BP/BL clock unit weird message

[BP5Nut]

Hi guys,

Anyone ever seen this message on the clock unit before? Mine occasionally flashes this message after startup for a few seconds, then it goes away and the clock works normally. Also occasionally flashes "ERR".

I've had a look at as much documentation around the clock unit as I can find, but can't any mention of a '9n message.

[Andy_Mac]

Sure its not 'ign'?

[Andy_Mac]

Searching for ign clock error is pretty vague but voltage issues seems to be the common answer people are geliven when asking. How olds the battery

[JGM]

I don't believe this is a message, I suspect this is saying 190kms (till next fill) however parts of the numbers are missing. I attempted to repair my clock due to a fairly common issue which worked for a while, when it doesn't work a good whack seems to sort it!

[Andy_Mac]

In reality what are the chances that he is so commonly sitting at 190km and that it only stays up for a few seconds.

It certainly is a rare error but it definately is documented a few times elsewhere on the net.

Considering how common it is these clocks fail it is still probable that there is a cracked solder joint somewhere in it.

http://www.justanswer.com/subaru/3wmpv-2008-subaru-legacy-fuse-controls-temperature-reading.html

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/means-ign-trouble-code-dashboard-display-105310.html

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/73722-error-code.html#/forumsite/20514/topics/73722

Post 25 http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/69-audio-video-security-navigation/51567-security-light-permanently.html#/forumsite/20514/topics/51567?postid=510822

Looks like it is an open circuit somewhere in the ingition power circuit from reading all that

Edited May 7, 2015 by Andy_Mac

[BP5Nut]

Haha you know I never thought of it as ign not '9n. That makes much more sense. No idea how old the battery is; had the car for about 3 years and haven't replaced it. Never had any issues with it, still starts fine even if I leave the interior lights on for a day or two.

Pretty sure its not a faulty display of 190km to go; I have it on that display quite frequently and it works properly.

I am a little concerned though about an 'open ignition circuit' error - what might cause that? Never had any issues starting, and no codes are currently logged.

Might go hunting for a weak solder over the weekend if I get some time, as that also sounds possible.

[Nith]

 BP5Nut said:

Haha you know I never thought of it as ign not '9n. That makes much more sense. No idea how old the battery is; had the car for about 3 years and haven't replaced it. Never had any issues with it, still starts fine even if I leave the interior lights on for a day or two.

Pretty sure its not a faulty display of 190km to go; I have it on that display quite frequently and it works properly.

I am a little concerned though about an 'open ignition circuit' error - what might cause that? Never had any issues starting, and no codes are currently logged.

Might go hunting for a weak solder over the weekend if I get some time, as that also sounds possible.

Good look with the soldering. I have had a crack at it previously, replaced resistors and caps. Long story short, it's ****ed.

What your seeing isn't a error message, it's simply the LCD display not being given the correct signals from the PCB.

Try spraying the crap out of it with a contact cleaner before you start destroying it with a soldering iron.

Edited May 10, 2015 by Nith

[Joker]

I have read [warning dolphinism] that baking pcb boards in the oven can 'reset' all the solder on a board without damaging components

obviously any plastic readouts/screens need to be removed

thoughts?

[kamineko]

lol yes Jared that's a last resort trick used for surface mount and BGA reflow when you don't have the right gear and don't ever want to use your oven again to cook.. don't bother

if you don't care about it, have a go with the soldering iron but chances are low if you're new to electronic repair. if you do care, find someone competent to have a look

or spend the soldering iron money at pickapart? edit- oh BP5

Edited May 11, 2015 by kamineko

[Nith]

 Joker said:

I have read [warning dolphinism] that baking pcb boards in the oven can 'reset' all the solder on a board without damaging components

obviously any plastic readouts/screens need to be removed

thoughts?

Give this a shot, stick it in the freezer for 15min. If it's back to normal for a short time, you have buggered resistors and capacitors

[kamineko]

i want to argue that chilling resistors and caps isn't going to magically fix a fault in this case. chilling a hairline crack in a solder joint might restore a connection due to thermal expansion but thats about it

if your resistors are 'buggered' you'd know about it, as they would be burnt out. failed caps would also be an unlikely cause of a display dropping some segments

[Nith]

 kamineko said:

i want to argue that chilling resistors and caps isn't going to magically fix a fault in this case. chilling a hairline crack in a solder joint might restore a connection due to thermal expansion but thats about it

if your resistors are 'buggered' you'd know about it, as they would be burnt out. failed caps would also be an unlikely cause of a display dropping some segments

I want to argue as well but I don't like to think of myself as a keyboard warrior. No I never said it would fix, it would allow the resistor or cap to work for a short amount of time before it was restored to normal ambient temperature where it would start to fail again. Not all 'buggered' resistors are 'burnt' out, they do slowly begin to fail, losing there intended rating.

[kamineko]

 Nith said:

I want to argue as well but I don't like to think of myself as a keyboard warrior. No I never said it would fix, it would allow the resistor or cap to work for a short amount of time before it was restored to normal ambient temperature where it would start to fail again. Not all 'buggered' resistors are 'burnt' out, they do slowly begin to fail, losing there intended rating.

I don't mind an argument.

In my experience resistors generally fail due to prolonged heat damage which is easily visible. But correct, I've seen resistors in HV situations degrade or go open circuit with no visible damage. I'm just not expecting that possibility in a clock display circuit.

Caps are a different story altogether

Any details on the parts that failed on your board? Pics?

[Nith]

 kamineko said:

I don't mind an argument.

In my experience resistors generally fail due to prolonged heat damage which is easily visible. But correct, I've seen resistors in HV situations degrade or go open circuit with no visible damage. I'm just not expecting that possibility in a clock display circuit.

Caps are a different story altogether

Any details on the parts that failed on your board? Pics?

Yeah I have seen that you like to try and ruffle peoples feathers.

Why would you not expect it in the Trip computer? It's sitting above the head unit and between two air vents. The heat from the heat unit alone would cause damage over time.

[kamineko]

Haha I've never tried to ruffle anyone's feathers for fun. Can't dispute anything said these days without being called a troll eh.

I'm talking about visible component damage. Its LIKELY you would see that. Its UNLIKELY a resistor has permanently drifted with no visible damage, and that putting it in the fridge would temporarily fix it for enough time to see it working.

Lets have a look at the board (pinched from another forum)

Solder joints do fail. As I mentioned, chilling might temporarily help in this case and this is usually achieved with a chill spray

-> The display is lit and otherwise working. So the heater circuit OK, and the filter caps are likely OK.

-> Some segments are unlit. It is plausible to expect an open circuit from a bad solder joint, as opposed to a damaged (low) current limiting resistor

I'm sorry if you replaced a bunch of parts without success. Maybe the vacuum tube can become damaged internally?

[sobanoodle]

These 4th gen clock units are notorious for having dry solder, check this thread for example.

[ADIKT]

http://mitsi-spec.co.nz/legacytrip.htm

Had mine repaired by this guy a while back - couriered mine to him and he sent it back within the same week