Club 80-90 Forums

Hi Guys

Ok this may seem an odd question, but being slightly lacking in the technical knowledge department I need to ask.

I have seen the following on Ebay and would really love a rev counter in Val (1982 Leisure drive conversion 1.6D (not turbo )

ebay rev counter

As the advert say's this has come from a petrol transporter. So firstly will this work in a diesel and secondly will I be able to wire it up (with a little help from my Dad

Thanks for your help
Sarah

I didn't know you could get diesel hairdryers! Let alone diesel hairdryers with rev-counters!

Sorry, that wasn't much help at all, was it

no,, they work in different ways i think

Petrol rev counters work from electrical pulses taken from the ignition system. Diesel often work from the end of the alternator.,mchanicallyy or by pulses from a crank sensor.

Main differences are one requires a stronger signal (so need amplifying/attenuating for conveting), and a diesel tacho uses a sine wave whereas a petrol one is more of a pulse. There could be a frequency difference too.

Don't despare though, there are conveter boxes around to addapt, usally for fitting a petrol tacho onto a diesel like yourself seems to be the popular option as petrol tachos are easyer to buy aftermarket.

I once read something on an american VW diesel site (can't be too many) where the owner had a diesel caddy pickup and gave a detailed idea of how to fit golf GTi clocks, so just what you want, was a teccy though, proper electronics stuff (thats circuit bords and stuff rather than just wireing so I didn't really understand it) - most anoyingly though I don't apear to have saved the link - does it trigger any bells with anyone where I might mean?

Closer to home you might be able to get a petrol to diesel adaptor from a boat place, or I've also herd of them used on Suzuki SJ 4x4's when people convert them to diesel (they were all petrol originally and have petrol rev counters). If you can get an adaptor and petrol tacho cheep enough it could be worth it, but it might be easyer to just get a proper diesel tacho, they cost more but work spot on and have the red band in the right place.

As most diesels take the rev signal off the altinator one of the first steps you can take is look for the terminal on the altinator, its probubly labled "W" - you'll need this with any tacho.

you will definatly need the tacho electrical pcb from the dash assembly as well, also if you have a analogue clock there will be a hole in the right hand side dash window for the time adjustment.
ideally you will need a complete diesel tach dash
if you have an early van the wiring may be in a different place on the clocks as well!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WHITE-FACE-DI ... dZViewItem

fit a aftermarket one , email the seller asking how it fits

Syncro G wrote:I once read something on an american VW diesel site (can't be too many) where the owner had a diesel caddy pickup and gave a detailed idea of how to fit golf GTi clocks, so just what you want, was a teccy though, proper electronics stuff (thats circuit bords and stuff rather than just wireing so I didn't really understand it) - most anoyingly though I don't apear to have saved the link - does it trigger any bells with anyone where I might mean?

Here you go.

http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=6477

http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3741

My god I've just had a quick look at those diagrams, I think I need to go for a lie down!!

Looks like it will be T'onions way then - i'll never work out the other way!!

Thanks everyone, as usual top quality advice by all