O'clock / VDO

[Kenneth]

Two questions. My car is a E30 316 (1756cc) 4-speed Salon M10-engine. It does not have an injection system. The car has a carburettor.

I don't have the common clock in my car as you can see in the picture further down (a yellow arrow is pointing at it). The problem with the clock is that it slows down a few hours per every six hour. My idea was that the SI-bord batteries are about to be power empty. But not quite since the inspection lights function normal. But my other ideas was that the clock can't run on those small batteries... so it runs on the car battery. I allso have a small drainage problem with the car... (the car is a -83 and I think that is a heck of a long time for the clock to run on those small SI-bord batteries).

My other question is about the VDO. As you can se on the picture below marked with a red arrow and circle. I have heard this is the check light. And that it lights up if there is a problem and I have to look on the
Control-check panel (head-panel) to get a diagnosis. My car have not got or was not factory-made or delivered with this panel. Do this light still function for me if I get a problem? Is this all there is to this light?




Kenneth

[Andy_magic]

Hello Mate,

The VDO is actually the maker of the clock set. But I think if you don't have a head up display then you wont have the 'check' feature.

The clock itself will only draw a small amount of power, just like a kitchen clock will run for a year on one AA battery. I could be wrong.

It looks like an ideal time to upgrade to an instrument cluster with a rev counter and put a clock in the dash.

If you go this route make sure the rev counter comes from a 4 cylinder car though, there may also be an issue with coding plugs, you would need to search for this as I know nothing about them.

[Kenneth]

Hi... thanks! Could I just use this cluster and just change the rev counter? I would realy like to keep the trip-counter. Do you know if the SI-bord is easy accessable when changing the rev-counter... might swap out the batteries when allready in there messing around...

[Brianmoooore]

The only place you're going to find a rev counter is in a cluster off a scrapper, so you may as well fit the whole thing. Change the speedo over if you want to keep the mileage reading.
SI board is held in by a plastic clip fitted by one screw when you have the cluster open.
Trip counter? That's on the speedo, and all speedo's have one.
What do you have on the dash, where most of us have the clock or OBC?

[Kenneth]

There is nothing... As the matter a fact everything is centered pritty cool.. I'm not shure I wan't to but in a clock or an OBC there. I'll post a picture tomorrow when I have been in the garage where my car is.. I just came in the door.. been on a long easter holliday

[cros]

Non-tacho cars have a special radio/heater panel in which the radio is centered. You'll have to swap this if you want a normal E30 clock on the dash.

An early VDO cluster will probably have the coding plug in the back rather than the front etc.