I was wondering if anyone else has this problem.... i have noticed that my tach emits a ticking noise that gets louder and faster as the car gets going when i get on it more and more. More gas- louder ticking, Faster RPM-faster ticking. then when i'm cruising off the throttle it goes away... my ool tach used to do this only when the car was cold but would go away.(i swapped 115 gauge cluster for 140) now it does it all the time. and i'm pretty sure its not exhaust b/c i sealed the crap out of it and you can only hear the ticking inside the car. any ideas? plus i think its a little off.....

 

Are you sure it's coming from the tach, and not the radio/speakers? Old spark plug wires and/or cap and rotor can cause this, spark arcing generates RF noise. I've never heard of a tach itself making noise, but I could be wrong.

 

possible speedo cable? mine was ticking as well. i changed the speedo cable and the clicking stopped. i could be wrong but that fixed my problem.

 

its ticks with the rpms.... and it does it whether the radio is on or not... i usually turn the radio up so i can't hear the ticking lol

 

Your symptoms exactly describe a speedo cable that needs lube. Ticking when cold, fading under decel, etc. Does this when the car is just sitting?

 

It does it all the time now..... but when i sit still and rev it it ticks faster with the tach speed (only does it when i'm on the throttle) i can idle and not hear it but when i rev it you can hear it....

 

Yeah, if it goes up and down with RPM, it's not the speedo cable. How old are your plug wires, cap and rotor?

 

The wires are mixed but not old....( combination of splitfire and Ac Delcos)
Plugs are new, cap+ rotor are new.

 

It is unlikely that the tach is causing it, but you can disconnect the tach feed and see if it changes anything. Most likely causes aside from speedo cable would be exhaust leak (these will leak more when cold then seal up when warm) or electrical interference from your ignition system.

Run the motor at night and look under the hood when its dark, check for arcing.

 

yea i have a problem with my gauges making a noise.. but i don't know if its in the rpm or the mph... some days it wants to squeak and other days it wants to make a ticking noise... but when it ticks the faster i go it goes away but when it squeaks it just gets louder..

 

The speedo cable is a common source of squeaking and clicking, especially as it gets older and the lube inside no longer allows squeak free rotation of the cable. Taking it apart to clean and lube can be done in under an hour.

 

again, thanks for the info but it still does it when the car is sitting still too....

 

Sorry thought I was answering Harmony's question but I'm not really sure what he was asking. Did you disconnect the tach? Check for arcing? Do you hear it in the engine bay? Try a stethoscope or piece of rubber tubing held to ear to isolate the location?