The series 1 Coupe's electro-mechanical interior clock, present in all but the HF-versions where the oil-temperature gauge takes its place, sadly sits idle in many cars. The possible reasons for its non- or malfunctioning are:

1. Deterioration of the electrical slide-contact plug at the back of the unit. Easy to fix without de-mounting the unit; use a clean spark-plug brush made of copper wire and/or clear alcohol, clean and re-fit the plug. Lucky you if that fixes the problem!
2. Gradual loosening of the tiny, black screws that can be seen at the 9 and 3 positions on the dial. Loosening of these screws, in their turn, loosens the dial and the plastic wheel in the movement that's responsible for re-setting the time. These black screws hold the dial and movement together. This problem is obvious when re-setting of the clock by its crown, that sticks out from the dashboard, has become -all but- impossible.
3. Deterioration of the electrical contact between the movement's steel contact-strip and the copper contact-point that's at the end of the fitting where the aforementioned plug fits in. This fitting sticks out of the outer, brass, movement-housing.
4. Bent hands that interfere with each other, probably due to 2).
5. Serious wear of the balance-shaft and/or other wheel-pivots. Difficult to ascertain but not too likely to be the problem.

As most seemingly small problems on our dear Fulvias have a tendency to, once tackled, grow to huger-than-expected proportions; expect to be unlucky and encounter a combination of 2), 3) and/or 4).
PLEASE NOTE: Do not attempt the described procedure if you're in serious doubt of bringing it to a happy end! I'm not responsible for you wrecking your irreplaceable clock. At all times, make sure you have oversight of what you're doing. I also cannot guarantee that you won't encounter problems that I haven't encountered myself. If I made you hesitate too much, just take the unit to a specialist.

First of all, disconnect the battery, ruling out short-circuiting. Remove the wooden fascia from the dashboard (you'll find that it's veneered plastic!) by manually unscrewing the small manually turned screw behind it, that can be reached from the glove-compartment; and unscrewing the dashboard-light intensity/daytrip-reset screws. Pull the fascia gently towards you from the top onwards. Remove the radio-coverplate if it's still there in your car. Loosen the middle section containing the tumble-switches. A bit trial-and-error here, so proceed with caution. Remove the plugs of both the clock's lightbulb and the power-supply, and remove the middle screw of the re-setting crown using a preferably high-quality watchmaker's screwdriver. Careful: It's spring-loaded, small bits and pieces can jump all over the place. Remove the brass manually turned screws and studs that keep the clock fixed to the back-plate of the dashboard. You can do this more or less "blind" but don't drop them! If all has gone well, you can -perhaps still with some effort- remove the entire clock-unit towards you. At all times, be careful not to lose sight which screws and fitting-rings belong where, as there's a lot of them turning up during the process.

As you hold the unit in your hand, you'll see why it's so difficult to get the actual movement out: The movement and dial are attached to a brass ring, surrounding the dial, which is machine-fitted over the outer casing; and can only be loosened using the sharpest, nastiest pliers you can come up with. The ring needs to be "un-bent" at least halfway, so the whole thing can be forced apart. You cannot possibly do this and retaining the visual integrity of the ring, which is the bad part. The good part is that once re-fitted, none of this will be visible. This operation is the tricky bit and you're on your own here, but so was I!

With the actual clock removed from its casing, remove the brass screws at the back of the movement that keep the translucent dustcover in place. Don't mistake the fine-tuning screw for one of them! Remove the cover. Then, check if the black screws on the dial are still tight. If not, the white plastic wheel directly behind the dial may be offset or loose. Gently direct it back into the right spot, using your "watchmakers' eye". Tighten the black dial-screws. Check if all is well by pulling the resetting-shaft and turning it. The hands should turn easily now. Check the alignment and straightness of the hands and when needed, VERY carefully adjust them. Also check if they're not rubbing eachother while turning them. Clean the steel and brass electrical contact-points - you'll notice them. Gently bend the steel contact-strip upwards a bit, to improve contact-pressure when the unit's closed again. Apply a bit of WD40 -that you sprayed into its red cap, applied using a very fine modeller's brush- on the most relevant movement-wheel pivots. Better still, use watchmaker's oil!

Re-fit the plastic dustcover and the plug at the back. Fit the lightbulb, too; just to avoid accidental short-circuiting. "Test-drive" the unit by re-activating the battery. If it doesn't run instantly, shake it gently; thus giving the movement's balance a bit of a jump-start after being dormant for so long. Re-setting the time a few times may also help. If it runs for more than - say - 10 minutes, you've probably won the battle and can put everything back into place. Re-fitting the now partly bent brass ring is the hardest part; remember, it doesn't need to look good, but it must fit reasonably tight.

My clock still runs fine, with a deviation of about minus one or two minutes a day. I consider that good enough unless you really want to have a go at that fine-tuning screw! I know I will at some day...

Best of luck,

March 2004