Weird one

Post by **fume** » 02 Jun 2007 08:32 am

The clock in the dashboard of my DL has never worked, but when we have had a sunny day it springs into life. When the temperature cools the clock stops working. Any ideas? its weird.

Post by **pettaw** » 02 Jun 2007 10:19 am

Almost certainly a dodgy multiplug connection in the dashboard. They're famous for being dodgy at the best of times.

Take the dash out and give the contacts a good spray with some contact cleaner and see if that fixes it. If that doesn't work then you'll have to see which wires power the clock...I'm afraid I don't have wiring diagrams to hand since I lent my books to Aymat and never had them back......and then very carefully bend them up to remake good contact.

Post by **Filvas** » 02 Jun 2007 10:20 am

Maybe a contact starts to work because of thermal expansion?
You should probably try removing the clock and try to feed it 12 volts and see if it starts with better contacts.

Post by **fume** » 02 Jun 2007 12:23 pm

When i first got the car i did wonder if someone had taken the clocks permanent live for the radio as the wiring was in a right state. I put a radio in and found the correct live. I think someone has been into the dash though so chances are there they dislodged the connection.
Thanks for the ideas as always.

Post by **petefarrell360** » 03 Jun 2007 08:35 pm

Just to chuck a random thought into the equation, maybe the hands are too tight or not put in the right place, as with heat, they might expand in the right places to pass one another. When it stops, are the hands inline with one another anywhere. I had a wrist watch that had a slightly bent hand that caught on another one when they got close. Just a thought!

Being plastic, it's quite likely they would distort with heat and extreme sunlight and may have rattled loose or moved over time. Once out the face cover should come off quite easily from memory.

Pete

Post by MJ » 03 Jun 2007 10:24 pm

Hmm, interesting thought. When the clock isn't working, is it illumined correctly when the lights are on?

I've had similar problems with the rev gauge stopping working and the illumination not working. Also all of the warning lights are the wrong way round. (Illuminated when they shouldn't be, and off when they should be on.)

This only occurs in the winter, particularly cold/damp days. I usually find a quick sharp tap to the plastic screen fixes everything, but this doesn't seem to work for mum. I must have the touch of the Fonz

Also using the horn has fixed it sometimes.

I tried to check the multiplugs were tight, but there are a heck of a lot of wires under there, and I poked about a bit, but as usual everything was working fine at the time, so no way to tell if it was fixed or not. I think its been better this year than last anyway, so that's something

Post by **fume** » 04 Jun 2007 08:39 am

The illumination is fine, i think i am going to have to go into the dash as one of the warning bulbs blew the other night. I can remember from breaking my 1.7 though its not a particulary fun job!. It could be the hands catching, when it has been working i have tried to reset it to the correct time which has then caused it to stop!. It probably wouldn't bother most people but if something is there i want it to work!!!