Clock on a 79
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Admitted 'rexaholic'
Joined: May 2002
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From: Seymour, TN
Clock on a 79
The analog clock has never worked on my 79. If I clip a 12v battery to it, seems to work.
I can’t find anything in my Haynes manual on it. Anyone had success in their clock? Looks too easy just to put 12v/ ground on it.
I can’t find anything in my Haynes manual on it. Anyone had success in their clock? Looks too easy just to put 12v/ ground on it.
Note it runs thru a RELAY mounted right on the cluster rear. Sometimes it is just the relay that needs to be replaced.
BUT-
fellow SA owner pulled his 'dead' '79 clock, removed from the cluster pack, hosed it down the clockwork with WD-40 to remove decades of old lube, and it works like new!
Stu A
80GS
AZ
BUT-
fellow SA owner pulled his 'dead' '79 clock, removed from the cluster pack, hosed it down the clockwork with WD-40 to remove decades of old lube, and it works like new!
Stu A
80GS
AZ
Thread Starter
Admitted 'rexaholic'
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,235
Likes: 19
From: Seymour, TN
Note it runs thru a RELAY mounted right on the cluster rear. Sometimes it is just the relay that needs to be replaced.
BUT-
fellow SA owner pulled his 'dead' '79 clock, removed from the cluster pack, hosed it down the clockwork with WD-40 to remove decades of old lube, and it works like new!
Stu A
80GS
AZ
BUT-
fellow SA owner pulled his 'dead' '79 clock, removed from the cluster pack, hosed it down the clockwork with WD-40 to remove decades of old lube, and it works like new!
Stu A
80GS
AZ
Is there a replacement relay? Or think it’s ok to just bypass it?
Last edited by mwpayne; Jul 6, 2021 at 11:27 AM.
No relay avai from Mazda. Only way would to be to buy one from someone on the Forum, or buy a complete Cluster off, say, ebay.
Listed now, prob $50-100 for a complete one. And hope that relay is viable...
As to running w/o, that is beyond my electrical know-how
Stu A
80GS
AZ
Listed now, prob $50-100 for a complete one. And hope that relay is viable...
As to running w/o, that is beyond my electrical know-how
Stu A
80GS
AZ
Old [Sch|F]ool
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 12,856
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From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
A generic relay could probably be made to work.
Not certain about the Mazda clocks, but American cars with analog clocks generally did not power the clock with an electric motor, they were a regular spring-powered clock, and when the spring wound down, a switch would contact and cause a motor to rewind the spring. This way the clock speed was irrelevant to whatever the battery voltage was and it wasn't a constant battery drain.
I haven't torn into a Mazda clock to see how they work, but that might be what the relay is for.
Not certain about the Mazda clocks, but American cars with analog clocks generally did not power the clock with an electric motor, they were a regular spring-powered clock, and when the spring wound down, a switch would contact and cause a motor to rewind the spring. This way the clock speed was irrelevant to whatever the battery voltage was and it wasn't a constant battery drain.
I haven't torn into a Mazda clock to see how they work, but that might be what the relay is for.
Thread Starter
Admitted 'rexaholic'
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,235
Likes: 19
From: Seymour, TN
A generic relay could probably be made to work.
Not certain about the Mazda clocks, but American cars with analog clocks generally did not power the clock with an electric motor, they were a regular spring-powered clock, and when the spring wound down, a switch would contact and cause a motor to rewind the spring. This way the clock speed was irrelevant to whatever the battery voltage was and it wasn't a constant battery drain.
I haven't torn into a Mazda clock to see how they work, but that might be what the relay is for.
Not certain about the Mazda clocks, but American cars with analog clocks generally did not power the clock with an electric motor, they were a regular spring-powered clock, and when the spring wound down, a switch would contact and cause a motor to rewind the spring. This way the clock speed was irrelevant to whatever the battery voltage was and it wasn't a constant battery drain.
I haven't torn into a Mazda clock to see how they work, but that might be what the relay is for.
Good experiment while I have cluster out. I’ll hook up a battery for 24 hours and see what happens.
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@mwpayne I dabble in electronics and am down the road from you if you want any help with soldering in a new relay. I would probably recommend against bypassing the relay if it's purpose is to engage a spring winder. Constant power could keep trying to wind a spring that doesn't need winding. I'm pretty ignorant of it's workings though.
Thread Starter
Admitted 'rexaholic'
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,235
Likes: 19
From: Seymour, TN
@mwpayne I dabble in electronics and am down the road from you if you want any help with soldering in a new relay. I would probably recommend against bypassing the relay if it's purpose is to engage a spring winder. Constant power could keep trying to wind a spring that doesn't need winding. I'm pretty ignorant of it's workings though.
You’d think there would be some old school equivalency that someone came up with. Least of my issues though, getting car running is primary goal.
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