My clock is going in and out

[Nanook]

Oh my The only time I look at clocks is when I am driving, and for the past couple of days the readability is iffy at best. One minute it will be there and the next it won't. Then it comes back again.. This same display is my radio station numbers thingie too but my main concern is if I am getting a wiring problem or if it is a sign of a bulb burning out?

It's a 97 Intrepid.

[j-kid]

Re: My clock is going in and out

If it diasppears all together, then it is not an illumination pronlem.

The LED circuit may have developed a cold joint or just gone bade due to the extreme cold, and then heating back up. No two IC, or LED chip is the same, but they are usually designed for worst case senarion.

Did you have the vehicle sitting OUTSIDE for most of the winter, or do you drive it every day?

[Nanook]

Re: My clock is going in and out

Tonks JKid!

I keep it in the garage. It was fine in the cold weather and in the past few weeks it has warmed up some, and now I drive it every other day. It just started this yesterday and is so annoying!

[j-kid]

Re: My clock is going in and out

Forgot to ask. Was the radio original factory installed or after market shop installed? The radio still plays, during its hiccups?

You also did not answer about the illumination/visibility.


Does it disappear totally?

[Nanook]

Re: My clock is going in and out

Hi again! It goes out completely. I tried to shade it with my hand to see if I can see it but nope! Then I'll notice a little later it's back to visible and that's what is worrisome.

It is a factory unit. and yes, the radio still plays but the clock/channel display is gone and back.

Thanks JKid!

[Xavier]

Re: My clock is going in and out

We had that happen to our Nissan Quest. It radio light and the clock went dark. Someone mentioned that there is a fuse in the radio for this. It was too difficult to get the radio out to get it fixed. We continued with it till we got rid of the vehicle 2 years ago. It was challenging finding anything outside of the pre-set channels we had. We would use the preset as a guide to find a station above or below that channel.

[Nanook]

Re: My clock is going in and out

Yikes Xavier I hadn't even thought of that part of all of this! I was just worried about my clock so I'm not late!

[j-kid]

Re: My clock is going in and out

If anything, they would most likely have designed a separate fuse for the radio illunination, but NOT for the LED alone. The LED function would be protected via a MAIN radio fuse. Since the radio itself is working, obviously that fuse is not blown. If the illumination fuse is blown you should still see the faint out line/image of the LED (clock and station numbers). Since you can't I suspect that the LED is having an intermittent voltage/signal issue on one of the connecting pins on the circuit board, that goes and comes, depending on either temperature, or vibration.

[Nanook]

Re: My clock is going in and out

OK thanks J Kid! I had some electrical problems a couple of years ago so I am a little gun shy there. I've had the car since it was new and it now has close to 200,000 miles on it. I'm looking to replace it soon but not today!

[Nanook]

Re: My clock is going in and out

Well today the light stayed lit all day! And the kicker is, it was only 7F degrees for a high. It sat facing winds with a windchill of -17F all day. Hmmm.

Ya know, I had this fast blinker thing that the left blinker was out. I even looked and it wasn't working. Ok, so I bought a new bulb and when I went to put it in the dang original was working again. It has done this twice for a period of time and come back. The thing is, that was a couple of years ago and it has worked since! <span style="font-size: 8pt"><span style="font-style: italic">oh that's right, it's a Dodge </span>.</span>

Need I say I do not drive this car for long distances away from home? Under 100 miles is the rule till I get me a new car. I have gotten my money's worth out of this car though, as I have only given it minimum maintenance and in in all these 12 years I've had it it's only left me on the side of the road once. It has almost 200,000 miles too!

[j-kid]

Re: My clock is going in and out

You probably have a little corrosion build up on the contacts, or terminal creep.

[Nanook]

Re: My clock is going in and out

I did have somewiring replaced the time it left me on the side of the road for the computer problem and was told there was corrosion on the wiring harness too.

Yes, time to start looking for a new car!