Here's a digital clock out of a 1983 f250. I decided to try to check it out to see if it works. I did not have the truck side connector so I decided to take it apart to bench test its functionality.




The clock works is all one piece encased in a steel case. The works is held into place by tabs, one of which I have in the grasp of my needle nose pliers below. Bend each tab just enough so that the clock face may be released from the steel case.



Here you can see 3 of the several tabs bend far enough to release the clock face.



After the clock face is loose you will have to free the electrical connection on the back of the unit by bending the center of the frame surrounding the connection in order to free it from the frame.



pry the clock works from the frame



free the electrical connection from the frame



with the clock works out of the frame remove the wire connectors by prying up on the locking device inside the connector while pulling the wire out. I did this with all 4 pins so that I could more easily jumper the wires and bench test functionality.









Heres how the wiring goes on this thing:

Black = ground
White = 12v when key is on
Green = 12v all the time
Brown = dimmer circuit

I then grounded the clock, applied 12v to white wire, nothing, applied 12v to green wire, nothing, applied 12v to brown wire, nothing.

Deeming the clock fried, I put it in my big box of failed experiments, so much for that!

 

Must have 12v on green and white at same time to light up....

And I don't see a brown wire...

 

After i put it all back together i wondered about putting power on both wire..ill try that..

 

Youre right on both counts..I hooked both the green and white up and the thing lite right up. And there is no brown wire it is blue.

 

in this pic you can see the labels on the female (clock side, male connector pins) pigtail. Left to right:

W=white
BK=black
GR=green
BL=blue

 

Bonus pics:

 

It lit up, but does it work?

 

That is yet to be seen..stay tuned.

 

Another forum member, can't remember his name, and quite some time ago (years) posted an excellent description of these clocks, including the suggestion that the most common problem was that if the clock lights up, but the buttons appear ineffectual, that slipping a small strip of folded-over fine grit sand paper between the strip/bar piece and the contact underneath it on the PC board for a good cleaning was usually all that was needed to get it working again. It worked like a charm on mine!

 

I'm gonna guess that was 81-F-150-Explorer... he's really good with stuff in this area and has tons o' factory books to back him up but has seemingly disappeared from FTE, haven't seen him for ~1 year now.

Might use the Advanced Search thing to find posts with specific terms in them authored by him.

 

Here's a link to a long thread on clocks, it may be the one your talking about https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...tal-clock.html