Gauging interest: Late 944 Cruise Control Module Repair?

[kdjones2000]

Sent you an email...

[Stebo]

I am a new member here, and cannot directly contact you yet Keith, but am definitely interested, if you're still doing this for my 1992 968

[Stebo]

Sorry I mean Keith!

[jjeffries]

Keith, if you’d like the unit I’m showing in the Parts Classifieds as a core, pls advise and it’s yours.

John

[kdjones2000]

I have two repaired units currently.

Email me at kdjones2@yahoo dot com if interested.

John, sounds great. I'll PM my address.

[GregAmy]

Is this still a thing? @kdjones2000 I sent you an email at the above.

If not, who's the current go-to for this repair?

1992 968, 944.617.132.00 module. Cruise is intermittent; if I could predict a pattern on it I could make a million dollars. Checked both clutch and brake switches, both good.

I know electrics and can solder wires but I can't electronics for crap. - GA

[walfreyydo]

Originally Posted by GregAmy

Is this still a thing? @kdjones2000 I sent you an email at the above.

If not, who's the current go-to for this repair?

1992 968, 944.617.132.00 module. Cruise is intermittent; if I could predict a pattern on it I could make a million dollars. Checked both clutch and brake switches, both good.

I know electrics and can solder wires but I can't electronics for crap. - GA

Heres a resource, and there are a few more on youtube if interested in trying it yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhRBXgqoD9U

[GregAmy]

Originally Posted by walfreyydo

Heres a resource, and there are a few more on youtube if interested in trying it yourself

Thank you, I appreciate that info. But I've tried to resolder PCBs before and made a righteous mess of it. I just don't have the right tools and experience (and/or maybe the patience).

If there's someone that can do it well and test it then I'm quite happy to toss 'em some coin so I know it's right and I can move on to the next step of troubleshooting if that doesn't resolve it. - GA

[GregAmy]

Ok, you motivated me. I had a couple hours to burn and figured "how hard can it be?" so I removed the box, pulled it apart, and used my pen-type soldering iron to reflow each and every solder joint on the back side of the PCB.

Reinstalled it, took the car for a test drive, and the cruise engaged immediately!

...and then continued to accelerate, foot to the floor, until I cancelled it. Cycled the car a few times, same result. So, looks like I fixed one problem and caused another.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

Probably ECU replacement time, ya think? There's a few around.

EDIT: I took it back out and with some 7x glasses I checked each solder one-by-one. I did find a couple bridgings that I missed (toldja I'm not good at this) and a few more that I wanted to make look betterer. We'll see if it works tomorrow on the trip to Jersey.

[kdjones2000]

Every one you will find will either not work or will soon fail. Put the effort in, or you will just be disappointed.

[GregAmy]

Originally Posted by kdjones2000

Every one you will find will either not work or will soon fail.

Yeah, I figured. It seems these were a poor design and are apt to fail eventually.

There's a few used ones on eBay for $60, "working when removed", but I'd expect to have to repair them anyway.

There's a shop online that claims to repair them for $125, but I don't know anything about them.

My issue is that I just don't know what the hell I'm doing. I don't have a solid way to know what's good and what's bad (or what damage I may be causing) and no real way to test it except installing it in my car, which a PITA if it's wrong.

Are you still doing the repairs? - GA

[GregAmy]

Originally Posted by GregAmy

EDIT: I took it back out and with some 7x glasses I checked each solder one-by-one. I did find a couple bridgings that I missed (toldja I'm not good at this) and a few more that I wanted to make look betterer. We'll see if it works tomorrow on the trip to Jersey.

Ok so now...it engages then slowly accelerates to about 5 over the set mph and then SUDDENLY DUMPS the throttle to get back to set and does it again.

I'm thinking I might buy one of those $60 used eBay ones and a better soldering iron and give it another shot...

Car ran good to Jersey, despite a lot of drivers wanting to kiill me...

[kdjones2000]

Greg, send me your unit and either that one or the one core I have should be able to make one good one.

PM me for details.

[GregAmy]

So I'm about to "preach to the choir here" but...what an INCREDIBLE highway cruiser this car is. I drove that thing from CT to lower Jersey and back and even having to deal with a manual transaxle in traffic* it was a joy. Just a nice balance of everything.

I used to believe I would never give up my 2011 GTI but I'm thinking if I stay on top of this 968's needs...this just might be a great compromise.

BTW, lack of cruise control was not a terrible thing. It would have been useful to keep the speed in check but otherwise it's fine. Still gonna get Keith to check out my ECU though.

I do like this car. A lot. And it got a ton of thumbs-up. - GA

*I've had manuals forever. Said I would never get an auto-tragic. But then I got the GTI with DSG and that thing is magical. Now I'm torn...

[Hopalong]

Curious as to what might be the most likely missed repair in the Porsche 944 cruise control computer. Having had 2 repaired, one worked for a short time and the other not at all. Seems like they keep missing something.

[grendiers]

After 10 years of flawless CC, last fall it started dropping the cruise. It would engage and then drop. So I popped the hood and took a look. Looked great! But I did try something, I pushed the two plugs back into each other. Cruise worked, but for just awhile. Hmmmm. So, this time I unhooked them and pushed them back together. CC is working.

[kdjones2000]

Originally Posted by Hopalong

Curious as to what might be the most likely missed repair in the Porsche 944 cruise control computer. Having had 2 repaired, one worked for a short time and the other not at all. Seems like they keep missing something.

Who's repairing these things? What about the servo? There are several components that can go wrong in the CC setup.

I have 2 repaired modules currently available, just need a core.

[GregAmy]

^^^ That. Let Keith fix yours. It was a bargain and it solved all my problems.

The servo looks easy to address DIY.

[Gatornapper]

I am an EE and have tested my system and believe my control unit is ok in my '87 944 S.

All inputs working correctly but pins 5 & 6 to the servo should show 30 40 ohms are reading 460 ohms in the servo. So I'm thinking I may have a servo issue. Wish I could get a schematic of the servo unit.

Circuit board looks like new as do capacitors. All solder joints look like new, no burnt caps or resistors. My '86 951 is in the body shop or I'd just put my unit in it to see if it works - won't have it for 10 days.

I'll try my control unit in my 951 when I get it back but wonder if anyone has a servo schematic?

New caps are on the way & I can replace them on the PCB if necessary - done a lot of PCB work.

GN

Originally Posted by kdjones2000

Who's repairing these things? What about the servo? There are several components that can go wrong in the CC setup.

I have 2 repaired modules currently available, just need a core.

[originalowner]

Originally Posted by Gatornapper

All inputs working correctly but pins 5 & 6 to the servo should show 30 40 ohms are reading 460 ohms in the servo.

That is probably correct. Those pins go to the windings of the magnetic clutch.