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-   -   Is a tachometer required on a CAR ? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/3855-tachometer-required-car.html)

Bhailog,

:)


Can someone inform me whether tachometer (Getz GLS vs GL) should be there for a car (its advantages/disadvantages) and if we want to have one then how can we fit it into the car. Does it involve changing of dash board :confused:

Cheers
skamb

yesss,
a tachometer is very much necessay to get the optimum performance from your car.if you know the specs of your car ,a tachometer will definitely help you .suppose you are climbing an incline in say 2nd gear and are revving high looking at the tacho ,u can say whether you can continue driving in that gear or if you can shift to the next gear.
also you can troubleshoot your car's performance looking at the tacho.i.e if a particular speed say 100 kph comes at 3000rpm normally in 5th gear ,you can say looking at the tacho if its the same or if its taking higher revs to get to that speed.

if your car does not have a tacho,u can fit one fitted.assuming u have a getz which is four cylindered,u can get a 4-cylinder tacho and get it fitted at any local garage .it will take only about 30 minutes max.
u can get a pricol tacho for abt 800rs whilke you can have the expensive ones with shift lites for as high as 10k.
i suggest u go for the base pricol tacho as i too have the same.its more than enough to serve its purpose.

but doesnt the getz have tacho???????

and no,u dont have to change the dashboard.u just have to drill 2 holes for the mounting screws at a convenient place on the dashboard and another smallhole for the wires to pass into the engine compartment

a tachometer basically shoows you the engines revolutions per min(rpm) most new cars have it....it doesnt have any disadvantages at least as far as i know.....advanteages you can see how much ur revvin ur car....and hence do not over rev n abuse the engine.its basiccally used while racing.some of the tachometers from autogauge have a shift light which come on when its the idea time to shift gears.so for everyday drivin doesnt really have any advantages or diisadvantages.its just a nother car acceseryit s pretty simple to fit just have to connect a few things.and nope no need to change the dash or anythin

rev

If you're getting one, go for one with the shift light. You'll follow it then surely for the most basic reason of having a RPM gauge.

Hey Skamb,

Well a tachometer is definitely NOT required.
They have just recently become a stock fitment on most cars, but for decades people have driven cars without the aid of a tacho.

If you are looking at driving your getz like most people do....ie normally, theres no real reason why you should opt for the tach model based only on that feature, or waste time and money adding an external tach.

cya
R

The basic reason behind having a Tacho is to learn how your engine is performing at any given point of time. RPM reading that your tacho displays can be utilised for your benefit, ex: it tells you if you are over revving your engine at any gear(provided you know the revving limit at that gear for max power)to go faster...at which you shift to the next gear without sacrifising on speed at that gear to next. Here what you are doing is extracting maximum power out your car at that gear without damaging the engine by overrevving it, which anyways is not generating you any more speed. If the reading is followed carefully you can extract maximum fuel efficiency(economy zone revv limit/gear).

The tacho is only useful when you drive for performance or fuel efficiency. Even when i drive my car normally, i never look at the tacho (i don't need to).

Like Rehaan said, the Tacho is not at all needed if the car is going to be driven normally.

Even in the case of FE, your manual should have the optimum shift points for each gear (in KMPH). So the tacho bcomes a waste even in that department.

But, having a tacho doesn't always make you a better driver. Having a tacho on your car is one thing, being able to utilise it the way it shuld, is another.

Shan2nu

just because someone does not use it or does notknow to use a tacho does not mean that a tacho is not necessary.
i agree that a tacho is not at all a necessity ,but it definitely helps .if its really not necessary why do u think that almost all cars have it.
in addition to improving your driving ,it can also help in trouble shooting.

u dont need to look at the speedo also.so do u mean to say that the speedometer is also not necessary.
i think a tacho is very much an important part of a car.

I would definitely vote for tacho. for following reasons :

1. Driver is a newbie. He can overrev engine in low gears.
2. Driver is a wild expert, always revving the engine to the edge.

In either cases, I feel it is important. From engine perspective (only), tacho is more relevant than speedo.

I think a tacho is a must in modern vehicles for the following reasons:

1. You can reduce the maintenance cost of your vehicle.

2. Subsequently your vehicle life is prolonged just by changing the gears in the appropriate revv-range.

3. Optimise Fuel Efficiency

4. You can also use the tacho and the speedo to diagnose problems with the engine. e.g. initially your vehicle can reach a certain X speed at Y RPMs. If your engine wears out it will take Y+y' RPMs to get to the X speed. Of-course this also depends on the other conditions, like tyre-pressure, the roads, etc remaining constant. But nevertheless you have a means to figure out a problem if it boils down to that. Or atleast after an engine over-haul work is done, you know for sure how good the work was done or not done..

5. Remember for long distance driving, etc you should drive your vehicle at low RPMs so that the engine does not get overheated and you get a decent fuel economy as well..

By-the-way this is a great thread.. Should be added to the top 10 threads.

By the way, don't we think that this thread should be in a different list altogether or in a different folder?? This is a listing for people seeking help to decide about buying a car??

I do not think so. For given gear ratio, at a certain X rpm, car will always have Y speed. (Unless the clutch is faulty).

That is why i mentioned "under normal driving conditions". Nobody redlines a car when driving normally.

My mom drives the Vtec on a daily basis and she never, ever looks at the tacho. Only guys like us, who are interested in engine speed and like keeping the car within the power band will find it useful.

Infact the only 2 things that i keep in mind while ripping my car is the gear and the engine rpm, that's all i need. Match those 2 perfectly and you'll never make a mistake.

I only look at the speedo when i need to test acceleration or achievable speed on a certain stretch. It's just a play thing to me.

Shan2nu

I agree, Shan2nu! That's why I feel Tacho is necessary :)

If your mom is not using tacho, may be you should "educate" her about it. Good for your car :)

Its not really required in normal day to day driving like others members have mentioned but it wont hurt to have it. Instead of buying a variant that comes with a factory fitted tacho, get an aftermarket tacho...it works out much cheaper than buying a whole new variant of the car.

Drifter