| On this page, you'll find the issues customers raise most often when they call us or dealers for technical help. As you can see, most issues can be rectified easily. If your question isn't listed below, a more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in each product's manual which can be downloaded here.
Top 5 Customer Enquiries to Stack
Q. Where can find manuals to Stack products?
A. Manuals for STACK products can be found on our website, follow the menu drop-downs or go directly to: www.stackltd.com/manuals.
Q. What number of cylinders is the Clubman compatible with?
A. The ST200 tachometer is configurable for cylinders up to the highest value the dial face will allow (i.e. 0-8000 will allow up to 8 cylinders, 0-4-10500 will allow up to 10 cylinders and 0-6-15000 will allow up to 15 cylinders).
Q. How can I add sensor inputs to my ST700?
A. To add optional sensor inputs onto an ST700 you would need to purchase an ST918049 harness and the necessary sensors. Analogue sensors for use with the ST700 end in K (i.e. ST745K).
Q. There’s no shift light on my Stack dash, can I add one?
A. The Street versions of the ST8100 dash series (ST8130, ST8110SR) do not have an internal shift light, as it is configured instead as a low fuel level warning light. The dash can however run an external shift light, including the Stack ST539 sequential shift light.
Q. I want to buy a Stack product, do I contact Stack directly?
A. Stack doesn't sell direct but through a network of dealers, distributors or Technical Agents. You'll find a listing at www.stackltd.com/dealers.
Troubleshooting by Product
| ST200/200C/230C Clubman Classic Tachometer |
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
| Tell tale not working. |
Check switch wiring and ground connection. |
| Tachometer shows a constant RPM. |
Check the switch is not shorting out. |
| Reading is erratic. |
Check the following:
That the pickup connection is OK.
Check for possible Points bounce, float or poor ignition grounding.
Check Tachometer ground is the same as ignition system. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| ST400 Professional Tachometer |
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
Tachometer reading
erratic, needle jumps high or low. |
Coil requires RFI suppression capacitor - fit RFI suppression capacitor |
| Tachometer powers up OK but resets constantly when the engine is running. |
Intermittent supply wiring to tacho. Check the 9w Pins & sockets for dirt - check sockets for damage or if opened out.
Coil requires RFI suppression capacitor - fit RFI suppression capacitor.
Battery failing under vibration or load - replace battery with known good unit. |
| Tacho resets on power up, then the needle continuously points away from the STACK logo. |
Internal memory failure - return to STACK. |
| RUN light doesn’t come ON. |
Memory FULL - download data to PC or Reset tacho memory |
| Extra Laps recorded. Lap times too short. |
More than one transmitter around the circuit - remove all but one transmitter from the circuit. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
Displayed speed value too high or too low by a constant percentage
amount. |
System configured with wrong number of targets per wheel revolution:
Reconfigure the system with correct values.
System configured with the wrong wheel circumference
Reconfigure the system with correct values.
Typical wheel circumference is 1800mm (70 inches) for a car or 900mm (35 inches) for a kart |
Display works OK until engine starts then Display freezes or resets
continuously. Display recovers once the engine stops. |
Interference from ignition system and HT leads:
Fit suppressed (Silicon) HT Leads. Fit a suppression capacitor (2.2uF) between the coil (battery connection) and chassis.
Check the capacitor on the distributor points system - fit a new capacitor if necessary.
Use "Helical" suppressed leads in extreme cases.
ST700 Dash Display System wiring is too close to the HT leads and/or injector leads, or the HT leads are tied to isolated metal work to which the system wiring is also tied.
Run wiring away from HT leads and injector leads
Recommended minimum spacing is 75mm (3.0 inches) |
Needle dances up and down, lap times appear and speed is shown
when the vehicle is stationary. |
The ST700 Dash Display System is in Demonstration Mode. Set the correct number of cylinders, by following the instructions on page 53 of the manual, to turn off Demonstration Mode. |
How can I restore the ST700 Dash Display System to its factory settings? |
You can restore the ST700 Dash Display System to its factory settings
by pressing the Driver button and the Rotary control together, and then switching on the ignition. This also clears the lap and split timings, and resets all the peak readings.
After you restore the factory settings, the Demonstration Mode will be activated. To turn off the Demonstration Mode, set the correct number of cylinders as instructed on page 53 of the manual. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
Displays pressure
values too low and
temperature values
too high. |
The system does not give accurate readings when voltage is below 9.0V. Recharge battery |
Sensor reading
incorrect when another gauge connected to sensor. |
It is not permissible to connect a second gauge - Disconnect other gauge |
Displayed RPM value too high or too low by a constant percentage amount. |
System configured with wrong number
of engine cylinders - reconfigure system to correct number of cylinders.
Ignition system pulses per revolution not same as number of cylinders - Reconfigure system to correct number of pulses per revolution.
