hi all,
just bought a 2008 1.1 active for my son's first car. my problem is the dash warning lights random flashing and the dials getting erratic and stopping altogether sometimes.
i am going to try changing the clocks. my clocks do not come with a rev counter (tachometer) my question is will clocks with a rev counter fit an if so will they work?
maybe some one has tried this mod before?
i will have to change the clocks before he can use it to learn to drive anyway and the ones with the rev counter seem more common.
any help would be most apprecated

Might pay to check all earth connections before changing clocks. If it's simply a bad earth or poor fuse continuity you'll be throwing money away and could still end up with the same problem.

Problem is unlikely to be the clocks, they are merely displaying the result.
Fitting the higher spec clocks is more difficult than you might expect. The body computer has to communicate with them, and a 'proxy alignment' will be needed to make them accept each other, plus, you'd need to get the clocks and body computer to agree on mileage. You can increase, but not decrease. So if the new clocks read higher than the car, you can only increase the car to the same. If car is higher, increasing the clocks makes more sense.
BUT. The body computer may not accept the higher spec. It may refuse to send any signals to the rev counter, or any of the additional display options, like radio program, trip computer, etc, as the body computer did not have them originally. You might like to do a search on this subject, as the question has been asked before.

To get them to talk to each other you'll need either a sympathetic dealer, or a program called MultiECUscan (MES). Have a search to find more, mentioned on here lots, and a few people have it, so might be able to help.

Before you think any further about clocks, we need to diagnose the issue. Most common cause of erratic electrical issues is a failing battery. Does the clock reset at each, or any start?

As said above, check all connections first. Start with the main battery feed, checking its connectors at battery and starter, then also the other feeds from battery to alternator and into the car.
Then check the earth cable. These do corrode inside, so check it has a good clean connection at battery, gearbox and car body and has no breaks along its length.

hi again, i am now thinking it may be the body control unit. the clocks work fine in the morning from cold but after the car sitting in the sun for the day they start to flash the handbrake,power steering and srs. the longer its driven the more erratic it gets (gauges drop to zero and com back again) more Warning lights flash. sometimes the car refused to start for a few tries of the key(but always starts eventually) and the immobiliser light light stayed on. yesterday after the warning lights started flashing i got the gauges to zero and return by turning on and off the heater blower.
this problem has me baffled, any help would be most appreciated.
forgot to say, battery changed, checked and cleaned every earth in the car. soldered new earth wire from clocks to body control and body control to car body

The ECU located against the battery case has a little earth tag. Has that been refitted?