About a week,aho I noticed the OBC display in the Tach was acting strange. Suddenly all the lights would turn on, temp, consumption, range etc.

Yesterday the Tach and Speedomter stopped working. About 15 minutes later I restarted the Car and they worked fine.

Is this a sign of a failing alternator or ECU?

 

I'd check a few things. Test your battery and make sure it's in good working condition. Check wiring, grounds, fuses, etc. Check for water intrusion. Take a peak at this thread here for some really good suggestions as well.

 

Thanks !


I will check it out; thought it was normal for British cars


Battery is about 3 1/2 years old, might be on the way out. My VW TDI goes through a battery every 3 years.


We have been having a lot of rain for the last couple of weeks, I will check for wet carpet, water in the hatch etc.

 

I checked the battery and there were no issues.


Hatch is bone dry and I did not see any moisture issues inside the car.


The OBC display is the main issue now, sometimes the display is fine and others it has everything lit up.


While driving today I squeezed the top right side of the tach and the OBC display cleared up so all is good for now.


So it appears there is an issue with the gauge itself.

 

I am having this same issue. my tach worked fine in the am then on my way home it wasnt working at all. no needle movement no lights or anything, i did a ecu reset and it came back but the needle would jump allover the place. my speedo is working fine the only one not working is the tach. Have you fixed this? looking for more information on things to check. thanks.

 

I think the issue with mine is a lose connection within the gauge pod.


The lights started acting up again on the OBC display so I squeezed the Tach gauge and it shut off the speedometer, tach and all power to the gauges.

So I turned off the car for a while and when I restarted it the gauges functioned normally.


The OBC display acts up when I have the Mini parked outside in the sun for a while.


I am not going to worry about it since I will probably be selling it in 2018.

 

hmmm i think mine is something with the tach gauge itself aswell since it either works or does whatever it wants. maybe ill just order a new one and see if that helps

 

On the way to work today the Tach and Speedometer kept turning on and off

This afternoon they worked fine then turned off 😡

 

That's weird my did the same thing except it worked fine this morning then on my way home it would come on and off but while it was on the needle was real jumpy just doing whatever it wanted to. I was told by Detroit tuned that it's either a bad tach or a bcm but he wouldn't tell me how to test the bcm. He also said that it's more than likely the bcm but the tach is a possibility

 

Next day they are working fine...

 

see mine is doing weird things. my speedo works fine its just the tach that doesnt work but it will randomly works upon start up for a few minutes or a few seconds then it shuts off. occasionally it will come back then shut back off. Its got me confused.

 

Just an update.

Tachometer and Speedometer have stopped working again, they sometimes work when I start the car but shut down a few minutes later.

Also the LCD display for the OBC computer sometimes work when they feel like it.

The gauge back-round lights work when the lights are on.

Now the SC seems like it is on it's last legs so I will probably be shopping for a replacement vehicle soon :-(

 

Well the alternator crapped out when I pulled into the driveway Friday afternoon, whew !


Battery light came on and battery with the car off was about 12.3 and with the running it dropped to 11.3.


Also a few days before the back lighting for the instruments would suddenly get bright for a few seconds so I think the regulator was on the way out at 126,000 miles.

 

Yep! Over time, the alternator can begin to fail and start causing trouble with the various electrical systems in the car. Glad the issue is present now. If you plan to replace it yourself be sure to check out our tech article HERE.

 

Finally got the chance to replace the alternator and everything works now:-)


Hardest part was removing the plastic fender lining screws and getting the alternator in and out without dropping it on my head while pushing the radiator out of the way. Only problem now is I destroyed the parking light bulb socket and need to splice in a new one.

 

New alternator is working well but the Tach, speedometer and odometer are still working randomly.
If I replace the tach/speedometer cluster with a used one will I need to have it programed at the dealer?

 

the tach is just a connector behind it, easy to remove/reinsert and it runs a canbus twisted pair.

I would check all over for water, there are bus connections under the carpet on the passenger side along the seat and up to the foot well. There is a module under the passenger side outside footwell plastic cover. These all loop back into the center speedo/kombi unit, the tach (and speed if you have nav/chrono) display is a dumb display the brains are all in the back of the center unit.

 

Thanks !


I will take a look to see if there is any water intrusion issues.


Also, found a used Tach/speedometer from a 2006 at a salvage yard down the road from me and will see if that will work too.


At least it is easier to replace the cluster versus my 2011 VW Sportwagon; digital odometer froze up and it had to be replaced under warranty. Dealer was not able reset the mileage to actual so an estimate was used.

 

salvage yard you say? which one? I need some trim and plastic clips

you should be able to plug in the tach and it'll work, they are just a dumb terminal

 

There is one in Youngsville with a few parts cars.


http://www.rstroud.com/

 

ouch a good drive for me, I'm always watching LKQ in greensboro, durham and raleigh

 

I use LKQ a bunch as well. Try doing a search on www.car-part.com as it does a nation wide search of used parts that other companies have. I've even had engines, transmissions and steering racks shipped from different states without any issue.

 

i just go there to grab trim and crap for spares, I dont actually "Need" anything

kinda like my wife shopping the mall

 

I used to live near one in NM, it was nice removing parts from a rust free car.

 

I removed the panel and checked out the BCM and the area is bone dry with no sign of water intrusion or corrosion. Everything still looks new.