# Car Clock gone Haywire

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, highlander\
**Created:** [May 28, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523 "2010-05-28T22:12:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gbmorgan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@gbmorgan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gbmorgan)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523/1 "2010-05-28T22:12:09Z")

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The clock in our Highlander has suddenly started acting crazy. One day within an hour of parking the car, the clock was running 2 hours behind. Today, after being parked for 3 hrs, it was running 2.5 hrs fast.  
  
 Is this a short in the circuit or a problem with the battery?

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**Author:** ![Triedaq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Triedaq](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Triedaq)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523/2 "2010-05-28T23:07:51Z")

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There is probably a problem with the clock. If it is the battery, note the time just before you start the engine. Then start the engine. If the clock resets to 12:00, you probably have a battery problem, as the battery voltage is dropping too much from the load of the starter. If this isn’t the case, the clock is probably defective.

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**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\
**Post date:** [May 28, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523/3 "2010-05-28T23:12:12Z")

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No, it’s not a short circuit.  
Yes, it could be the battery. I’d test it or get it load tested.  
Otherwise, it may just be that your clock is failing.

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**Author:** ![gbmorgan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/76d3ee/32.png) [@gbmorgan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/gbmorgan)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523/4 "2010-05-29T00:41:14Z")

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The clock has never reset to 12:00, and it only does it randomly. Not every day, or all the time.

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**Author:** ![tardis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f0a364/32.png) [@tardis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tardis)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 1:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523/5 "2010-05-29T01:07:55Z")

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Some clocks go to a random time when they lose power instead of resetting to 12am.

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**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\
**Post date:** [May 29, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-clock-gone-haywire/49523/6 "2010-05-29T07:20:22Z")

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The problem is most likely with your clock. I seem to recall hearing or reading somewhere (maybe even here) that late model Highlanders have been having problems with defective clocks. It’s sort of ironic that the clock in a new Toyota can’t keep proper time, but the original analog Quartz clock in the dashboard of my '86 Chevy Silverado still keeps perfect time…