MSefi.com read only forum (Jan.15,2018)

Is it possible to buy a V3 PCB on its own as a spare? If so where and cost? I've obtained an MS2 V3 which appears to have self combusted and although I haven't yet checked if I can bodge a repair to the tracks I'm looking at the options.

I tried this a year or so ago for the same reason and was told "no, you can only buy it along with a MS 1 or 2". It has to do with licensing...

Philip Lochner wrote:I tried this a year or so ago for the same reason and was told "no, you can only buy it along with a MS 1 or 2". It has to do with licensing...

It's rather what I suspected. Although not because of licensing.

We can supply spare PCBs specifically for the repair of damaged boards, however - email us directly for info.

Just a follow up with the full story.

This V3 belongs to a member of the car club I'm in and he had been told it was beyond economic repair. The only reason I could guess at would be it required PCB replacement. Hence the query about buying one.

So I said I'd have a look, and it arrived the other day. Looked just fine - I was expecting something looking like toast.

A quick check showed no 5 volts. C17 - the 22mF tantalum - was short circuit, not an unusual failure for this type of cap. However, the track between it and the reg. was open circuit. An easy enough fix.

Is it not recommended to repair a burnt out track?

Repairing 4-layer boards can get interesting, especially when a through-hole or via that's supposed to connect with an inner layer has come apart at the seams. If it's just a surface track, then there should be no issue replacing it with a jumper, conductive paint or solder - just be sure you correct whatever blew up the trace in the first place!

Yep, no problem repairing surface tracks. Inner tracks that have burned through surface tracks can be another story, but even then, you might as well try it as you don't have much to lose.