Sticky Clock

[Sehrgut]

My VDO analog clock stops working in my '84 944 when it is cold. I've replaced it with another, and the same thing happens. what could be the cause and are there any fixes? Thanks.... ps. Anybody wanna buy a used 944 clock?

[BobFitz]

Originally Posted by Sehrgut

My VDO analog clock stops working in my '84 944 when it is cold. I've replaced it with another, and the same thing happens. what could be the cause and are there any fixes? Thanks.... ps. Anybody wanna buy a used 944 clock?

As a retired watchmaker I would say your clock need to be cleaned. No pun intended.

Bob

[pfarah]

There's a good writeup somewhere online,; you have to basically replace the two main capacitors. I had the same problem and it works great since the repair.

[v2rocket_aka944]

mine does the same thing.
good thing it only gets cold for like 2 weeks here.

[BobFitz]

The oil in a clock or watch oxidizes over time which makes it thicker and eventually lose it's lubricity resulting in the slowing down, wearing out or stopping of the movement.
I am talking about the older clock movements here, not the newer quartz ones.
The clock needs to be properly cleaned and oiled with the proper amount of clock oil to function properly. wd40 is NOT clock oil! Would you run your engine without proper oil?

Bob

[TheSecondChris]

Hi - I'd like to try replacing the capacitors in my vdo analog clock. Does anyone know where the write-up might be located?

[944 Ecology]

I did a google search for "vdo clock capacitors" and found the following:

VDO Clock Repair (incl pictures)

[TheSecondChris]

Thanks a lot - I think your Google works better than mine.

[944 Ecology]

Originally Posted by TheSecondChris

Thanks a lot - I think your Google works better than mine.

I have a special google account that gives me better results..

[TheSecondChris]

The car wasn't used much before I purchased it recently. The clock seems to require fewer and fewer adjustments the more I use it. I am guessing that the capacitors might be coming back to life now that the electrical system is energized a few times each day.

[TheSecondChris]

I had some extra time so I removed and deconstructed my my clock yesterday and it's been keeping good time for the past 24 hours. I'm thrilled. The instructions on the 911 bulletin board are perfect and the fix is to replace some old capacitors. The capacitors are less than $2 each. The stock specs are 100 microfarad 16v, but I had easy access to 100uf 50v so that's what I used instead.