erratic tachometer

[dudester7]

Hey Guys, I have a 1997 XE pickup, 5 speed, 4 cylinder, 4 wheel drive. 139k miles, I got it 3 months ago. Every once in a while, the tachometer reads about 2k higher than it really is, I can tell because the engine noise is the same as when it is idling at its normal RPM...(normal RPM is 800, but when I have the problem I am reading 1800 RPM.) Cruising at 55 mph, I read 3200 RPM when I have the problem, the tachometer says I am cruising at 5k!!!! I have read on here that it might be the "...sounds like you may have a unified meter problem. the unified meter is the circuit board in the instrument cluster assembly."

Does this sound like it might be my problem? the speedometer is always accurate and everything else runs fine, just that the tachometer is off occasionally.

Can you give me step by step instructions on how to get to this part? How do I take the dash apart to get to it?

[Big-Bird]

The unfied meter is just Nissan's fancy term for the instrument cluster.

I am not entirely how the 1997 dash is setup. Perhaps NM50, one of my esteemed colleagues can help out. He is a Nissan tech afterall.

[Rev_D21]

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/hardbody

That may shed some light on the situation.