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can any one tell me what is the best way to unplug the power on the back of my clock? my clock does not work and has not worked even when i bought my car
20 years ago. i have no plans right now of using my clock. however i assume it still has power to it and is draining my battery. can i disconnect the power to
the clock without taking out my glovebox?? does the power to the clock plug in or screw in at the back of the clock? would like to disconnect the power so my
battery wont drain overnight. thanks again for any help or ideas on how to disconnect the power to the clock. thanks again
You might be able to reach in above the radio by taking off a center console side panel and pop the electrical connector off...
IF its a mechanical clock and not working the only way it would draw current is if the points are closed.
Yeah, it's probably not drawing any current if it isn't working. But the connector on the back is a two wire connector that just pulls off the two spades shown in the picture. This assumes that you have a 66 as in your screen name since you don't mention the year of car in your question. There will also be two bulbs in the holes shown with gray wires attached which do not need to be pulled out unless you particularly want to kill the light in your clock face when the lights are on.
Don't know if it is just R66, but when I pulled the plug on the clock, I lost ground to the console lights and thus lost the lights. I turned the plug 180 deg and plugged in only the ground and the lights were restored.
Don't know if it is just R66, but when I pulled the plug on the clock, I lost ground to the console lights and thus lost the lights. I turned the plug 180 deg and plugged in only the ground and the lights were restored.
Ron
That should not happen. The instrument lights, radio, instrument cluster and all electrical lights in the rear (tail, b/u, brake, license plate,) should have been grounded by the ringed terminal off the radio plug circled here. Disconnecting the clock should have only removed the clock power and ground. Sounds like your clock case ground was being used incorrectly to ground the instrument cluster and all the rest mentioned.
Hmm my console lights go out too when I pull off the clock plug, like the OP I rotated and just plugged in the ground side. I am gonna take a look for that ringed terminal, I don't recall seeing it. So where does the ring terminal attach?
That should not happen. The instrument lights, radio, instrument cluster and all electrical lights in the rear (tail, b/u, brake, license plate,) should have been grounded by the ringed terminal off the radio plug circled here. Disconnecting the clock should have only removed the clock power and ground. Sounds like your clock case ground was being used incorrectly to ground the instrument cluster and all the rest mentioned.
Correct...
There is also a spade lug connector on the back of the instrument cluster W-A-Y up high that provides a ground via a black wire and many forget that when installing the cluster...
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; Feb 28, 2020 at 07:59 AM.
There is also a spade lug connector on the back of the instrument cluster W-A-Y up high that provides a ground via a black wire and many forget that when installing the cluster...
That's where the other black wire in that radio connector goes, and then the ring terminal connected by a screw to the z bar behind the dash grounds the whole deal
That's where the other black wire in that radio connector goes, and then the ring terminal connected by a screw to the z bar behind the dash grounds the whole deal
I tried to find a picture of that from my car but no joy...
BUNS will be along shortly to provide a "studio quality" picture of the arrangement
I put a toggle switch in the glove box and intercepted the power wire to the clock to prevent unnecessary running in the off season. Unless the clock has stopped before the contacts make it will make contact and have some draw. Of the clocks I've tried to resuscitate over the years, the major failures have been burned contacts and overheated coils. I've seen very few with the movement worn out.
I got tired of removing the brake/dash light fuse to disable the clock or would forget and drive around with no brake lights.
I put a toggle switch in the glove box and intercepted the power wire to the clock to prevent unnecessary running in the off season. Unless the clock has stopped before the contacts make it will make contact and have some draw. Of the clocks I've tried to resuscitate over the years, the major failures have been burned contacts and overheated coils. I've seen very few with the movement worn out.
I got tired of removing the brake/dash light fuse to disable the clock or would forget and drive around with no brake lights.
Ha! I did EXACTLY the same thing, the original OEM Borg movements are becoming scarce and Clock Works told me that having the mechanism powered down when not needed extends the life a bunch. So for judging or some car shows the clock runs, otherwise its off...
I can't stand looking at a stopped clock, so on a short jaunt I'll just set minute hand. I'm pretty sure I'll know what hour it is. More of a I'm ahead or behind schedule by what quarter hour it is.
Still prefer analog time or digital. Pretty soon they will have us on metric time.
As the others have said, if unplugging your clock kills your cluster lights, then your cluster ground is bad but to those who are experiencing this - I would definitely fix the cluster ground as opposed to just leaving the clock grounded. Adequate grounds are important, especially on these cars.
corvette clock
