Center console clocks Options

[DC_neun_vierzehn]

@fiacra

Good tip on that probe kit. I will give that a shot before cracking open the plastic plug.

Just shot you a PM re: your kind offer on the NFG clock.

You don't have to break the original plastic plug. Take a very small screwdriver (I use my wife's eye glass repair kit screwdriver, so don't tell on me) Insert the screwdriver into the plastic housing from the connecting end of the housing and you can push the little catch tab on the connectors down and gently pull the wire and terminal out of the plastic housing. I couldn't find one of my male terminals, but the process is the same. Those housings are very difficult to come by these days, so removing them results in no housing availble to replace the ones you cut off.

Ahha! So that's how the connector looks inside the plastic housing. I will give that a try this aftenroon.

[DC_neun_vierzehn]

I'm really tempted to crack this thing open (since it's hard to get the multi-meter probes in there) to ensure there's power at the plug

Is there another option for testing for power on this wire other than destroying the OG plastic plug?

I removed the entire console and pulled up the carpet ... I didn't see any patching, nicks, or burns on the black wire before it disappeared into the tunnel.

Thoughts?

If I recall your car is a '73. If that is correct:

The power leading to that connector starts at Fuse 11. From fuse 11 it goes to your interior light on a black and red wire. From your interior light, it goes to that connector on a black wire. So if your interior light is working, I would guess that there is a break in that black wire somewhere between the interior light and the connector for the console.
If your interior light is not working, then the issue will be somewhere between your interior light and Fuse 11.

Thank you! Interior light works. So this afternoon I will pull out the light from the backpad and inspect/text the wire going to the console from the light.

[914rrr]

Q: if the clock mechanism is still working, would the current draw from it be enough of a parasitic draw to bring a new battery down to 12-ish volts after sitting for a month, or do I have another parasitic draw elsewhere?

[chmillman]

I measured this way back when I had a similar issue and IIRC my clock pulled about 0.08amps. Unfortunately I can't find the data anymore. Maybe I'm mistaken, so perhaps someone wants to measure theirs.

0.08 amps seems small, but if it's running 24/7, that makes around 2AH per day, over 30 days ~60AH capacity of your battery would be gone. If you have a 450AH battery, that's about 13% of its charge capacity.

[Puebloswatcop]

Q: if the clock mechanism is still working, would the current draw from it be enough of a parasitic draw to bring a new battery down to 12-ish volts after sitting for a month, or do I have another parasitic draw elsewhere?

Theoretically, I guess its possible after a month that the clock could draw it down that much over a months time. I can't say for sure, because I always keep my vehicles on a trickle charger. If you look at the math that chmillman posted, then the current draw would be about right in taking it down to about 12 volts. It makes perfect sense.