FAQ's

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the responses to commonly asked questions

Question:
Why is their no support phone number?
Answer:
We do all of our support via email for a couple of reasons. We are often providing support to several customers at once and having the email records of the application helps us give the best support without starting all over with each inquiry. Also, the owner's hearing is not ideal, making phone support difficult.
Question:
How quickly do you ship?
Answer:
We strive to ship the same day if orders come in before about ten AM, and usually later as well, but with Covid, we sometimes delay until the next day after our mail is picked up.
Question:
How long has TechnoVersions been around?
Answer:
We started shipping products in 2007.
Question:
What if my product fails?
Answer:
We have a liberal warranty policy, our goal is to make and keep every customer happy. We have replaced failed units that are years old at no cost, and also replaced/repaired units that have been damaged by user-abuse at no cost. We have never charged for a repair. Not to say that some occasion might come up that this doesn’t apply to, but that’s our history.
Question:
When I remove power, does the MeterMatch lose its calibration data?
Answer:
No, it's stored in non-volatile memory in the MeterMatch, no power required.
Question:
Will MeterMatch work with the old vibrator-style voltage regulators?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
Can I use MeterMatch with a positive-ground vehicle?
Answer:
Yes, you would connect power and ground in the reverse direction - and of course be careful to not touch the circuit board to anything during installation.
Question:
Will MeterMatch work with late-model CAN-bus gauges?
Answer:
No.
Question:
How do I mount the MeterMatch?
Answer:
Most customers wire-tie it to the harness, but some have used Velcro-tape to attach it to a surface. To allow future internal access, it’s necessary to put a small hole in the Velcro prior to installation for the enclosure screw.
Question:
What size wire should I use?
Answer:
The slots in the enclosure are sized for #18 AWG, but other sizes of wire can be used.
Question:
Do I need to calibrate the points in order?
Answer:
No, they can be calibrated in any order - you just need to make sure that you have two or more calibrated points for the MeterMatch to do math with. The closer that these points are to the gauge end-points, the best accuracy you will have.
Question:
Do I need to calibrate more than two points?
Answer:
No, two is enough for most applications. More than this is normally only used if the sensor or tank size is non-linear.
Question:
What voltage should I see at the sender input to the MeterMatch?
Answer:
The sender terminal voltage should always be between zero and five volts. By measuring this voltage, you can predict what resistance the MeterMatch is seeing at the time. This can be helpful to find sender or wiring problems. For more details, see MeterMatch Sender Input Voltage.
Question:
The alarm output blinks, can I make it a steady output?
Answer:
Yes, blinking is turned on and off with a power-up sequence shown in the instruction manual.
Question:
Will the alarm output drive a relay?
Answer:
Yes, for details, see how to drive a relay with the alarm output.
Question:
Cal points are labeled high, low, mid-high and mid-low, how do I know where to calibrate?
Answer:
The names are there just to help you remember which points you have calibrated. This is handy if you decide to go back to re-calibrate a point, or reset it. There are default values for high and low when it comes from the factory. In practice, you can use any calibration points in any order and MeterMatch will still work fine.
Question:
How do I know if my tach is voltage-driven or current-driven?
Answer:
Typically, a current-driven tach will have a loop of wire on the back where it senses the current. Also, a current-driven tach is normally connected to the plus side of the coil, while a voltage-driven tach is connected to the minus terminal of the coil.
Question:
Can I use TachMatch with a positive-ground vehicle?
Answer:
Yes, you would connect power and ground in the reverse direction - and of course be careful to not touch the circuit board to anything during installation.
Question:
What's a pull-up resistor, and why might I need one?
Answer:
Often, ECUs have "open-collector" outputs. This can be viewed as a switch, with one end connected to ground. If the other side of the switch isn’t connected to anything, it stays at ground potential all the time – on or off. A pull-up resistor connects the other end of the switch to 5 or 12 volts so that when the signal is off, the output will be the 5 or 12 volts, and if the signal is on, it will be ground (0 volts).
Question:
What size pull-up resistor is necessary?
Answer:
TachMatch has a pull-up resistor built into the ECU input. But otherwise, one should use a value that is about 1 KOhm or more. Usually 10 KOhms is a good value. If the value gets too small, it could damage the ECU.
Question:
My tach reads a couple hundred RPM off from your 3,000 RPM test signal, and the potentiometer adjustment doesn’t help. Why not?
