When I went to remove my center console armrest to rebuild it with 4" of memory foam on it, I noticed a small rocker switch in the console box. I tripped it a few times with the key on and off and could find no apparent effect. Traced the lines coming off of it. Black to ground above the fuse panel. Red unioned with a solid light green wire under fuse panel.

I figured it was an old ignition kill switch (Poor mans lo-jack), but since car started in both positions, couldn't be. Today when I went out driving my tach was not functioning. All other gauges are fine. Checked fuse even though other guages were working. Checked leads to distributor, wires under pod. Nothing. Then I remembered screwing with the rocker switch in the center console box. Fliped it and the tach jumped back to life.

So my question is, why would the PO have installed a small rocker switch, hidden like that, to kill the tach? I noticed no other effects while driving, under power or idling.

Any ideas? What could this be for? I don't have a sunroof so it can't be the ejector seat.

 

Does it also kill the speedo?

A: I'm sorry ocifer, my speedo doesn't work so I don't know how fast I was going.

B: Sure, it only has 40,000 miles. I swear on graves of the children whose child support I don't pay that it's accurate!

 

Do you have the correct fuel pump relay? The correct relay requires a tach signal to keep the fuel pump running. This way the fuel is cut off if the engine dies, like in an accident. So, the switch may have been put in there as a vehicle kill switch, then some later owner put a more generic relay in because the car wouldn't start one day(probably bumped the switch).

 

Sounds like a dirty way to spoof the O2, if it is going to the big fat lime green wire.
A trick to get power by faking out the O2?

 

Speedo and other gauges work well. I'll check on the fuel pump relay and O2 sensor. Thanks for the ideas. It's going to a thin key lime green wire with no striping on it.

On or off it doesn't seem to affect anything but the tach. No noticable change in power or idle. By activating the switch it is effectivily grounding out the green wire.

 

Could it be for the rear fog light mine is on the pod but my car is a 79?

Chris

 

Nope. Rear fog light is below aux lights on pod. It's not stock. Thanks. Just gonna leave it alone for now.

 

Are you sure its not tripping your neighbors garage door opener? Like that commuercial?

On. Off. On. Off...

Heh heh, sorry, couldn't resist. That commercial cracks me up. -Ed

 

Where is the green wire connected? Connector(A-Z) and pin within the connector (1-8) will help figure out what it's connected to(assuming no internal changes to CE panel). Connector pins are numbered as follows:

4 8
3 7
2 6
1 5

The connectors are marked with numbers molded into the panel.