71 220D Dash Clock

[ABBWR]

All,

Ever since I pulled the car out of storage last year the dash clock has not worked on my 71 220D. The fuse is good because it also controls the dome light and that is working fine. I thought I read in another post some time back that there is also a fuse on the back of the clock. I recently pulled the dash and removed the clock but can see no obvious signs of a fuse that can be replaced. Anyone have experience bench testing these clocks or know where it could be be repaired. My last choice (actually my last choice is stare at a clock that is correct twice a day) is to find a replacement.

Thanks...Bill

[Chas H]

Those clocks never worked for long. Get a CD player with a clock.

[Benzcrusher]

The fuse on the clocks looks like a blob of solder on the back of the clock housing. The blob is NOT lead solder but a metal with a much lower melting point, the name escapes me right now, it's the same metal that the trick dissappearing spoons are made of. I think you have the mechanical clock wound by a solinoid, later versions are quartz movements. Keep you eye on ebay for a NOS unit or try a local watchmaker (if you can find one) who is up to the challenge. Also check Hemmings for clock repair. I've got some spare dead clocks if you need parts....

[ABBWR]

Thanks...It is made by Kiezle and I did locate the fuse on the back. It appears to be fully in tact with no signs of damage.

Bill

[Benzcrusher]

Here are some pics:
The one on the left is a solenoid wound clock.
The one on the right is quartz.
All clocks are made by VDO under the name Kienzle

[ABBWR]

Its the one on the left...its not the quartz...there is one from a 71 on ebay with a current bid of $28.00 plus shipping. Not sure what else can be done or the cost of repair. I live in NJ and work in NYC so I'm sure there are folks in the area that could repair it.

Bill

[psfred]

Those clock work by a mechanical clock movement wound every couple of minutes by a weight closing a circuit that energizes a solenoid to pull the weight up. As it moves up, the circuit opens.

check for continuity across the contacts. If none, either the fuse is blown on the clock (the solder can crack, remelting can fix it) or the weight is stuck up. You can gently shake the clock to move the weight -- the clock should then run a minute or so.

The clockworks can become stuck, too -- the one in my 280SE runs somewhat slow and stops altogether in very cold weather. I need to take it apart and clean it.

If the weight is moving, the clock will click every couple minutes as the weight is flicked back up.

Peter

[250 Coupe]

I think there is a spring loaded arm that the "solder fuse" holds. If the solder lets, and it will, the arm will snap away from the contact. The solder will look good but not make contact with anything, stopping the clock.

Michael

[sjefke]

I have had similar problems. My solutions were:

1 - Make sure the contact points are clean. I had one non-working clock and I simply cleaned the contact points with fine sandpaper and it worked fine after that.

2 - Check the infamous solder joint alluded to earlier. I actually had one with a broken joint and I simply removed the solder and strung a piece of solder wire through the two holes, bent it a bit to ensure it would not fall out, and the clock worked fine after that. Of course if the clock shorts out, your clock cicuit will fry instead of the solder, but then again, it saves you from goin to solution 3 for a while.

3 - Get a replacement on Ebay or local junkyard, but many "untested" clocks will have the same problem yours have.

Good luck,

Bert

[Mark DiSilvestro]

The solder fuse is inside the clock case. On the VDO clocks, the plastic back cover of the case comes off to reach the fuse.
However, The spare W114 Keinzle clock I repaired is in a one-piece steel can. To open it and get to the solder fuse, I had to carefully pry off/separate/spread the back of the chrome ring, with a very small, sharp screwdriver blade, to release it from the rim on the clock case - a tricky operation. Then I removed the screws on the back to get the movement out. After I repaired the solder fuse, reinstalled the movement, and placed the chrome ring back in position, I had to work the rear of the ring back into shape with a plastic screwdriver handle to secure it to the rim of the clock-case. Not as perfect as the original factory crimp, but it won't be seen once it's back in the dash. Good luck.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[ABBWR]

I can't hear any movement inside the clock if I try to get the weight to move and the run for a short period of time. I removed the two nuts off of the back but the white plastic case will not come off without disturbing the soldered piece. I don't want to force it off to open it up.

Bill

[Mark DiSilvestro]

Originally Posted by ABBWR

I can't hear any movement inside the clock if I try to get the weight to move and the run for a short period of time. I removed the two nuts off of the back but the white plastic case will not come off without disturbing the soldered piece. I don't want to force it off to open it up.

Bill

The 'soldered piece' holding the white case on is a seal hiding a nut. You'll need to pry or work the seal out of it's cup to get that last nut off.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[meltedpanda]

fix it yourself, I did here goes, these are the instructions I followed and they work well to get things fixed, you need a steady hand

Make note of the condition of the white plastic clock case. Does it have a
blue plastic lock on one of the nuts? If so, then it hasn't been worked on.
Does it have a paper tape over the adjust hole? If so, it probably hasn't
been adjusted.

Break off the seal with small diagonal pliers, then remove the nuts with a
4.5mm nut driver. Pull off the case. The fuse is probably gone. Look for
a tiny blob of metal rolling around. If it's not rolling around, then it
may be jammed in the gearwork somewhere, and it must be found. The fuse is
normally located on one side of the solenoid. One of its electrodes will
have sprung away, and now lies against the phenolic back-plate. You will
see the holes in this and the stationary electrodes where the fuse/rivet was
installed.

Spring the bronze piece back so that the two holes match. While maintaining
tension on this spring, heat the junction with a soldering iron, and
introduce a little bit of tin/lead solder, sticking together the two metal
electrodes and establishing a conducting path.

Clean the soot out of the inside of the case, just to be neat. Use a
relay-contact burnisher on the points, or use a small bit of 600-grit emery
paper. Note that when you put a little force on the flywheel (where half of
the points is) the clock should start smartly and begin running. You can
**** the winder manually with a little flick of the flywheel (clockwise, if
you are looking toward the back of the clock) and watch it run until the
points touch.

Put a tiny, tiny bit of clock-oil in the bearings, front and back, of the
first and second wheels. Don't have any clock oil? Go to a good hobby shop
and get some German N-gauge (MiniTrix) or Z-gauge (Maerklin) model train
oil. It will do in a pinch. Try rocking the wheels to determine the
condition of the bearings. There should be no noticeable play. "First and
second wheels" are the wheel that contacts the winding flywheel (shafted to
the phenolic plate) by way of a pawl and the next wheel in the gear-train.
If the back bearings for these wheels are shot, then the clock will not
start spontaneously nor run freely.

Do not get near this clock with WD-40. WD-40 has its place, but that place
is not on the same bench with a clock.

Connect the clock to a 12-volt supply and observe its running. Set it. Let
it run overnight. Note the time, and adjust as appropriate. Adjustment is
a gradual, subtle procedure, and should never be rushed. Don't expect too
much accuracy from such a simple movement.

[ABBWR]

Ron,

The clock is as you described. It has never been opened or adjusted. I opened it up and it looked just like you said. My hands are not steady enough to do the soldering work so I am going to farm that out to a local clock repair shop by I certainly have limited what he needs to do. The rest of the mechanism is working fine when I reset the works manually. I will get the soldering and oiling done and follow the slow adjustment process before reinstalling it.

Thanks for the help...by the way...she goes in for the minor body work and full paint on Saturday.

Bill

[meltedpanda]

Great an dgood luck , I am looking forward to the pictures!