I have a '94 Ranger XLT with a 2.3L 4 cyl. engine . A while back the tach started to work intermittently. The check engine light came on and stays on. This didn't seem the affect the performance. This continued for a couple of weeks and finally quit altogether. I was told that if I unplugged and replugged the tach that the problem would go away. I have taken the console apart and found it easy to remove most of the gauges, except the tach. How does it come apart. Also will doing this even have any effect or is this a wild goose chase? Where is the pickup for the tach located (where does the signal originate from)?

Just recently (end of last week), I noticed that the engine runs real ragged upon starting in the morning. After the engine warms up a bit, it smooths out. I cleaned the IAT sensor and the MAF sensor with CRC sensor cleaner, but this didn't seem to help much. Any suggestions please.

 

For your tach, sounds like your VSS sensor (Vehicle Speed Sensor) most likely it has failed at your transmission not at you instrument panel. (Mostlikely between $30 - $50 for a new VSS)

Let me look a little more into the cold start issue, and I will get back to you on that.

 

It just hit me today that the VSS has to do with the Seedometer i am not sure it it has anything to do with the tach. reading. just wanted to make a correction on my advice.

 

Hey i got a 1991 ford ranger with the 2.3 4banger and my tach does that too. sometimes it works just fine but other times it will hover around 1grand. in the morning when i start it stays at about 1500 before it calms down to about 900.. any suggestions on how to fix would be appreciated

 

as far as the 1500 rpm when you start idles high for bit to allow it to warm up.