Another Broken Clock Write up

[EMBPilot]

Just wanted to share my experiences here... its just another clock write up to add to the database...
I was hell bent on 'replacing my non working clock'. After doing this very small job, I think had I not made it worse I could have gotten away with just disassembling it and cleaning it. zero cost.

The clock would 'half work'. All the top digits were there, but the bottom was sort of a 'half circle' of yellow. Also, the light bulb wasnt working.

I followed clarks garage on how to get to the clock. Once you get to the clock there are jewelers screws securing it at the bottom, (obviously overlooked by me!) because I unsnapped the top from the dash trim and pressed back on the clock very easily and gently, and very gently and easily broke my LCD crystal/glass, now it was a gonner for sure.

The bulb.. it's a Sylvania # 2721 1.2 watt job that you can get an advanced auto. The factory socket will have the bulb leads soldered to the fixture contacts at the bottom. Press the tabs in on the side, both sides will slide up and out of the plastic housing, and you can remove the old bulb. Insert the new bulb by getting the leads around those tabs, reinsert.

Next I installed my 'new' clock, fresh off ebay! How could you go wrong for 30 bucks right!?. Well... it got here and was knocking around in the box like a hockey puck, I had dashed hopes already. Get the new clock in, only to find, that the new bulb wasn't coming on, and when I turned the lights on the LCD would go out, and when it was on only the right half of the LCD would work, unless I pressed on the back harness, it was just doing strange things...

So out it came, now it was time for Franken clock.

If you carefully pull up the white tabs on the bottom and top of the housing and carefully slide the black face forward the casing will come away. Next you can gently pull up on the black tabs at the rear, and forward sections of the clock (9 small tabs), now this will pull away the brains of the clock from against the LCD. Carefully slide it sideways out of the bracket that holds the LCD in. When installed, this piece needs to be firmly pressed against small thin rubber strips that press against the LCD glass. That's what all those black tabs press forward for. I took the brains from my old clock and put them onto the LCD of the 'new ebay clock'. Got it all back together and it worked like a charm, everything hooked up right, and works properly. Just take extra care when snapping the brains in as they push forward against the glass while the tabs lock them in.

Now heres how I could have saved my clock before cracking the glass.
Just take it apart if your missing digits or it looks like a half moon. Take the brains out, clean the contacts along the top and bottom of the piece that pushes against the rubber tabs of the LCD with an eraser. Clean it carefully. Then carefully put it back in. I cant stress how delicate the face of these clocks are. As long as those tabs are clean, and pushing firmly forward against the LCD it should work.

I read someplace, I think it was here� theres really nothing other than the LCD glass on these clocks that cant be purchased at radio shack, if you feel like a internal component on the board has failed. That too is an option. Just don't be a dumbarse like me and crack your glass.

Sorry so long but I know these clocks are a real PITA.

...just trying to look out for the next poor SOB that searches here for fixing a clock....

[VINMAN]

Precisely why I have a clock on my radio!

[Harpman2]

What a lot of work. I think I'll stop complaining about having to read the manual twice a year to adjust the clock for daylight savings !!!!

[fastang]

I just went the electrical tape route...My lcd had broken and I had a nice half moon on the display and it looked like crap so I trimmed out a piece of electrical tape to fit the hole and got i nice and warm with a heat gun and was able to fit so you can't tell it's there....I know it's cheesy but I know if I tried to take it all apart I would do alot more than good. And I have a clock on the radio anyway..