Date:         Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:46:32 -0700
Reply-To:     Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: vanagon digital clock repair
In-Reply-To:  <0a4601cb1fb2$695a0ca0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Yeah...sounds like the button is rubbing on the hole...or pushed in too far and stuck in position, lodged under the bezel somehow, that's why it keeps cycling through the numbers.  Same as setting your microwave clock in the kitchen.  Maybe you pushed the button in too hard and too far, and now its "under" some edge, holding it in the "reset" position.

Removing the instrument cluster is easy, as Scott mentioned, and low risk; most of us have done it many times for one thing or another.  If you're dead-set against that, you might try the "smallest" drop of WD-40 or even 3-in-One oil...a tiny drop on the end of a pin, then the lubricant might "wick" in and free the shaft of the button.  With a little jiggling and poking, too.  Not too much, though, and you may wick it all the way to the PC board, causing intermittent connection; in that case, you'd have to remove the cluster to get in there to clean it and do it the right way.

Rich

 

--- On Fri, 7/9/10, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:

From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: vanagon digital clock repair
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Friday, July 9, 2010, 3:02 PM

Does it respond to pushing the little hours and minutes setting buttons ?

if it does. you may be able to hack around some and get it going right
again.
there is even a way to change it from 12 hour to 24 hour, I have read, but
never tried.

the guy below seems to be talking about getting the buttons to work again.

it's super easy to take out the instrument cluster..
takes 3 minutes max ..
the only tool I use is a long Phillips screw driver ..
it just comes right out of there, real easily.
Not sure if that will help with the digital clock fix..
but real easy to get out.

Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "DW" <dcwilton@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 1:30 PM
Subject: vanagon digital clock repair


>I found an archived article about clock repairs and it seems that the issue
> I have is repairable, but I would like to try the repair without removing
> the entire instrument panel. After attempting to set the digital clock it
> has now adopted a mode which constantly cycles through the hours. For some
> this may be trivial, but for me it is particularly annoying. I have read
> the
> article, but I can't visualize the device and I can't seem to find an
> image
> of the clock itself. I have a '91 Multivan. Has anyone got a decent
> picture
> of the digital clock or some great advice on getting this fixed?
>
> The original post that alluded to this problem is below...
>
> Thanks,
>
> DW
>
> "I finally found the time to check out the problem with the digital clock
> constantly cycling the hours. I took out the dash to get at the clock, one
> of the little target-like plastic pieces that you push against when you
> adjust the clock had fallen down and gotten itself trapped under the
> plunger. (The plunger actually does the electrical work that changes the
> time.) I just re-aligned the little targets, and re-assembled the dash.
> Everything works." Larry Carter