Mid-Year Clock Question...
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 4,537
Likes: 378
From: Philadelphia PA
Mid-Year Clock Question...
The was another post recently on the Corvette clock for this generation, so I thought to myself, why not try and remove it and tinker around with to see if I can get it working again. So I remove the two side panels and the glove box, take a look at the back of the clock and surprisingly the power plug was unplugged from the prongs. All this time I thought the clock bit the dust and I would need to have it rebuilt. So I plug it in and sure enough, it starts working. So here is my question, I'm wondering if the reason it was unplugged is because of battery drain and if so, how much is the drain on the battery? I just changed the battery to a red top Optima and I only drive it every couple of weeks. It would be cool to have the clock movement again, but if it's going to shorten the battery life alot, I can get along without it and just keep wearing my wristwatch when I drive it. Thanks.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 340
Likes: 0
From: Northern Virginia
You might want to scan the archives for this, but I believe I remember a thread where connecting the clock "backwards: ie positive wire to negative terminal & vice versa" would still allow the clock to work, but would also "energize" the clock frame, the console, and ultimately the heater core, causing a quick galvonic (sic?) type reaction which would cause the heater core to "corrode" thru in "no-time-flat" 
As I remember the moral, make sure the clock is hooked up
correctly!
This did not happen to me, but from just reading along, the consequences seemed severe, if really true.
As I remember the moral, make sure the clock is hooked up
correctly!
This did not happen to me, but from just reading along, the consequences seemed severe, if really true.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,050
Likes: 2
From: Orange Ct
I don't know where I saw it, but the problem went like this-
When the battery drains down from disuse the voltage can
drop to a point where the wind up solenoid can't move. There will still be enough current to fry the solenoid since the contacts stay closed. I don't know if this is true but it sounds possible.
When the battery drains down from disuse the voltage can
drop to a point where the wind up solenoid can't move. There will still be enough current to fry the solenoid since the contacts stay closed. I don't know if this is true but it sounds possible.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,504
Likes: 4
From: Mexico Beach FL
Originally Posted by bluestreak63
So here is my question, I'm wondering if the reason it was unplugged is because of battery drain and if so, how much is the drain on the battery? Thanks.
Tom Piper
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,504
Likes: 4
From: Mexico Beach FL
Originally Posted by NVaVettes
You might want to scan the archives for this, but I believe I remember a thread where connecting the clock "backwards: ie positive wire to negative terminal & vice versa" would still allow the clock to work, but would also "energize" the clock frame, the console, and ultimately the heater core, causing a quick galvonic (sic?) type reaction which would cause the heater core to "corrode" thru in "no-time-flat"
As I remember the moral, make sure the clock is hooked up
correctly!
This did not happen to me, but from just reading along, the consequences seemed severe, if really true.
As I remember the moral, make sure the clock is hooked up
correctly!
This did not happen to me, but from just reading along, the consequences seemed severe, if really true.
If the clock connector wires were reversed, I would expect the dash lights for the clock wouldn't work properly because they would have the positive side connected to both sides of the filament -- using the dash-light dimmer-**** might cause some interesting results for the clock lights....like the clock lights getting dimmer when the rest of the dash lights are getting brighter, etc.
Tom Piper
Last edited by Tom Piper; Aug 24, 2004 at 07:18 AM.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 682
Likes: 0
From: Northport New York
Originally Posted by bluestreak63
The was another post recently on the Corvette clock for this generation, so I thought to myself, why not try and remove it and tinker around with to see if I can get it working again. So I remove the two side panels and the glove box, take a look at the back of the clock and surprisingly the power plug was unplugged from the prongs. All this time I thought the clock bit the dust and I would need to have it rebuilt. So I plug it in and sure enough, it starts working. So here is my question, I'm wondering if the reason it was unplugged is because of battery drain and if so, how much is the drain on the battery? I just changed the battery to a red top Optima and I only drive it every couple of weeks. It would be cool to have the clock movement again, but if it's going to shorten the battery life alot, I can get along without it and just keep wearing my wristwatch when I drive it. Thanks.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,927
From: Washington Michigan
Originally Posted by NVaVettes
You might want to scan the archives for this, but I believe I remember a thread where connecting the clock "backwards: ie positive wire to negative terminal & vice versa" would still allow the clock to work, but would also "energize" the clock frame, the console, and ultimately the heater core, causing a quick galvonic (sic?) type reaction which would cause the heater core to "corrode" thru in "no-time-flat"
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Brett Foote
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,504
Likes: 4
From: Mexico Beach FL
Originally Posted by JohnZ
Sounds like an "urban legend" to me - the clock is totally isolated electrically from its surroundings in the dash, all of which are non-conductive fiberglass, and the heater core is also totally isolated electrically from its surroundings in its fiberglass case.
However, that been said, there is one thing that I did wonder about when I read this:
The clock is normally isolated electrically when the clock connector and the clock lights are not plugged in -- as you say, it is mounted in fiberglass.
However, when the clock connector is plugged in, the clock case is now at ground potential because the negative (ground) side of the connector is connected internally in the clock to the clock case. This is how ground is made for the clock and the clock lights.
Now, if the wires in the connector were reversed, the clock case would be at +12 volts and the case would be isolated from the dash. I don't know if this is possible, but what if one of the heater control cables was somehow touching the clock case that is now at +12 volts -- could the heater cable somehow conduct through something in the air distribution case to the heater core? I would think it would be very unlikely.
Tom Piper