Xantia 2.1TD Tacho fault

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 20 Feb 2006, 09:07

I know there are lots of threads on Xantia tacho's but mine is a little odd. The needle is stuck all the way clockwise. It sits there when the ignition is off as well as on. Has anyone ever seen this before or can make any suggestions. I intend taking the tacho out and seeing if it is stuck, but I can't imagine the car every reving that high without dying.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 20 Feb 2006, 23:27

Its a known problem.

Power glitches on the +12V system - or intermittent connections - can do this. For some reason the needle is stuck mechanically and will not free itself. Sometimes it can be fooled to free up if you tap the instrument housing.

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 21 Feb 2006, 07:09

I tried the tapping on the housing last night and it did not move. So I tried the "beating the hell out the the top of the dashboard with my fist method". It freed it off but it still sat almost all the way round. This morning driving to work the stupid thing was working. I think I have the same bad connections fault on the instrument cluster as my Dad's 406 has.

Now all I need to do is raise the back end by almost 30mm, get the heater fan to work, repair the A/C internal temp sensing fan, have the bottom drivers door hinge rewelded to the door post, fit some new front spheres (they were totally flat, I have pinched them off my other Xantia as a quick fix) and change the LHM to some nice green fluid instead of the dirty brown yuk that is in at the moment.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 21 Feb 2006, 10:23

Now all I have to do :

Fixing rain coming in both sides - no fun arriving at job with a soaked bum

Fixing a minor leak on the heater.
Replacing a droplink
Replacing a humming front hub bearing
Fixing a leaking diesel roto pump
Generally clean up the car and make it look like a car internally (panels, seats, carpets fitted)

But it was cheap.

You wanna swap ?

HST · Post by **HST** » 23 Feb 2006, 21:05

This happened to me when my battery died. The fix is quite easy. You need to take out the instrument cluster, remove the cover and flick the needle back round. The Haynes book of lies explains how to get the cluster out. It says you need to remove the steering wheel and airbag, which is incorrect. I did the whole job in less than an hour, including a trip shopping to buy a torx driver because the one in my socket set was too wide to get the screw holding on the steering column shroud.

BonceChops · Post by **BonceChops** » 23 Feb 2006, 21:11

After I gave the dash a good beating and the needle unstuck it has worked ever since. I suspect it might go faulty again but for now I am happy.

Anders, do I want to swop? errrrrm, no thanks mate I have just started having fun with this one. Anyway I have just purchased all 4 suspension spheres to make her ride properly again.