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Instrument Panel

My tachometer quit working years ago.  I spent a lot of time and money trying to bring it back to life, to no avail.  I bought the Silver Leaf system to provide tach information and use it for monitoring all systems except the air pressure.  The spot on the instrument panel containing the tachometer was just wasted space.  That is until the other day when I realized that I could stick my TPMS to that glass circle and again have useful information in that space right in front of me.  Win/Win. 
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #2 –
It would nice if my tach worked although like you I only use the Silver Leaf.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #3 –
All our gauges still work, including the tack although its engine hours area sometimes shows random characters, other times its normal. 

That said, I have a lack of trust in what those gauges display (other than the tank pressures) and rely on the BlueFire display to validate.  Oil pressure is low, Volts low, Temperature high, Transmission range/scale is kind of useless.  Speed and RPM seem fine.

Quote from: Jan & Richard –
I spent a lot of time and money trying to bring it back to life, to no avail
What kind of things?  Just curious so that should mine decide to give up I know what has been tried or where to start looking.
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #4 –
Quote from: steve –
All our gauges still work, including the tack although its engine hours area sometimes shows random characters, other times its normal. 

That said, I have a lack of trust in what those gauges display (other than the tank pressures) and rely on the BlueFire display to validate.  Oil pressure is low, Volts low, Temperature high, Transmission range/scale is kind of useless.  Speed and RPM seem fine.

Agree with all of this 100%
George Mann
2002 U320 #5934
2017 Rubicon
2013 BMW GS
Waterford MI

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #5 –
Quote from: steve –
All our gauges still work, including the tack although its engine hours area sometimes shows random characters, other times its normal. 

That said, I have a lack of trust in what those gauges display (other than the tank pressures) and rely on the BlueFire display to validate.  Oil pressure is low, Volts low, Temperature high, Transmission range/scale is kind of useless.  Speed and RPM seem fine.

Do you have the blue box on your coach? I know 2001's have it and I know '99's don't.
1999 40 ft. U-320 wtfe build 5563 Chuck & Lynda's "Rollin' Inn"  2030 watts solar
prev. mh's 71 GMC 5 yrs. 73 Pace Setter 1 yr. 78 Vogue 5 yrs 81 FTX 40ft all electric 18 yrs. 1996 Monaco Signature 3 yrs.
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Dream as if you will live forever. Live as if you will die today.  James Dean

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #6 –
There is a test toggle switch under dash cover. If it is in the wrong position, the tach will not work. I found out after 100s in troubleshooting expense. FT support didn't know about it
1998 u320 3600 build 5200

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #7 –
Quote from: steve –
What kind of things?  Just curious so that should mine decide to give up I know what has been tried or where to start looking.
In July 2010 MoT removed and replaced the tach and checked out the wiring (for $210).  They told me they could find no problem with instrument or wiring and sent me to Cummins to have the sender checked out.  In August 2010 Cummins checked (for $265) and said tach head must be defective.  That is when I installed the digital dash (Silver Leaf).  In 2017 I got tired of looking at an inoperative instrument on my panel so I removed the tach and sent it to the instrument guy in Florida (I don't remember the name) for a definitive evaluation.  He assured me that the instrument works just fine.  I did not save the receipt for that but I am sure it was over $100.  And that is the long sad saga of my Tachometer. 
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #8 –
Quote from: Ldillow –
There is a test toggle switch under dash cover. If it is in the wrong position, the tach will not work. I found out after 100s in troubleshooting expense. FT support didn't know about it
Please elaborate. 
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #9 –
Quote from: craneman –
Do you have the blue box on your coach? I know 2001's have it and I know '99's don't.
No blue box on this coach, I do not know if that was a running change or hard changeover in '01

Quote from: Jan & Richard –
And that is the long sad saga of my Tachometer
The dreaded circular loop, only way out is to hide your wallet from the Nacogdochians! 

Thanks for the details, most of mine just seem to be somewhat off readings but don't know if that is just the way it always was/is and now reading the data bus shows the variance or they just drifted over time.  It must have been fun to get the Tachometer out of that clam-shell dash arrangement.

