Here's a nice little guide to do on a rainy afternoon.
In this guide we show you how to change the illumination colour in the Dash Time Clock.
Tools Needed:
Soldering iron and stand,
Solder,
Helping hand or crocodile clips.
Small flat bladed screwdrivers
Heatshirink
Male Computer Power Connector (Maplin.co.uk code: JW64U)
470ohm resistors (Maplin.co.uk code: M470R)
Blue 3mm 5Volt LED's (Maplin.co.uk code: N31BY)
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Do you like blue?
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Bit of Blue
Goooo Onnnn!
Applies to:
Mk3 and Mk3.5 Digital Dash Clock
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MK3 Clock
First off remove the Clock from your car, this is done by inserting a small
bladed screwdriver between the clock and dash and pop the clock forward.
Disconnect the multiplug and wires from the rear and take the clock to your workstation.
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Remove the orange bulb holder by twisting it free from the clock.
Now to give the bulb some colour.
In the picture shown below the original bulb is on the left and the new LED is on the right.
To create this new LED, the old bulb must be removed from the holder,
this is done by depressing the little latches on the sides of the holder and
forcing the bulb upwards and free of the holder.
Notice that the bulb is attached to the metal plates, you must now copy this with the LED's Legs.
Cut the positive leg of the LED as short as you can but leaving enough to solder to.
Again cut the resistor wire as short as you can and Solder the resistor to the positive leg of the LED.
Bend the leg of the resistor round under the metal plate and solder inplace.
Bend the negative leg of the LED under the other metal plate and solder inplace.
Carfully push the LED, Resistor and plates into the orange holder making sure that the legs don't touch
Push it home till it clicks. Job Done, Now onto the clocks themselves.
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Using a small screwdriver push the blade down the notches on the sides of the clock
between the black and white sections and pull them apart.
You will now notice the printed circuit board.
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Disconnect the bulb holder circuit from the bulb holder by pressing the two
white plastic clips togetherand lifting the board
Prise out the main Circuit board using the screwdriver again taking care not to damage it.
Place this to one side for saftey.
With the PCB off you can now see the buttons and the LCD digital screen with a white filter on it.
Remove the filter and you will notice it is blue on the other side,
which becomes green when an orange light bulb is shined at it.
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At this point you can either cut a new filter out of blue or whatever colour
cell you want or you can leave it out. its up to you. There wont be much differance in it.
Put the new filter onto the LCD and re-asemble the clock,
making sure that the rubber buttons are seated correctly.
you may notice the white gunk in the clock on the picture below,
that is there to hold a LED for an alarm or what ever you want.
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As previously mentioned there was a LED added to the MK3 clock for the alarm.
This was done by drilling a smaller diameter hole than the end of the LED.
Then a larger drill bit was used to countersink the led enough so the tip was just proud of the surface,
this proudness allowed the LED to be filed to the contours of the clock, making it look factory.
The wires were then led out of the clock via a hole created in the side.
Put the new LED in the clock and connect it up, turn the key and the clock should light up,
if it doesn't, dont worry, take the orange LED holder out and turn
it around 180 degrees and it should light up now.
Turn the key to the off position and just put the side lights on and again it will light up.
As shown below, Looks nice i think
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MK3.5 Clock
The Mk3.5 Clock looks vary simalar to the MK3 version,
but the give away is the addition of a red LED between the buttons
for the factory fitted alarm and airbag testing circuit.
Remove the clock from the car as described above but taking note that the
multiplug will not just pop off, you will need to depress a little latch first.
take the clock to your workstation and remove the bulb as described above.
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The picture below shows what happens when you shine a blue LED into the clock with the filter intact.
Not very good really.
So you must remove the filter.
Remove the bulb and open the clock as described above and remove the circuit board.
at this point you may notice that the white filter enclosure is clipped to the clock case.
Also that the LCD screen is attached to the white case.
Prise out this case by depressing the tabs on the side and top of the case, and remove the filter from the LCD.
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Re-asemble the clock minus the filter. Insert the new LED and now you cant test
the clock in a MK3 Fiesta as the wires are different, fear not as this is how you do it.
Take the wires and use the pins out of a male computer power plug(Hard drive)
to make the new pins to connect to the MK3 Wiring
Crimp these to the wires and insulate them with Heatshrink and squash the plug slightly to make it fit into the MK3 plug.
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Match up the wires from the old MK3 wiring to the new adapter.
If you have a gap left like in the picture between the heatshrink and plug,
simply add more Heatshrink to cover the exposed metal.
Alternativly you can cut off the MK3 plug and solder and insulate the new one direct to the cables there.
Now you will notice that one wire is left over, a thin brown one.
the alarm light. I'll show you in a later guide how to wire this up to an aftermarket alarm.
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Pin Outs
Shown below are the pin outs with wire colours and identification for the clocks.
The Mk3 clock has a four pin connector. this is same for the later mk3 as well,
The Mk3.5 clock has a six pin plug with only 5 wires
If you hold the clock the correct way up so the buttons are on the bottom, but turn it around, so you can see the back , look at the pins and they are as follows
| Mk3 Clock |
| Pins |
Wire Colour |
Location |
Wire Identification |
| 30 |
Red |
Bottom Single Pin |
Perminant Live |
| 58 |
Grey/Yellow |
Top Pin |
Illumination |
| 31 |
Brown |
2nd Pin Down |
Earth |
| 54 |
Black/Brown |
3rd Pin Down |
Switched Live |
| Mk3.5 Clock |
| Pins |
Wire Colour |
Location |
Wire Identification |
| 1 |
Black/Brown |
Bottom Left |
Switched Live |
| 2 |
Grey/Yellow |
Bottom Middle |
Illumination |
| 3 |
Thick Brown |
Bottom Righ |
Earth |
| 4 |
Thin Brown |
Top Left |
Alarm LED Earth |
| 5 |
Not Used |
| 6 |
Red |
Top Right |
Perminant Live |
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Put the new LED in the clock and connect it up, turn the key and the clock should light up,
if it doesn't, dont worry, take the orange LED holder out and turn
it around 180 degrees and it should light up now.
Turn the key to the off position and just put the side lights on and again it will light up.
As shown below
Personally i think the MK3.5 clock is slightly brighter than the MK3 version,
but that might have something to do with the plastic filter that i put in.
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Early MK3 Clock
I here you cry, my clock is different to the ones pictured!
Well thats true as the very early MK3 clock's have a flexible bulb circuit.(see below)
They also have a black LCD with green Digits where as the later dariants have a clear LCD with black digits.
Up till now i have been unsuccessful in changing the colour of this clock as it apears that the glass is green.
Left: Late MK3 Clocks
Middle:Early MK3 Clock Back
Right:Early MK3 Front and LCD
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That's the end of this little guide, simple yet effective and can be any colour you want.
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Hope this guide is of some help.
Guide Written and © On 20 June 2005 by Andrew Whiteman (AW3K)
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