Toyota Corolla 2006 Clock Showing Weird Numbers: 18:98, 10:90

Question

Recently my 2006 Corolla in dash clock started behaving weirdly. I turned my car off to get gas today (Nov 19, 8 degrees outside) and when I turned it back on, the clock was showing numbers such as : 18:98, 10:90, 9:69. I turned it off and let it sit then turned it back on. Still getting strange numbers. I tried messing with the H and M buttons but the times just got stranger.

I'm not sure if this is a problem with the clock or with the cold temperatures. My car is in a garage at night and during the day when I'm home and it was working fine when I left the house.

Has anyone encountered this or know how to fix it? The videos I am seeing online specifically have instructions pointing to fixing a clock when it starts to dim or isn't readable, so I'm not sure if removing it and soldering the joints on the circuit board would work or not.

Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

It sounds like segments of the clock numbers are permanently on. Most number displays are a combination seven segments which, if all are lit, would display a figure eight. You turn on any combination of the lights to create the separate numbers. If any of those are permanently on, it is going to give you strange looking numbers. I don't know why this happens, and believe the only way to fix it is to replace the clock. If it were just a "cold" thing, I would think it would go back to normal once the entire car was heated up.