@Ldillow Awesome info ... please provide some additional details on that switch
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #10 –
On my coach there are two toggle switches under dash cover.
I think One is momentary (left one) and the other can go up or down. It needs to be in the "down" position.
If it is in the up position the tach won't work.
I believe they are diagnostic switches
1998 u320 3600 build 5200

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #11 –
Those switches have been brought up in the past and there are some real good discussions on them. Basically depending on what year model, what engine/transmission,( M-11, 8.3 6v92/ 4060,3060) and what brake system the coach came with will determine what these switches do.  For example on our 320 the switch that toggles up/down raise and lowers the idle low set point (this is independent to the cruise control high idle) the other one is for Meritor brake controller diagnostic. With it being such a long time sense this has been brought up on these switches this is great for some new owners.

Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #12 –
For diagnostic use of those switches:

Engine Engine Fault Codes

ABS ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Pamela & Mike –
For example on our 320 the switch that toggles up/down raise and lowers the idle low set point
I'll update the wiki with that info ... There is no information in there for what those switches did on the mechanical engines so that is a good start.  I'll do some searches to see what else has been posted.
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #14 –
Yes, these switches on our 320 are very hard to locate without climbing into the dash from the top.  Not visible. They are mounted on the structural cross member just under and behind the windshield to the left of the steering wheel on our coach.
Jerre and Kathy Griffin
2003 U320 4220 Special
Build # 6207
2022 RAM Laramie 4X4 EcoDiesel
2002 Country Coach Magna 37 Tag- Forever Coach-Died in fire 7/23
1997 Country Coach 32 Intrigue-No slides-Wonderful

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #15 –
Quote from: Pamela & Mike –
Those switches have been brought up in the past.    Basically depending on what year model, what engine/transmission,( M-11, 8.3 6v92/ 4060,3060) and what brake system the coach came with will determine what these switches do.
Mike
Mike, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.  Problem solved.  I moved the left hand switch from the up position to the down position and now the tachometer now works. 

I have read all those posts over the years but since they have different functions for different combinations of engines/transmissions/brakes, I never understood what they might do in my coach.  I was afraid to mess with them for fear of screwing something up and everything with the drive train was working just great. 

I suppose that fifteen years ago shortly after I bought the coach that switch got bumped to the up position and that shut down the tach.  It would have been nice if someone at MoT had known to check that switch. 

As it turns out the analog gauge reads 300 to 500 RPMs faster than the digital meter on my Silver Leaf.  I may investigate that further sometime in the future.  Also, the hour meter is a couple of thousand hours behind what the digital meter says. 

But I am pleased to have all the gauges in my panel actually working. 
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #16 –
Your welcome!
1998 u320 3600 build 5200

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #17 –
I flipped the switch on my coach which is the same as yours but it didn't help on my coach. the rest
of my gages work but the volt meter reads one volt low and sometimes the coolant gauge reads 220
when it's 190.
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #18 –
Quote from: oldguy –
my gages work but the volt meter reads one volt low and sometimes the coolant gauge reads 220 when it's 190
Thats pretty much how mine read as well.  The coolant gauge can also swing from 190 to 220 in just seconds.

Quote from: Jan & Richard –
But I am pleased to have all the gauges in my panel actually working.
I can't help but wonder what the use case is for that switch.  You would think it has a purpose other than to disable the tach/hours meter.
2000 / 36' / U320 / WTFE
WildEBeest / "Striving to put right what once went wrong"

Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #19 –
Quote from: steve –
You would think it has a purpose other than to disable the tach/hours meter.
I certainly would think that.  The uncertainty of what those switches do is why I never touched them until the other day. 
Jan & Richard Witt
1999 U-320  36ft WTFE
Build Number: 5478 Motorcade: 16599
2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited w/Air Force One
Jan: NO5U, Richard:KA5RIW
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Re: Instrument Panel

Reply #20 –
Quote from: oldguy –
I flipped the switch on my coach which is the same as yours but it didn't help on my coach. the rest
of my gages work but the volt meter reads one volt low and sometimes the coolant gauge reads 220
when it's 190.

I had a bad ground causing bad reading
1998 u320 3600 build 5200