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Why does the clock in my 2004 Holden Astra CD keep resetting?

Our 2004 Holden Astra CD clock keeps resetting to 00:00 whenever the vehicle is started. Once the vehicle is started and the clock is set to current time it maintains correct time until the car is turned off and restarted, when the clock resets again. Any idea what the issue could be?

My first thought is that your car’s battery is on the way out. Are there any other symptoms of this (slow cranking etc)? Essentially, a battery that isn’t fully charged or is a bit wonky can start to shed its responsibilities one by one as it wears out. In this case, you might find that maintaining the clock’s memory/time isn’t programmed into the car as a major priority, so it switches that circuit off as a means of saving every available volt and ampere for actually starting the car (which is the point at which the maximum strain is placed on a battery).

Beyond that, you could have a dodgy ignition barrel that isn’t making all the necessary contacts when you insert and turn the key each time. I’ve heard of applying a liberal coating of acetone (or a solvent such as carby cleaner or WD40 should also work) and inserting the key a few times in succession. This is sometimes enough to clean the contacts and restore full functionality.

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