Harman P38 Board Upgrade

[gfreek]

I have a 2010 P38+, in another thread it was mentioned about up grading the control board to the new style, (3 knob, 3rd knob for room or stove temp). My stove has the 2 knob board. Can this be upgraded to new style??

 

[Delta-T]

there is a retrofit kit to "upgrade" to the newer contorl board....but why? Stove is not going to act any differently. I suppose you get the LEDs and the DDM port,room sensing probe instead of thermostat, but nothing really all that special IMO. Besides, the new board doesn't say "Turbo"....turbo is way cool, almost as cool as ninjas.

 

[P38X2]

How likely is board failure and what causes it?...heat I assume? How long and involved is the retrofit?

My older stove has the original board but rarely sees use these days.

 

[Lousyweather]

there is a retrofit kit to "upgrade" to the newer contorl board....but why? Stove is not going to act any differently. I suppose you get the LEDs and the DDM port,room sensing probe instead of thermostat, but nothing really all that special IMO. Besides, the new board doesn't say "Turbo"....turbo is way cool, almost as cool as ninjas.

ninjas are pretty cool

 

[P38X2]

there is a retrofit kit to "upgrade" to the newer contorl board....but why? Stove is not going to act any differently. I suppose you get the LEDs and the DDM port,room sensing probe instead of thermostat, but nothing really all that special IMO. Besides, the new board doesn't say "Turbo"....turbo is way cool, almost as cool as ninjas.

Mine says "Ludicrous Heat (DO NOT USE!)" I tried it and the stove went to plaid!

 

[Lousyweather]

Mine says "Ludicrous Heat (DO NOT USE!)" I tried it and the stove went to plaid!

I think, instead of "TURBO", maybe a more intuitive symbol.....mushroom cloud? Skull and crossbones?

 

[P38X2]

I think, instead of "TURBO", maybe a more intuitive symbol.....mushroom cloud? Skull and crossbones?

DEFCON 1! Maybe there's an optional hopper kit that drops thermite and plutonium pellets in the pot.

.....Click....... as the DHS tracking computers start to monitor this thread ; )

 

[Delta-T]

How likely is board failure and what causes it?...heat I assume? How long and involved is the retrofit?

My older stove has the original board but rarely sees use these days.

dirty power/power spike/bad motor feeding back to the board are the common killers of the P38 board....never seen one that I would chalk up to "heat" causing a failure. Retrofit requires cutting the side of the stove (template included in upgrade kit), reseating all the wiring into a new harness (molex style connector) and buttoning it all back together. I've played with the kit but haven't put one in yet..I'm guessing a couple hours....not much more than that in any case.

 

[P38X2]

OK, thanks. The fact Harman offers that retrofit kit is a bit strange. Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper to replace the failed component? Then again, if the board has to be out anyway and all the components would be new, perhaps this is the better choice...? I suppose it's better than paying someone to track down the offending item and waiting on parts.

 

[gfreek]

Thanks. Harman sells only the complete board. I know that the control potentiometers can go bad and replacements are available on ebay.

 

[pell it]

Mine says "Ludicrous Heat (DO NOT USE!)" I tried it and the stove went to plaid!

May the Schwartz be with you!!

 

[P38X2]

Thanks, Yogurt! Lol

 

[Delta-T]

OK, thanks. The fact Harman offers that retrofit kit is a bit strange. Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper to replace the failed component? Then again, if the board has to be out anyway and all the components would be new, perhaps this is the better choice...? I suppose it's better than paying someone to track down the offending item and waiting on parts.

for whatever reason they stopped making the original board, so if/when an old P38 cooks itself its gonna get the retrofit kit. Most likely because they can use that same board on the old 38 and the old P61 without ignition....2 stoves with 1 board type of thing. There can be only 1!

they jammed us sir....raspberry.

 

[Lousyweather]

for whatever reason they stopped making the original board, so if/when an old P38 cooks itself its gonna get the retrofit kit. Most likely because they can use that same board on the old 38 and the old P61 without ignition....2 stoves with 1 board type of thing. There can be only 1!

they jammed us sir....raspberry.

Im told the supplier no longer makes them for Harman.....?

 

[Delta-T]

could be, I really dunno.....I just work here, lol.

 

[MountainSean]

OK, thanks. The fact Harman offers that retrofit kit is a bit strange. Wouldn't it be easier/cheaper to replace the failed component? Then again, if the board has to be out anyway and all the components would be new, perhaps this is the better choice...? I suppose it's better than paying someone to track down the offending item and waiting on parts.

The supplier that Harman gets the boards from has discontinued two designs that Harman used. One is the P38 board the other is the Magnum 44. Because the P38 is still new they made an upgrade kit to change it to a board which is still being produced. The Magnum 44 is gone gone. Once no more boards are around it will be like a PP2.