Note: Ignition systems may either: a) produce "waste" sparks giving double the number of cylinders per revolution b) use multiple coils where each additional coil gives proportionately fewer pulses per revolution. |
No alarms for
water, oil or fuel
(temperatures and
pressures) being
displayed |
Ensure alarms are switched on. Reset the RPM gate to a lower value - alarms only operate when the engine is running at the RPM gate value or above it. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| Stack Digital Video Recorders |
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
| The Stack DVR will not operate with a new Compact Flash (CF) card. |
The new Compact Flash card has an incorrect file system - format the CF card to the FAT32 file system. To check the CF card’s file system, insert the card into a PC and display its properties. |
| Video files are corrupted or missing. |
The DVR was switched off before recording finished. Ensure recording has finished before switching off the DVR. Use Windows Check Disk utility to recover damaged recording files. |
| My media player will not play Stack DVR files. |
Stack DVR files have a MPEG-2 format and some media players can only play MPEG-1 by default. Install an MPEG-2 decoder on your PC or use another MPEG-2 player. If the PC does not have a DVD drive / player installed, you may need to obtain a plug-in for your media player. This can often be obtained via the Microsoft Update website. |
| Video will not play back correctly on a DVD player. |
Record Resolution is too low. Increase Record Resolution to its highest setting. Many DVD players will not work with low resolution video files. |
| Video Playback is “jerky” or “hesitates”. |
The transfer rate from the Compact Flash card to the PC is not fast enough. Copy the video file to the computer’s hard drive and play the copied file from that location. Where the transfer rate is nearly high enough, it is sufficient to pause playback for a few seconds to fill your media player’s buffer. Often the file will play correctly from then on saving the timeconsuming transfer to the PC’s hard drive. |
| Video Playback is “jerky” and the picture is incomplete or has extra lines. |
Incorrect video standard selected. Check that the DVR is configured for video of the same standard as the video source (NTSC or PAL). Check this using the DVR Configuration Utility which shows how the DVR is configured and the standard of the video source. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| Sensor Installation & Operation |
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
| Water or Oil Temperature sensor shows a fixed value of 999 or 99 psi |
Sensor failure - Disconnect Sensor if systems shows shows “0” replace sensor.
Faulty connectors - Check continuity of
leads for short. |
| Water or Oil Temperature sensor shows a fixed value of 0°C or 0° when engine temp is above 12°C or 55° |
Sensor failure - Disconnect and short connectors together. If reading changes replace sensor.
Faulty connectors - Check continuity of
leads for open circuit. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| ST8600 Steering Wheel System |
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
| Steering wheel switch(es) do(es) not work |
Switch(es) faulty - contact a Stack service agent, no user serviceable parts. |
| Manual Lap Time Switch: does not set or display popup lap times when no automatic receiver in use |
Manual Lap Time Switch faulty - replace switch. Disconnect the switch and short its leads together. If a lap pops up, replace the switch. Otherwise check wiring.
Faulty switch wiring - check switch wiring for correct continuity Pin T to pin 1 of the LAP connector greater than 1.0 Ohm and Pin T to Pin H (Earth) greater than 1M Ohms |
| No RPM speed reading |
Incorrect wiring - check the connection of the engine speed wire to the ignition system (or ST697 sensor if used) See instructions supplied in this manual. If connected directly to the coil, check that it is to the switched lowtension side (usually the negative side). |
Displayed RPM value too high or too low by a constant percentage amount. |
System configured with wrong number
of engine cylinders - reconfigure system
to correct number of cylinders.
Ignition system pulses per revolution not same as number of cylinders - Reconfigure system to correct number of pulses per revolution.
Note: Ignition systems may either: a) produce "waste" sparks giving double the number of cylinders per revolution b) use multiple coils where each additional coil gives proportionately fewer pulses per revolution. |
No speed reading/ speed reading
erratic, value jumps high or low |
Faulty sensor and/or wiring - check sensor indicator for correct operation.
Incorrect sensor gap (too far or too close) - check that the gap is approximately 1mm.
Sensor and targets moving apart - fabricate a more rigid sensor bracket.
Note: Rotate the wheel by hand and check that the sensor indicator lights up as each target passes the sensor |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here.
| Issue / Question |
Possible Solution |
| What are the dimensions of Stack's Auxiliary Gauges? I need the dimensions for mounting. |
Size shown is largest expected size. Dimensions are for gauge size only. Please allow 25 - 76mm for fittings & capillary tubing where applicable. |
| Why does my fuel level gauge bounce around when I am driving? |
If your fuel level gauge stays still when the car is still, the problem is due to sloshing fuel in the tank. When the vehicle is in motion, fuel is allowed to move back and forth and move, or “slosh” around. Many late model tanks have internal baffling and some fuel cells use a foam insert that help keep fuel from moving around too much. When the fuel is moving around, it is moving the float up and down on the sender, which causes the gauge to respond by moving back and forth. |
| Stack's Oil Pressure Auxiliary gauges go up to 100PSI. Will I break the gauge if I peak beyond this? |
Stack's Professional Stepper Motor Analogue gauges will tolerate values reasonably outside their range without damage. Of course, the gauge will not display a value outside its stated range but remain at its maximum position. |
A more comprehensive troubleshooting guide is included in the product manual which can downloaded here. A dedicated Auxiliary Gauge FAQ page can be found here.
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