The Amazing Disappearing Clock

What does this red wire do? Zzzzzt Oops

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
WRXWagon2112
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 3314
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Livin' the dream

The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by WRXWagon2112 »

So lately I've noticed that my LED clock does not always light up when the car is running. Sometimes this happens upon start-up but corrects itself after a few minutes. Sometimes the clock lights up when I start the car but will go out some time later. Only to come back on again.

The time that's displayed is still correct, it's just the visibility that's affected.

Has anyone heard of this happening? Any thoughts as to what would be causing it? Perhaps a bad fuse? Wouldn't a faulty wiring connection also affect the time that's displayed?

--Alan
User avatar
ElZorro
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 5958
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: USA! USA!

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by ElZorro »

Might be a flaky connection / bad component in the drive circuitry for the display segments... if that was the case you'd pretty much have to just replace it.
Jason "El Zorro" Fox
'17 Subaru Forester 2.0XT
DCAWD - old coots in fast scoots.
User avatar
WRXWagon2112
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 3314
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Livin' the dream

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by WRXWagon2112 »

Just did a search on NASIOC and found that this is a common problem. Apparently, one particular component is prone to a bad soldering connection. Here are some threads:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=1661050
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=1245003
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/archive ... 57450.html

Here's the jist of it:
Mod MULDER wrote:There have been reports of bad solder connections on the circuit board inside the clock. If you know how, pull the clock and take it apart, and repair any bad connections. If you don't know how, get someone who does to take a look at it, or check the classifieds for a used clock. They are often for sale reasonably cheap.
Looks like I get to learn how to solder! :D

--Alan
goob_os101
DCAWD Groupie
Posts: 534
Joined: Thu Mar 10, 2005 7:00 pm
Location: Arlington, VA

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by goob_os101 »

User avatar
zaxrex
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 6350
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: asiandale

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by zaxrex »

Mine stopped working about a month ago. Still powers my gauges, so no biggie. There are plenty of other things to gain my attention over that right now though.
Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears
User avatar
WRXWagon2112
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 3314
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Livin' the dream

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by WRXWagon2112 »

For those who don't want to click through and do the reading ... here's the supposed fix (since I haven't actually done, I can't vouch for it personally)

1) Take the clock out
2) Locate the resistor labeled "510" (this is the likely culprit with weak soldering)
3) Carefully solder this part
4) Re-assemble

Here's another user's explanation:
NASIOC user MConte05 wrote:The clock pod does just pop out. I used a flathead screwdriver to pry it out. Takes some amount of force. Then pop the clock itself out of the pod, once again, another small flathead and some force will eventually get it out (I had a bitch of a time with mine). Then simply disassemble the clock by removing the back (more clips) and pop the board out (guess what? more clips).

I first tried just adding some solder to it, but since it is a surface resistor it needs solder on the bottom. I would suggest just heating up the connections to the resistor itself until slides away and can be easily removed. Then add a bit of solder to the connection points on the board, and a little on the resistor itself. At that point just lay the resistor back on the board, then heat up both ends untill the solder melts and joins the two together, do that for both ends.

You don't need to reassemble the entire clock either to test it. Just take the board and plug it it (make sure you have the plug going in the right way and not upside down) and turn on the power to the car, might take a second or two until it powers up (did for me at least). If it works, awesome! If not... try it again, it took me two or three tries before it finally worked. I figured my clock was busted for good until I decided to give it another shot, and bam, worked.

I am sure someone can write up better instructions, or at least tell me if my method was completely whack. I am not an electronics guru, so I don't solder *too* much.
Now let's see if I make this fix sooner than I did the 'seat belt mod'.

--Alan
User avatar
ElZorro
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 5958
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: USA! USA!

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by ElZorro »

Easy nuff. I have a soldering iron that is hot enough to do the job but cool enough to run off an inverter, we could do it in the parking lot of a meet. Especially if you can pop it out before hand.
Jason "El Zorro" Fox
'17 Subaru Forester 2.0XT
DCAWD - old coots in fast scoots.
User avatar
zaxrex
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 6350
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: asiandale

This is what they call a target rich environment -

Post by zaxrex »

ElZorro wrote:we could do it in the parking lot of a meet. Especially if you can pop it out before hand.
Cuz when you are meeting a guy in a parking lot for a quickie, popping it out before hand saves so much time....
:banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2: :banana2:
:on2me: :rolllaugh: :lol2:

EPIC SELF FAIL
Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears
User avatar
ElZorro
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 5958
Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: USA! USA!

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by ElZorro »

Pervert.








:lol:
Jason "El Zorro" Fox
'17 Subaru Forester 2.0XT
DCAWD - old coots in fast scoots.
User avatar
Mr Kleen
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 15034
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:46 pm
Location: Wiesbaden.DE

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by Mr Kleen »

:lol2:
User avatar
Sabre
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 21432
Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Springfield, VA
Contact:

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by Sabre »

:rolllaugh: :rolllaugh:
If Jason can't help you, I can... big boy ;)
Sabre (Julian)
Image
92.5% Stock 04 STI
Good choice putting $4,000 rims on your 1990 Honda Civic. That's like Betty White going out and getting her tits done.
User avatar
WRXWagon2112
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 3314
Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: Livin' the dream

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by WRXWagon2112 »

Finally got around to doing this fix. They weren't kidding - it's a small component and one end of it is tough to get at. But it looks like it worked. The clock came on when I started the car and stayed on. W00t!!1!

--Alan
User avatar
sirwilliam
Resident Poop Expert
Posts: 7226
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:27 pm
Location: The Wild Serengeti Suburbs

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by sirwilliam »

Awesome! Very satisfying to not only get something fixed that has been bugging the crap out of you but to do it yourself. :D
2004 SG Model A PearlBlackObsidian (RIP)
2008 SG Model D BlueRallyWorld

"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story." -Barney Stinson
"Nothing shuts my pie-hole but pie." -Shawn Spencer
User avatar
zaxrex
DCAWD Founding Member
Posts: 6350
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2004 8:00 pm
Location: asiandale

Re: The Amazing Disappearing Clock

Post by zaxrex »

Mine is still blank. But then I have not done the above fix, so I guess I should not be surprised that it is still off.
Good for you Mr. Dad.
Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears
Post Reply