I recently bought my first tractor, L2050. The tachometer needle goes back and forth never reading RPMs, just bounces left to right. Is this a tach problem or the tach cable problem? I see no obvious damage to the cable and both ends are tight. Thank you very much!
Please help
- Thread starter kfd378
- Start date
Probably the tach itself, pull the cable off the tachometer end you should be able to see if it is spinning freely and continuously.
Thank you very much! So I can take the cable loose from the tach I wont do any damage to it to see if the inner part is spinning continuously? Sorry if that is a stupid question but again, this is my first tractor.
One end is connected down at the front of the engine, right side, near outer fan blade. Unscrew that knurled end. Attach a cordless drill and see if tach needle still bounces around.
If needle bounces, remove end at tach and pull the cable out of the housing. Clean with a rag and lube with some white lithium or similar lubricant. Then reconnect to tach and try tuning with drill again.
If it still bounces I would spritz a small amount of silicone lubrication into tach. DO NOT OVER SPRAY.......Let tach set face down for a couple of days.
After tach has set if it still bounces when attached to drill or engine you need tach.
I just did this process and installed the tach day before yesterday. It WORKS!!
A new tach is $110. That bulb that lights up the tach, not the oil or charge light, cost $10. Most expensive 12volt, 2 watt bulb I've ever seen!!
You can loosen either or both ends and not damage the tach.. It's a cable in a housing and attached at both ends with a threaded fitting.
If needle bounces, remove end at tach and pull the cable out of the housing. Clean with a rag and lube with some white lithium or similar lubricant. Then reconnect to tach and try tuning with drill again.
If it still bounces I would spritz a small amount of silicone lubrication into tach. DO NOT OVER SPRAY.......Let tach set face down for a couple of days.
After tach has set if it still bounces when attached to drill or engine you need tach.
I just did this process and installed the tach day before yesterday. It WORKS!!
A new tach is $110. That bulb that lights up the tach, not the oil or charge light, cost $10. Most expensive 12volt, 2 watt bulb I've ever seen!!
You can loosen either or both ends and not damage the tach.. It's a cable in a housing and attached at both ends with a threaded fitting.
I had the exact same thing happen on a L3650. It would happen intermittently.
Then it began to start difficultly. I grounded the battery to the engine block and the starting problems and the tach problem completely disappeared.
So, check the ground cable. Better yet, connect it to the engine.
You can test if that is the problem by connecting a jumper cable from the negative battery post to an unpainted bolt or other unpainted place on the engine.
NOTE: This reply is only if you have an electronic tach (I'm not familiar with your model so don't know.) If it is a mechanical tach then the posts by the other guys should be tried.
Then it began to start difficultly. I grounded the battery to the engine block and the starting problems and the tach problem completely disappeared.
So, check the ground cable. Better yet, connect it to the engine.
You can test if that is the problem by connecting a jumper cable from the negative battery post to an unpainted bolt or other unpainted place on the engine.
NOTE: This reply is only if you have an electronic tach (I'm not familiar with your model so don't know.) If it is a mechanical tach then the posts by the other guys should be tried.
His tach is completely mechanical. About 25" of speedometer type cable from the tach to the front of the engine, connected by two threaded nuts.
North Idaho Wolfman
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I took cable off tach end with tractor running, the inner cable was spinning perfectly. I took cable off block end and attached to a drill and tach needle did not move, yall experts agree I need a new tach? Thanks for helping a newbie out
You originally said the needle jumped up and down. Then you said with drill the needle did not move.
With the cable attached to the back of the tach (and in the housing) when you have the drill attached it should do just as it did when attached to the engine.
I would try some silicone spray and let it set for a couple of days before I'd spend the $110 for a new one. But it's your time and your money.
With the cable attached to the back of the tach (and in the housing) when you have the drill attached it should do just as it did when attached to the engine.
I would try some silicone spray and let it set for a couple of days before I'd spend the $110 for a new one. But it's your time and your money.
So do you have a fix for the hour meter that don't move but the tach works just fine on my L1500?
And unfortunately that part is not even available anymore even if I wanted to spend the ridiculous amount of money. I could probably find one at a bone yard though.
I had it all apart cleaned the glass , cleaned the faceplate. Unfortunately I went on the assumption that it worked, I knew the tach worked, but now that it's put back together and it's been running a while it doesn't seem to budge at all, damn the luck.
Bill Rigsby
Florissant CO
1972(?) KUBOTA L-1500-DT
Great Bend M10 48" Front End Loader
Brush Hog 48" "Squealer Mower"
Atlas 48" Landscape Box
Rhino 48" Rear Blade
Draw Bar with 2" Ball
28" Fork Lift Forks
36" Sears Snow Blower (still to be mounted to the front PTO)
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk
And unfortunately that part is not even available anymore even if I wanted to spend the ridiculous amount of money. I could probably find one at a bone yard though.
I had it all apart cleaned the glass , cleaned the faceplate. Unfortunately I went on the assumption that it worked, I knew the tach worked, but now that it's put back together and it's been running a while it doesn't seem to budge at all, damn the luck.
Bill Rigsby
Florissant CO
1972(?) KUBOTA L-1500-DT
Great Bend M10 48" Front End Loader
Brush Hog 48" "Squealer Mower"
Atlas 48" Landscape Box
Rhino 48" Rear Blade
Draw Bar with 2" Ball
28" Fork Lift Forks
36" Sears Snow Blower (still to be mounted to the front PTO)
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S7 using Tapatalk
Sounds like either you are turning the cable the wrong direction or you don't have the cable seated properly in the tach.
Mike
Correct, with the drill attached to the block end, the needle did not move on the tach, when I moved the plate that holds the tach end the tach worked temporarily