At 06:39 PM 6/21/2001, Christopher T. Berchin wrote:
>Anyone know how difficult it is to put a tach from a later Vanagon into
>something like a 1984?  I'm assuming none of the wiring is there for this...
>Thanks.
>
>Chris

 From an old post:

At 22:56 10/16/99 , you wrote:
>Hi Vanagonauts,
>
>I recently acquired a dash from a 1988-89 vanagon.  It has the digital
>clock and tach.  I am using my old speedo into this cluster.  The wiring
>is causing me a little frustration.  I almost have it figured out but I
>was hoping one of the lists electrical gurus could help.

Here's a circular list.  First column is where the wire used to be in the
connector.  Second is where it goes.  Third is where the displaced wire
needs to go.  It's convenient to know that immediately when you have wires
squirming all about.

80-84   85+ which goes to       85+
3               1                       none (1 was vacant)
4               2                       3  (cut and splice as below)
5               3                       1
Old terminal 5 goes to ground.  It is jumpered inside the old panel to old
terminal 2, which provides a ground for the 4-way flasher's pilot
light.  No, I can't imagine why they did it that way. (!) Anyway, splice
the lead that used to go to pin two into the one that used to go to pin 5,
and run the pair to pin 3.
None            None                    2
7               5                       3 (see previous note)
6               6                       6
8               7                       5
9               8                       7
Tach            9                       8
14              10                      13
13              11                      14
x               12                      none (High oil pressure except '85
which has none.  Ground to keep buzzer from going off, or make more
elaborate arrangements)
10              13                      11
11              14                      10
Old pin 12 goes to a connector under the dash and stops.  You can splice in
your tach wire and use this female terminal to go into pin 9 (it was the
glow plug indicator for Diesels).

If you need more I'll reference to your tables, but this is all you need to
do it from scratch.

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"