Topic: Clock draining battery
in Forum: C3 Electrical
The clock shouldn't draw enough on its own to discharge the battery so quickly. There has to be a bad ground or switch left on you don't know about.
Sounds like you're going to be taking fuses out one at a time to isolate the circuit creating the problem. Do a search here on the website...it's been discussed before how to go about it.

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The clock is one of the few things in the car that have 12v all the time. The horn relay, amp gauge(alt), and the headlights are others, as well as the anti-theft alarm. Check your ciggy-butt lighter for pennies/dimes, too!
If the alarm system has 12v at the relay, but it doesn't work, you have a ground problem with the three switches(hood, both doors), or the relay is not getting 12v power feed from the batt. The 12v from the key-switch only energizes the relay, then the pin-switches on the doors/hood make a ground for the system.
The clock will drain the batt over a few days, that's why I have a batt. quick dis-connect on the '74. I would have the clock re-done/repaired, and then check the amp draw on it when it is installed. It shouldn't take that much juice to work the clock...
Joel Adams
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The clock does not draw power all the time . Only for a split second every 8 seconds or so (not sure could be longer) & the current it draws is so low & fast it would be hard to measure. So somethings wrong with the clock. The inside of the clock is like a windup spring. It energizes winds the spring very fast & until the spring winds down no current should be flowing. So check it on a bench if it draws current constantly something is wrong. The points in the clock could be fused. The clock should never draw a batterty down unless the car has been sitting fo a long trtime.
Thanks, Alan. Certainly would be interested in having their name etc. I guess a lot of people would just leave it unhooked and fugettabodit, but I've already invested time and double money for two different movements and still don't have a clock I can use. I can and have done most of the resto on my car myself, but auto electrical is not one of my strong points.