87laredo

I'm new to posting in the cherokee forum. I've looked for answers in the past and it's been very helpful in troubleshooting. I'm posting my experience with the stock gauges hoping it might help others.

I've had my stock '87 cherokee since it was two years old. Over the past few years, my stock tach seems to be reading higher and higher, although the engine/rpm sounds right at low end and high end speeds. It most recently read about 400rpm too high at the low end, and about 1000rpm too high at freeway speed. I've searched forums looking for answers.

I thought it might be an electrical issue as I was also experiencing occasional/intermittent engine drop outs and resumes under a variety driving conditions. I eventually resolved the drop out/resume engine issue - after replacing the coil, distributor, and TPS with no success, I changed the ICM and the problem resolved I thought that might correct the tach accuracy issue also, but it didn't.

I thought I'd try a factory tach from the salvage yard. Although my xj is an 87, I found that not all 87 factory gauges/clusters are the same. Possibly because it was a split year (AMC/Chrisler). Possibly mine is an early 87 (AMC) cluster. Although the gauges look exactly the same as the two 87s in the salvage yard, they were not interchangeable. My individual gauges push/snap in from the front of the cluster, while the other 87s gauges (likely later 87 chrysler) bolt on from the back of the cluster. So I needed to replace the complete cluster.

That did the trick. the tach reads correct now - and the replacement cluster fuel gauge doesn't bounce at all like my original one did - a bonus! All is well and the Jeep feels like new again! I didn't think gauges wear with age and could cause different results, but evidently they do.

Hopefully my experiences with the cut-out issue, and with the tach readings may help someone. Thank you all for great posts and help troubleshooting,