Digital clock

[Tuga2112]

Reckon it's salvageable?

from memory, looks very similar to mine. so... probably yes???

you will only find out after replacing the resistor (and possibly the diode and second smaller resistor) and plugging it in.

Theres a certain risk factor here, your risking the component costs + tools and your time VS the cost of a replacement. (and the remote chance of setting your house on fire )

in my case, I already spent time learning about electronics to modify the windows to be a little more automated and already have the tools.
replacing a resistor is just a simple soldering job, you need the soldering iron, solder, flux and either a solder sucker or Solder wick. ( I think i use both in my video)

only advice i can give would be in the lines of, if you intend to learn about electrics on the car, and repair other things in future (or make your own upgrades) is a great place to start, if you dont plan on ever using a soldering iron again, you will be saving money by doing a straight out replacement.

[TorqueHorse]

Whoa, wait a minute Tuga, you can't just drop a modified automatic window controller video in the middle of a digital clock thread! That looks super sweet; is there a dedicated post to that mod somewhere?

[Tuga2112]

is there a dedicated post to that mod somewhere?

yes and no?
I read this post by one of our Canadian Members, and if you check it out, the last message was me asking if this ever came to fruition.
on the absense of response i assumed there was no interest and proceeded with minimal fuss. I posted on facebook a couple of times and probably theres a mention to it on my Yellow Elan project thread.
Ive never really complete the project, The first prototype worked great on the car for 3 months before starting to malfunction. after resetting and pluggin the laptop to diagnose the issue the unit was working again just fine... for another 3 months. after that i parked the project and the car in the garage which is still there waiting for the paint job to be completed..

[chrism]

Well, like most of us would be, I was upset to see the Elan's clock broken so I 'knee-jerked' and bought new - but couldn't bear to throw the 32-year-old part away .

Then I happened upon Tuga's marvellous repair video and took the clock apart. I could see that in solving his problem he effectively illuminated mine - so I resolved that mine would be fixed (somehow)

A friend-of-a-friend is a ham-radio enthusiast so I showed him the clock and emailed the Tuga video and circuit diagram. I told him it was effectively scrapped and he then agreed to 'have a go' since he knew what a 'solder sucker' is . Yesterday he sent this email:

The 100K resistor was open circuit, I replaced it with a slightly higher wattage type, then tested:

With permanent + 12V on Red and -12V on Blue:
Applying +12V on Orange – ignition on – the clock illuminates
Applying additional +12v on Green – the clock dims.
I didn’t try setting the clock but would imagine it to be OK.


(...here's a 'before' pic of the resistor he replaced - it looks like the clock has been wrangled by a previous owner...)

_DSF0220a.jpg

So, I now have a working 'spare' - I would try it out, but it means taking the radio and cradle out to wrestle with that yellow connector and too-short lead again

Power to Tuga and the forum, I say... Grateful...

[Hector2021]

Rather than post a new thread i thought i would just add to the same one i searched out to find the guidance i was looking for when i noticed that my clock was failing to act like a clock.
Another thumbs up to the value of the forum for solving peoples first time problems by reporting findings that have already been discovered and responses and fixes posted for the next person to take advantage of. I would most likely have not bothered with replacing the clock since it is in such a well designed position to never be viewed anyway, but since finding this thread, and having that desire to fix things that can be fixed i figured i'd look into whether my clock issue was the same as previously posted by others. I was fitting a new stereo anyway so the access to removing the clock presented itself at the same time.
I got the tricky little so n so out and wrestled with separating the connector. Opened the clock up and saw a myriad of solders that looked like someones first time with a soldering iron. I dont think these devices were that well constructed!
Anyway, upon inspection it was fairly obvious that many years of use and heat had done its worst to the soldering on the large resistor at the end of the pcb. There was virtually no solder left and a very dry joint was the conclusion.

IMG_20221031_214045.jpg

Dug out my trusty soldering iron and dabbed a little solder onto each end of the resistor to see if this was all it needed. Lo and behold upon rejoining it to the mothership and turning on the ignition, it sprang back into life! it showed 18:88 as its first glimmer of breath for a few seconds so i thought it was goosed anyway, but once i reset the time it sat there quite happily showing the correct information for the first time in i dont know how long.
download/file.php?mode=view&id=28920

Once again, many thanks to those who went before, and it again shows the value of forum membership. Only a small fix, and im sure there will be bigger things to come, but it does show that the information is here somewhere in the forum, probably to everything...

[Tuga2112]

im surprised i havent had this uploaded before.
but i had this video done about this topic a long time ago (in fact before my previous messages helping )

[chrism]

_DSF0220.jpg

Yeah...thanks to that Tuga vid earlier this year I got an electronics friend to replace that resistor that burns out with a higher wattage one and got it going again.
My first m100 'fix' (...of many )
Yep the only way to get the blighter out is through the radio hole
It'd be nice if there was a longer connecting wire tho'...

[chrism]

...and after all that plus the need for autumnal reset, plus current drain fear I decided to whip the radio out and pull apart the digi clock connector sufficiently to break the circuit (but not 'lose' the wiring)...

Imo that hard-to-see digital clock, rather like those silly sun visors (that I've just removed too...) are ineffectual design afterthoughts...

Getting that troublesome connector apart was easy (now). I remember that this was my very first m100 'fix' earlier this year - not that I wanted it to work, so much as I didn't want it to be broken.

Soo...much has happened since then. Overall good stuff but - as we all experience - there's a degree of scarring

[Hector2021]

..... and after all that plus the need for autumnal reset, plus current drain fear

Just been to start the car and the battery is totally flat. Its only 8 months old and a decent make (Bosch). Its been sat for easily more than a week prior to my clock fix and never been a problem.
I did however fit a new Blaupunkt stereo about the same time though. Its either that or the clock that has sucked the battery dry.
I suspect ill be following your lead now though and despite the clock being fixed, ill just disconnect it anyway.

[Tuga2112]

..... and after all that plus the need for autumnal reset, plus current drain fear

Just been to start the car and the battery is totally flat. Its only 8 months old and a decent make (Bosch). Its been sat for easily more than a week prior to my clock fix and never been a problem.
I did however fit a new Blaupunkt stereo about the same time though. Its either that or the clock that has sucked the battery dry.
I suspect ill be following your lead now though and despite the clock being fixed, ill just disconnect it anyway.

actually. the instalation of a different radio is likely to cause a drain if you cross wired stuff incorrectly.

modern radios have 3 wires to provide a constant feed (internal memory) a inginition feed (to allow you to switch it on) and a interior light feed (which usually dims the display and switches on background lights on the buttons)

the elan wires do not match the DIm standard. and its not uncommong for less experienced people to permanently wire the radio instead of giving it an ignition feed. + permanent that would cause a parasitic drain very easily,m even if you switched off the radio yourself after taking the key off the car.

i would do a parasitic drain, and then unplug the radio to be sure its not the cause of the problem. if you need more help you can PM me. i cant guarantee keeping an eye on the threads. but i get emails when new PMs arrive

[exeterjeep]

and its not uncommon for less experienced people to permanently wire the radio instead of giving it an ignition feed. + permanent that would cause a parasitic drain very easily,m even if you switched off the radio yourself after taking the key off the car.

I noticed that I have that on my S2, luckily I do leave it off, but was surprised that it did not turn off when the key was removed. I must have a look at it 1 day.