I just recieved a PFC I bought off of a friend and when looking it over I noticed something off about the commander connector on the board. It seems that there are copper wires protuding from 4 of the 5 pin holes. I dont know if this is normal since this is my first PFC but I wouldnt think so. The commander doesnt go in very easily/at all with the small amount of force I applied, as not to damage it further, if it is damaged. I dont know if its been worked on before either. Im kind of caught in a dillema if it is damaged. Do I send it to Apexi and have them fix it? If, by the pics, it has been worked on/modified by someone other than Apexi, that could make it ineligible for their repair and screw me out of money for shipping and time. Another cause for dillemma is that I am military trained in electronics repair and this is the kind of thing that I could manage to fix on my own should I have to. I just really want it done properly and based off of members opinions I can decide what the next step I should take is. I bought it for really cheap from a very good friend because he was in need of money to help finish his R33 build. To his knowledge it worked but was not on a FD when he sent it.

**just got off the phone with him. PFC and commander worked on a running car before it was removed as he saw with his own eyes. Was removed (not by him) and kept in a box in an apartment. Was shipped to me after a few months of just sitting. No modifications that he knew of but he was the second owner of it.

here are some pics

 

So I man'd up and went after the serial port with tweezers....they were just bare copper wires. From my extensive forensic deducing ability(Im laughing on the inside), the previous user maybe smashed the connector on the commander causing it not to seat fully into the port so he inserted bare wires in each pin hole to extend the connection and seat the commanders connector in firmly. I wont know IF it does indeed work fine without these wires until I get some power to it. As for the epoxy, I bet he struggled to remove the plug every time and wiggled the port loose on the board as there is a bit of play in it but nothing I would say would damage the board or the connection to it. If I do have to repair it, it will just be to re-solder the serial port onto the board and if it comes to that Im definitely going to put a more permanent solution such as a mil-spec snap connector attached to the frame of the pfc.

 

the connector is a basic PS2 style connector without the 6th pin but a PS2 connector can be used.

just an FYI.

i don't really see why that should cost several hundred dollars and months of waiting on Apexi. Frys and many electronics shops should have that socket available.

i have actually used PS2 extensions for easy swapping between laptop and commander for some people's vehicles. just yank out the 6th pin from the extension harness. if you really don't feel like monkeying with the ECU itself then use the extension harness so that you won't be using that connector any longer and may retain whatever functionality it still has.

as a side note, i never really did like that socket on the PFC, it's difficult to navigate the plug into the deep hole and i have bent pins on the harnesses before.

 

Thank you. I was searching for a more permanent solution to the connection and, as you recommended was just to extend the connection. I plan to mount a very short extension to the pfc frame itself, enough to have a little give and save the socket and board from any further tugging trauma and a longer extension secured onto the vehicle to allow an easy access to the plug. I really appreciate your input.

 

+1 for the extension cable. I prefer this for every PFC I use because as Karack pointed out, there is a risk of damage when you are blindly trying to insert the connector directly into the computer.