i finally have a tach. i got tired of fighting the system in the car so i just used an aftermarket piece. msd #8913. Took me about 20 min to get it in and set it up. 70 bucks is alot more than $1.19 for the resistor but for the time and aggravation it will now save me its worth it. Still have no idea why the resistor didnt work for me but atleast there is a second and solid option for the next guy to do it.

Glad you got it straight.

correct. dash tach gets signal directly from the ignitor.

have a spare one to test?

well from what i got somehow i dont think i was getting a signal from the ignitor. so atleast we know there is a backup. idk if my ignitor is bad or i fudged something up. but it confirms the miata uses a 12v pulse signal for the tach. that should help someone along the line

i think the ignitor is bad. That's the first thing that tends to go when it's on its way out.

Okay so Im wondering what color and locations are the wires on the ecu for the tach and speedo? I ask because Im hooking up my old hks turbo timer from my old car and want to use the 0-60 function and rpm warning function. Thanks in advance.

There are wiring schematics readily available for download that show wire colors. Look around and you'll find them..."Useful saved posts" is a good place to start. And at least in my NA, there is no factory speed sensor, so no signal at all there unless I run an aftermarket sensor.

Put some info about your car in your signature so we'll know what you are working with. And do a little searching :)