installed an aftermarket tach in my Corolla

[dwcopple]

...because it is a base model and doesn't have one. Here is a link to the install because I don't feel like typing it all over again
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/130-7t...er-20-pics.html

 

[gathermewool]

With the small font and odd angle, I think I'd prefer simply listening to the engine to guestimate the revs. A Scangauge II velcroed in front of your steering wheel would work nicely, too.

 

[JHZR2]

ummmm, why??!? It will be too hard to see...

fun little project though...

 

[oggb]

It DID only cost him $10. That's pretty darn cheap...

 

[dwcopple]

how is that hard to see? it lights up and the needle swings...

 

[JHZR2]

Location, location. Youre really going to take your eyes that far off the road to read RPMs to make a determination of when to shift?

I think the ear would be better...

 

[default]

Aftermarket tachs you want to use always go on the dash or strapped to the steering column.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

I've never needed one. Even with real (unsynchronized) manual transmissions I simply rely on the sound of the engine. Modern manuals make the tach useless. And considering you'll be looking down at the ashtray if you do need to use it makes me question the safety of taking your eyes off the road for something that's really not needed.

 

[dwcopple]

I do shift by ear and feel. I just like to be able to see what the car is really turning when I shift. Do you look at your tach every time your car shifts? I don't. But they are good for troubleshooting on occasion and seeing what your idle speed is too. Judas Priest, I shoulda known I get a bunch of naysayer's griping about something...It's a $10 tach for goodness sake!

 

[gathermewool]

Would you rather have had zero replies? On the interwebs, there are opinions aplenty.

Location aside, did you heat shrink or, at the very least, electrical-tape the butt connections?

 

[mechtech2]

How can they sell a manual trans car without a tach?
Useful for all sorts of things.

Shift by sound? Tell me, how do you know what the sound is referenced to an RPM, when you never could never have known the RPM without a tach? What is the sound difference between 5,700 RPM and 6,100? 1,800 and 2,200?
Gimme a break!

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: gathermewool

Location aside, did you heat shrink or, at the very least, electrical-tape the butt connections?
why? they are behind the dash inside the cabin and have a plastic jacket already on them? I see no point, why do you?

 

[gathermewool]

I've had butt connectors that I could tug on with great force after initial install eventually come loose that I hadn't taped or heat shrunk. Granted, they were in the engine compartment, which allows for a MUCH higher rate of corrosion.

Anyway, it's always a good idea to seal the connection with tape, at the very least.

What do you mean when you say they have a plastic jacket? You mean the plastic sleeve that surrounds the terminal? If so, see what I wrote above.