Cigarette Lighter & Clock
I'm having trouble getting my cigarette lighter and clock to work. I have 12 volts to both the lighter and the clock but neither one work. I figure it is in the ground someplace but can't locate my problem. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I've traced my wiring and can't see a problem, I know I'm over looking something. The clock has been restored with D & M and the element is new in the cigarette lighter. These are in a 1961 corvette.
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
David:
Where are you measuring the 12 volts against ground?
Do your other instruments work? Does the clock light work?
If I'm reading the wiring diagram right the instrument panel itself is a ground. -
Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
If you look on page 155 and 156 of the AIM for the '61, it will show a ground wire to the heater name plate that holds the clock. There is also a ground wire to the instrument panel by the speedometer. If your problem is ground, I would check these connections. That is why I asked if your other instruments were working. Otherwise you may have a defective lighter element or the clock was not restored properly. I have had D & M restore two speedometers and I know they do good work.Comment
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
Art all my other instruments are working. I was putting the negative probe against the steering column when checking the power to the lighter and to a support brace along the passenger side of the car for the clock. All my dash lights are working but no clock light. I have checked the two ground wires you mentioned and they are tight. I don't know if I'm grounding out the two things I'm having trouble with or not getting a good ground or if there is something else working against me. I know it has to be something simple I'm overlooking. Thanks for the suggestions.Comment
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
David,
Put an Ohmmeter between a known good ground and a suspect ground. You should see less than an Ohm or two. If you don't, try a temporary jumper from a good ground to the now known bad ground.
JoeComment
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
David, I recommend you perform a ohm meter continuity check between battery ground/engine ground to your instrument cluster housing, the lighter housing(front of cluster) mounted in the instrument panel, and to the chromed heater control/clock bezel, then to the clock case itself. The clock gets it's ground via the round spring housing ring washer and the clock's locking tabs when it's installed.
Also ensure your Main Ground, the #12 G Black/White stripe wire is properly attached to the engine left rear inner valve cover. This then feeds the cluster ground, the clock bezel ground, the fuel tank sender ground, and the rear light harness ground.
This will help you isolate your faults.
If no ground to the lighter housing, it may be due to the outer receptacle housing not "scraping" the cluster metal. Often times painted clusters prevent the metal of the housing to capture a good ground. If so, remove some of the paint and reattach. If all is good, check for 12v at the internal contact of the housing, just be careful you don't short it out with the probe as there is no fused circuit there. The source of the lighet 12v is directly from the output of the ammeter via a separate Red wire in the harness.
For the clock, if your ground is good in the above testing, then trace the 12v power lead back to the ammeter output. You may have to isolate if there is a open circuit. Disconnect battery power. Connect your ohm meter between the Red wire lugs of your ammeter to the clock Red wire connector. It should be a closed circuit.
Remember there are no fuses for the lighter and the clock, so use caution when testing with power connected. Here's a diagram of the basic circuits showing some of the paths and ground points.
Rich
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
Richard you was right on with the cigarette lighter I wasn't getting a good ground through the painted surface. I sanded the paint off and it works fine, I also connected a 20 amp inline fuse to the back of it as a safety measure. I checked my clock wire to the red wire on the back of the amp meter, I have continuity between the clock wire and red post of the amp meter. I have a good ground to the face plate of the heater/clock surround. You mentioned I might have to isolate this wire, how do I go about doing this? Thanks for all your help, electricity isn't my strong suit.Comment
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
Rich I called D & M Restoration and the guy told me to pull the stem out five or six times and reset the clock a few times. He said if that didn't work you could take the bulb out and stick your finger in the hole and feel the winding spring and you could move it back and forth to get it started. I did that and the clock is running fine. He said if they sit for a long time he oil sets up a little and it is hard to get them started. Thanks again for all your help.Comment
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Re: Cigarette Lighter & Clock
David,
Glad you got everything working. Yes the original clocks sometime need a kick-start from sitting too long. You gotta love that tick-tock sound though.
I repaired my '59 original clock 29 years ago when I got the car. I leave it unplugged when not on a long journey though, and when it's time to go far, I give it a tap and it usually runs fine after that.
RichComment
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