Land Rover Repair: Rev Counter Sticking, left hand drive, rev counter

Question
99 Disco I, Petrol 3.9 Left Hand Drive, Located in Dubai (Very Hot Climate) Automatic...Great info by the way on this site. The rev counter appears to stick when the engine start and it will also stick if sometimes it drops below 500. Frequently the I will need to start the engine twice as engine does not kick in first time.  The engine appears to be running fine, not overreving or stalling. It is due for a service, the rear window needs fixing :(.  I read on this site that the instrument is connected to the alternator, is this a symptom of failure?

Best Regards

Tony  

Answer
Hi Tony,

I would guess that your alternator is not working properly.  Check to make sure all the cables are firmly attached to the alternator (with engine off).  Small connector in rear of alt is for the tachometer (two wire I believe).

If it's misbehaving now...eventually it will cease to function and you'll be stuck somewhere.  Always make sure your battery is working at its best and replace that alt before you find yourself stranded somewhere.

The only other reason the alt would misbehave would be that that serpentine belt is slipping, cracked or worn.  Check to make sure the belt is in good working condition.  IF it slips on the alt pulley it can look like the alt is starting to fail.  In reality, its just not getting the minimum rotation needed to maintain the electrical needs of your engine and battery.

Best of luck,

JohnMc