In-dash clock: fix or not?

[Dano944]

On my 1983 944 I noticed that my analog in-dash clock only works when I’m running the engine. Which is OK, just annoying. Should I fix it? If it keeps time when the engine is off, wont it drain the battery when I’m only driving one a week? Should I just let it be broken and forget it?

[OK-944]

You could just keep on driving! Seriously...the clock will never drain the battery. If the battery dies...just assume that its something else (parasitic drain, faulty alternator, and/or what have you).

[originalowner]

I ordered one off ebay for cheap, to fix and replace mine with. Damn thing worked when it came, so I just replaced mine. Then I fixed the old one and it's ready for when the replacement fails. There is a write-up (video, perhaps?) somewhere out there on how to disassemble and repair it, the failure mode is the two capacitors inside. Cheap to fix, literally a few bucks, but taking it apart requires carefully bending the thin metal bezel away from the back shell, then carefully bending it back when assembling.

[88Silver924S]

Re: "my analog in-dash clock only works when I’m running the engine." That's not the way it is supposed to work. It sounds like someone wired it to a wire that is only hot when the ignition is on. It should be wired to keep time even with the ignition off. The drain on the battery is minimal, it doesn;t take much to run a clock.

Perhaps a previous owner wanted to "convert" the clock to an "hour meter" (like airplanes and boats have) so they could record how many hours the engine runs for oil changes and such, rather than miles? Since the radio has the digital time maybe they thought an hour meter would be preferable to a clock.

FWIW: Years ago I replaced a bad capacitor in my clock and it has kept time ever since. Good luck.

[TheSecondChris]

I fixed my clock a few years ago and used two capacitors, VHT100M50

[originalowner]

Originally Posted by 88Silver924S

It sounds like someone wired it to a wire that is only hot when the ignition is on. It should be wired to keep time even with the ignition off.

I'm not sure if it is this, or the caps getting marginal and needing the higher alternator voltage to operate.


This would be easy to test, sit in the car with the ignition on and the engine not running for a couple of minutes.

[Dano944]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is the odd thing: I don’t think the clock gets electricity until the key is put into the ignition, and this happens to the Blaupunkt radio too. The radio clock shuts off until the key is put into the ignition, then everything get electricity. I think I’m just going to let everything stay as is. My phone and watch keep time, so I don’t wanna risk adding a problem by fixing something.

[Dano944]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Here is the odd thing: I don’t think the clock gets electricity until the key is put into the ignition, and this happens to the Blaupunkt radio too. The radio clock shuts off until the key is put into the ignition, then everything get electricity. I think I’m just going to let everything stay as is. My phone and watch keep time, so I don’t wanna risk adding a problem by fixing something.

[TheSecondChris]

The radio gets power when you insert the key, but the clock should run all the time. What you're observing about the clock (works only when engine is running) describes the same thing I saw before I replaced the clock capacitors. So, I think the clock is wired properly and the caps are bad. Don't blame you if you don't want to extract it from the console and then open it like an oyster to fix.

[mazdaverx7]

The capacitors store voltage and will power the clock when no switched power is present. If the capacitors have failed then its logical that the clock will not work without switched (accessory) power. I would also suggest replacing the two internal capacitors.