Digital clock

PSYCHMAJOR

MEMBER
1989 OLDSMOBILE DELTA 88
165,000 MILES

The digital clock remains on when the ignition is shut off. I do not know if this is the way it is supposed to operate. Something has been draining the battery, and I am wondering if this is the cause. I have already replaced the battery, since it did not seem to want to hold a charge, not being sure if the digital clock is the problem. However, the new battery also drains, so I am starting to suspect that the clock is the problem. I have recharged the new battery and disconnected the cables until I can determine the source of the problem. Prior to disconnecting the battery cables, I did pull the fuse for the radio, but it had no effect on the digital clock. I do not know enough about the radio to know if that ought to have made any difference. My Haynes repair manuals do not give me any info on the digital clock. I hope you can answer this for me. I need to know if replacing the radio will solve the problem. Thank you.

4 Replies

CJ MEDEVAC

MECHANIC
11,004 POSTS

SEE IF THIS LINK AIDS YOU.....KEEPS ME FROM HUNTING AND PECKING SO MUCH

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/1989-ford-tempo-98-tempo-bran-new-battery-shut-car-off-didn-t-days-now

RETURN TO THIS POST AND LEMME KNOW WHAT YOU FIND

IF YOU ISOLATE IT TO A CERTAIN CIRCUIT AND WANNA KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE ON IT, RETURN WITH THE EXACT YEAR NOMENCLATURE AND ENGINE SIZE OF YOUR RIG (ANYTHING SPECIAL, LIKE DAYLIGHT RUNNING LIGHTS)

I CAN GET WIRE DIAGRAMS FROM "MITCHELL I"----I CAN'T GET 'EM ALL FOR YOU, AS THERE MAY BE OVER A HUNDRED.....GIVE ME A SPECIFIC AREA, TO LOOK FOR.....YOUR OWNER'S MANUAL AND FUSE BOX LIDS MAY HELP IDENTIFY THE CIRCUIT

HERE TO AID YOU

KEEP ME POSTED

THE MEDIC

Images (Click to make bigger)

SPONSORED LINKS

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

Thursday, May 30th, 2013 AT 5:52 PM

PSYCHMAJOR

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi. It would really help if you could just answer this question. My brother seems to think the answer is no. But I would rather have mechanic answer this question. I thought it stayed on all the time, but I honestly do not remember, since I have not been driving it for several months--it will be getting repaired shortly. But first I really need to know if I need to replace my car radio. Thank you.

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

Thursday, May 30th, 2013 AT 6:09 PM

ASEMASTER6371

MECHANIC
52,797 POSTS

Hi, my name is Roy. If you disconnected the radio fuse and the battery kept on dying, it is not the radio.

As far as the clock, yes, it stays on all the time. It draws such a small current that it will take about 2 weeks to kill the battery

Roy

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

Thursday, May 30th, 2013 AT 7:02 PM

PSYCHMAJOR

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Hi, Roy. When I removed the fuse for the radio, the digital clock continued to work. Is it on a different circuit than the radio? Also, can this car develop a problem where it starts to drain the battery when it has been sitting and not being driven for several months? As I indicated in my first question, I replaced the battery that was in my car, since it was under warranty, and, as I also indicated, the new battery was also drained of power. When I first discovered that the old battery was dead, I had had something in the car that was pushing against the Set button on the clock for several weeks, and did not notice it. My brother thought this may have caused a problem. However, I can still set the time on the digital clock, so I am doubting that there is a short. If there is something else in the system that is causing the drain, how does one find out, since this is occurring when the car is not being driven, and has not been since last July, and the only thing that stays on is the digital clock? I am not sure when the problem with the battery draining started, but I'm pretty sure it was sometime during the winter months. This car is garaged, and the garage is part of my open basement, and we live in the South, in Arkansas, so it was not exposed to extremely hot or cold weather while sitting outdoors. What puzzles me the most is what sort of problem would develop when I have not been driving the car. My battery charger acted very strangely the first time it was connected to the old battery when I found out it was dead, and it took it a little while to indicate that it was charging. With the new battery, I have had no problems other than, of course, the fact that it discharged. Is there a way to determine the source of the drain? And does it need to be something that is actively working?

I will have a further question for you, but it is on an entirely different subject, although about the same car.

Was this

answer

helpful?

Yes

No

Thursday, May 30th, 2013 AT 11:23 PM