Answer:
The potentiometer adjustment is only active for vintage tachs. Standard tachometers operate accurately with the precise, computer-generated multiple of the trigger signal that TachMatch generates. However, you can calibrate standard tachometer output to correct for inaccurate tachometers with the engine-cylinder and tach-cylinder buttons - see the instruction manual for details.
Question:
Can TachMatch be used in other applications?
Answer:
Yes. It can generate frequency ratios from the input trigger signal. Anywhere from 1:8 to 8:1. Clever customers have used it to correct signal frequencies in other applications.
Question:
My tach doesn’t trigger from the TachMatch, why not?
Answer:
TachMatch generates a 12v signal. Some tachs rely on the big inductive “kick” from the coil. For this purpose we designed the V-Boost module. This is usually necessary for VDO tachs used in various makes and models, Jeep tachometers, and many of the Datsun Z-car tachometers.
Question:
If my tach has a different number of cylinders than the engine, and I need the V-boost to make the tach work, do I also need a standard TachMatch?
Answer:
Yes.
Question:
What size wire should I use?
Answer:
The slots in the enclosure are sized for #18 AWG, but other sizes of wire can be used.
Question:
Is the TachMatch compatible with Pertronix ignition systems?
Answer:
Yes, it is compatible with Pertronix installations except for the Ignitor III models.
Question:
Do I need to keep the factory lower mount in place?
Answer:
Yes, with the standard diff mount, the original mount is still used. So the diff is isolated from the bottom with the factory mount, and held in place from the top with the snubber that comes with the new diff mount.
Question:
If I order the Energy Suspension top mount, do I keep the factory lower mount in place?
Answer:
No, it is removed in this case, with the Energy Suspension top mount controlling all the movement, up and down.
Question:
How many bumps do I grind from the snubber?
Answer:
You need to measure and cut for your car. However, we would love to hear how long it ended up in your installation. If we hear from enough folks, and the length is common, we may be able to cut them in advance at a future time.
Question:
When I select additional shipping for an international order, it still charges me the original shipping. How do I delete that?
Answer:
If you add the two up, it works out to be the correct shipping charge. We don’t make any money on shipping, just try to break even after PayPal takes their cut. Unfortunately, it’s pretty expensive.
Question:
How much more does it cost to ship two diff mounts from a single order?
Answer:
We can put two into the same box, and the shipping charge stays the same.
Question:
I think that your website charged us too much for shipping.
Answer:
When we ship, if there’s much variance between what we collected and what it actually costs, we refund that to the customer.
Question:
I am seeing interference between the parking brake and the top of the Diff Mount, why?
Answer:
We have had two or three people mention this through the years. We believe it to be restricted to the Series One 240Zs, but don’t have clear knowledge of what cars can have the problem. It has not been reported with any cars after the Series One cars.
Question:
The diff mount is too narrow or too wide – how come?
Answer:
There are variations from car to car. Sometimes we get a report that it is .05” too narrow, or the same dimension too wide. If that is the case for you, you can slightly bend the “wings” in or out for proper fit. Or, if too narrow, use a washer or spacer between the mount and the car’s hump.
Question:
Is ShopRelief difficult to install?
Answer:
No, but it does require you to make an opening in your wall. Refer to the Installation and Operating Instructions link for detailed instructions.
Question:
Why would I want a ShopRelief?
Answer:
It allows you to spend more time in your shop! You don’t have to go out in bad weather or when a neighbor might see you, or if you can’t leave the shop because you need to monitor some activity.
Question:
Is Shop Relief made in the USA?
Answer:
Yes, all the parts and fabrication are from the USA with the possible exception of a nut or screw that may have come from off-shore. The stainless material is laser-cut, tig-welded and assembled here.
Question:
Will ShopRelief rust over time?
Answer:
All exposed parts are made of stainless steel, nylon or rubber.
Question:
Does ShopRelief meet code?
Answer:
That varies from locality to locality. Many places encourage the use of waterless urinals to help reduce water usage. It’s your responsibility to find out if the installation is legal in your location. From an ecological standpoint, it’s just the same as if you had stepped outside to relieve yourself.
Question:
How do I clean the face of ShopRelief?
Answer:
The material and lightly grained finish are very similar to stainless kitchen appliances. The same cleaner as used for them apply to ShopRelief.