSTAND & FOLLOW your tachometer's wiring diagram.
The OEM factory tachometer plug offers the following:
- 18ga Black = +12vdc for gage lights
- 20ga Orange = 12vdc Common
- 18ga Red = Switched +12vdc
- 20ga Grey w/light blue tracer = Tachometer Signal From PCM
To connect the new OD shifter switch, find, cut and connect the new OD switch wires to the following wires from the OEM OD switch plug:
- 18ga Black = One side of the OD switch
- 20ga Orange w/white tracer = The other side of the OD switch.
NOTES:
1- You can connect the new OD switch in parallel with the OD switch and have both if you like.
2 - The remaining two wires are for the light that comes on when you work the switch. The new column shifter does not include a light. Sorry. Perhaps you can build it into a new custom information center.
Buttoning things up presents with the following.
not sure about the feasibility of using the factory tach harness in my 93. The one thing that I am
not sure about is does the wire from the PCM have enough voltage to work for the tach? I heard somewhere that it only outputs 5v but that seems a little odd...
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