My 09 f350 with the 12 valve cummins just started having trouble with the tach. It will run a few minutes fine and then start having a bouncy tach and battery light coming on. Last time I drove it today the tach quit completely coming home but works when starting it in the garage. It did the same thing a few months ago but only once and never had problems on restart. I've checked the clearance on the pickup and it's ok and moved the swap helper over on top of the fuse box instead of on the firewall between the engine and brakes. I've put around 4000 miles or more on it since the swap was made.
swaphelper tach
- Thread starter gwhammy
- Start date
biggy238
Active member
There's not much you can do since they are potted circuit boards. You might try hitting the dip switches to get it to a different pulse mode and then put it back.
Have you checked the connector at the board for loose sockets or corrosion? What LED's are on with the engine running?
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Who is Louis? I've text back and forth yesterday with swaphelper, of course they say it's probably something I did which it could be. But it's funny you can shut it off and something resets till you drive a little while. That tells me it's something shutting off. If it was a wire I wouldn't think it would repeat almost perfect every time.
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I checked all the wiring today and unhooked the box from the truck. Drove it about a hour and it worked fine. Electronics that fix themselves are worse than broken electronics. Not saying it might still be something we did. When it doesn't work the transmission goes crazy. I can't have this happening with a big load in heavy traffic. Kind of looking for an alternative that is dependable if there is such a thing.
I don't mind blunt as long as it's not looking down his nose belittling blunt. Not very good with that.
I don't mind blunt as long as it's not looking down his nose belittling blunt. Not very good with that.
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biggy238
Active member
If removing it and reconnecting it fixed it, you have a pin and socket not jiving in a connector. Corrosion, water intrusion or open socket.
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biggy238
Active member
It's a good idea, just don't overdo, it will make it difficult to assemble the connection and force it apart during operation. Clean the connections with a good, cancer causing brake cleaner or contact cleaner if you can find it.
Honestly, I can see anything other than a short to voltage causing that unit to fail unless the case is split. The boards are sealed and don't have anything to cause a heat inducing load since they just read and reproduce PWM signals.
With what you have described so far, I have to agree with them.
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I just can't comprehend a wire problem causing an exact same scenario every time. I duplicated driving it a couple miles and then having the same problem, shut it off and doing the same thing a half dozen times. Haven't drove it but once since it was unhooked but need to pull a trailer a few times this weekend.
I'll admit I'm not very good at electrical problems but hoping it's fixed. I appreciate your help on this.
I'll admit I'm not very good at electrical problems but hoping it's fixed. I appreciate your help on this.
BigPapa
Truckless
I had a crank sensor on a bracket for the tone wheel on my ‘95. The bracket would move enough when it was really cold that the sensor wouldn’t pick up until I’d driven five or six miles and got a bit of heat in it. If i put it closer, it would contact the wheel when it got really warm.
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thatguy69
New member
Not the cheapest by far, but supposed to be the best. Report back either way would ya. Curious if it fixes it. There are tons of guys running these swap helpers on the fb swap pages and the complaints I see about them are few and far between, and they get them fixed quick when they dk have issues.
I did a bunch of looking found them anywhere from 60 to 300 dollars. I found there price fair with the wiring to hook directly to the swap helper and it's suppose to be a genuine cummins part, probably from china made to cummins specs. As bad as electrical parts have gotten I really don't mind extra if it's a good part. Nothing worse than changing a part two or three times.
I haven't changed the pickup but yesterday driving it started jumping the tach and alternator light flashing at the same time. By the time I got home the tach had quit and alter light on solid. I left it running and unhooked the swap helper box and rehooked it with no difference. Shut the truck off and restarted it and everything worked normal.
I think this is telling me that there is something in the electrical system shutting off and resetting. Could the alternator or ignition switch cause this problem? Thinking maybe a low voltage is the problem with the tach reading right and that affects the shifting.
I think this is telling me that there is something in the electrical system shutting off and resetting. Could the alternator or ignition switch cause this problem? Thinking maybe a low voltage is the problem with the tach reading right and that affects the shifting.
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Had a buddy look at it when the tach wasn't working and battery light on. The alternator is charging right and crank sending unit is working as the tach swapper lights stay the same. Shut it off and restarted and everything works fine. Is there a relay that could be going bad that controls this but still let the alternator charge?