Replacement Cerbera Switching Units and PCB connectors
Discussion
This is more of a journey I've been on for my own car rather than for any other real reason, but when my car blew a number of it's control boxes, and I went scouring the breakers and Internet market places for replacements, I rapidly found out that many of these control boxes are now literally extinct - as one of the emails from Steve Strange said (*something like) "I can't remember breaking a Cerbera for many years now"
So I went on a bit of a discovery, largely out of interest, and also a bit out of fun and decided that instead I could build my own replacements and make some of these available again, then that would be a good thing and potentially help others in the future too.
Looking at the various ECUs, I picked two relatively simple ones to start with - the Indicator and Hazard Lamps Switching Unit and the Wiper Switching Unit (*I did actually start with the Steering Function Control Unit but need to adjust my design)
Using my Uni electronics background, some online PCB design software and a few electronic diagnostic tools, I made replacement PCBs for the units, and then identified the parts needed to replace the originals using easily available off-the-shelf parts anyone can buy
Initial test was a 1:1 size paper print with the parts overlaid as a test
and then PCBs ordered from one of the normal China PCB fabrication shops
Because we are using these replacement boards for diagnostics or problems with the cars, all of the pins are labelled and the correct pin-outs from the 4.2 wiring diagrams added to the back
And as an added bonus I found two suppliers in Asia who can provide the replacement Tyco style 90o PCB mounted connector boards, so for anyone else who's units blow up (*Light Control ECUs for example) I have these available which as I got a few were pretty cost effective and in both sizes
So if anyone needs connectors drop me a PM or reply up here (*caveat: you have to remove the extra 'wings' from the TVR plugs) and I'll add more photos as this thread progresses
So I went on a bit of a discovery, largely out of interest, and also a bit out of fun and decided that instead I could build my own replacements and make some of these available again, then that would be a good thing and potentially help others in the future too.
Looking at the various ECUs, I picked two relatively simple ones to start with - the Indicator and Hazard Lamps Switching Unit and the Wiper Switching Unit (*I did actually start with the Steering Function Control Unit but need to adjust my design)
Using my Uni electronics background, some online PCB design software and a few electronic diagnostic tools, I made replacement PCBs for the units, and then identified the parts needed to replace the originals using easily available off-the-shelf parts anyone can buy
Initial test was a 1:1 size paper print with the parts overlaid as a test
and then PCBs ordered from one of the normal China PCB fabrication shops
Because we are using these replacement boards for diagnostics or problems with the cars, all of the pins are labelled and the correct pin-outs from the 4.2 wiring diagrams added to the back
And as an added bonus I found two suppliers in Asia who can provide the replacement Tyco style 90o PCB mounted connector boards, so for anyone else who's units blow up (*Light Control ECUs for example) I have these available which as I got a few were pretty cost effective and in both sizes
So if anyone needs connectors drop me a PM or reply up here (*caveat: you have to remove the extra 'wings' from the TVR plugs) and I'll add more photos as this thread progresses
Great effort I'm watching with interest. My door and window box went bang recently. Immensely luckily:
1. I had just pulled into my local TVR specialist
2. He happened to have a spare!
But they are high on my list of "things most likely to ground the old girl" given that they are repair-only, and the known repairers have a fair old lead time.
I'm watching with interest. My door and window box went bang recently. Immensely luckily:1. I had just pulled into my local TVR specialist
2. He happened to have a spare!
But they are high on my list of "things most likely to ground the old girl" given that they are repair-only, and the known repairers have a fair old lead time.
My local scrapper has a few boxes, based in Marlborough
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_t...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_t...
Thanks for the warm responses and yes hopefully projects like this and Gordon's amazing diagnostic software can keep our cars running for longer and better
The Door & Window box is a two layered board with a microprocessor on it, so great you managed to get an extra one of those as it's a complex board to fix
BTW on the story of other great projects, ask Gordon @notaping about his amazing Alternator adjuster bracket system he's built - that's really clever
The Door & Window box is a two layered board with a microprocessor on it, so great you managed to get an extra one of those as it's a complex board to fix
BTW on the story of other great projects, ask Gordon @notaping about his amazing Alternator adjuster bracket system he's built - that's really clever
Edited by Juddder on Wednesday 7th August 13:15
Good work!
Our 4.5 burned out a resistor in the steering wheel control box the other day. The first failure of a box in that, not too bad foe a a 97 built car. I’m hoping I can fix that box as I have a spare Cerb to borrow a good box from for reference, the box from that has got the 4.5 running again for now.
The 96 I borrowed the box from has had just about all its boxes replaced, so you’re quite right we will certainly need a good supply of replacement boxes before too long!
Do watch out as the wiring is very different in the earlier cars. The 96 & 97 build (sold as a 98) are much the same however the crashed 99 I have has very different wiring. I moved all the boxes from the 99 into my other 96 (before selling it) they do work ok but the differences, particularly with power supplies from the fuse board can catch you out with things - the door / window box especially!
The 99 has the same fuse board as the early cars but it it’s wired very differently.
I think all the late Cerbs have a different fuse board shared with the speed six, more differences again.
The steering wheel control box I just nicked out of the 96 actually says 03 on it so I think the control boxes are all the same, fingers crossed!
Our 4.5 burned out a resistor in the steering wheel control box the other day. The first failure of a box in that, not too bad foe a a 97 built car. I’m hoping I can fix that box as I have a spare Cerb to borrow a good box from for reference, the box from that has got the 4.5 running again for now.
The 96 I borrowed the box from has had just about all its boxes replaced, so you’re quite right we will certainly need a good supply of replacement boxes before too long!
Do watch out as the wiring is very different in the earlier cars. The 96 & 97 build (sold as a 98) are much the same however the crashed 99 I have has very different wiring. I moved all the boxes from the 99 into my other 96 (before selling it) they do work ok but the differences, particularly with power supplies from the fuse board can catch you out with things - the door / window box especially!
The 99 has the same fuse board as the early cars but it it’s wired very differently.
I think all the late Cerbs have a different fuse board shared with the speed six, more differences again.
The steering wheel control box I just nicked out of the 96 actually says 03 on it so I think the control boxes are all the same, fingers crossed!
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