Please help a lay person with some repair questions

[SMoren92307]

While trying to get information regarding my older PHP 2022 Premier Health Massage Chair issue the only thing that came up was a thread on this site regarding a newer model. I also discovered that the company is now out of business and no longer has an active web site.

While I was hospitalized my daughter let her 4 year old "play" with the chair, repeatedly pushing buttons rapidly. When I returned home, two functions no longer worked, the tapping and kneading functions which based on the thread I found here apparently have two separate motors.
My armchair detective logic says perhaps it's more likely that he messed up the board in the controller instead of ruining two separate motors, but that may be wishful thinking on my part.I'm a senior and really need those extra functions to work.

So my question to you professionals is pretty basic. There is no way I would try to repair it my self, so I'm wondering if a general electronics repair place could fix it, or if it's possible to buy a replacement controller to see if that is the problem? I had no luck finding parts online for it, so I don't know if a shop could either, but if it's a "board" issue maybe that is somewhat universal? I'm in Southern California and the mechanical part of the chair weighs a ton... so somewhere local would be great, but I don't know exactly what type of repair shop I should be seeking.

So.. do I have a chance of getting my functions working again? All other functions are working and despite it's age (2005 model) it's had very little use so worth repairing if it's possible.

Thanks for listening... and any suggestions you might have as to how I should proceed would be most appreciated.

 

[dave9]

Basic diagnosis might involve checking for resistance across the switch contacts when pressed, examining the PCB for stress cracks, measuring for where in the circuit the power stops. Once you determine the fault, then determine whether a discrete component can be replaced, or a motor (might substitute same type, size, shaft, etc motor if the original can't be sourced), or repair the board, or even possibly the mounting the board uses has cracked and needs fixed back in position.

Where to take it, I'd look for electronics repair shops and give them a call. You might also call a local furniture or medical supply store that carries massage chairs. Sometimes it's just as simple as doing a google search like this, as long as google can roughly geolocate you, otherwise add the name of the nearest higher populated city:

https://www.google.com/search?q=massage+chair+repair+near+me

 

[CircutScoper]

...
While I was hospitalized my daughter let her 4 year old "play" with the chair, repeatedly pushing buttons rapidly. When I returned home, two functions no longer worked, the tapping and kneading functions which based on the thread I found here apparently have two separate motors....
So.. do I have a chance of getting my functions working again? All other functions are working and despite it's age (2005 model) it's had very little use so worth repairing if it's possible.

A question: Is the control panel sticky or greasy? The first thing I'd check for is contamination -- something spilled, wiped, sneezed, or drooled onto the control buttons. If that is the problem, it should be easy to disassemble the unit and clean it up with alcohol and distilled water.

Even if the outside appears clean, contamination remains a possibility, because some "helpful" person might have wiped off external "evidence."

 

[dave9]

Also I know nothing of how advanced the circuitry is in any particular massage chair, but it seems like on better designed models, if there is no travel limiter sensor/switch (if there is, then check those), then there might be fusible circuits for each motor so check fuses... thinking maybe motor reached end of travel but the kid kept holding the button in? I don't know, just a thought.

 

[SMoren92307]

Basic diagnosis might involve checking for resistance across the switch contacts when pressed, examining the PCB for stress cracks, measuring for where in the circuit the power stops. Once you determine the fault, then determine whether a discrete component can be replaced, or a motor (might substitute same type, size, shaft, etc motor if the original can't be sourced), or repair the board, or even possibly the mounting the board uses has cracked and needs fixed back in position.

Where to take it, I'd look for electronics repair shops and give them a call. You might also call a local furniture or medical supply store that carries massage chairs. Sometimes it's just as simple as doing a google search like this, as long as google can roughly geolocate you, otherwise add the name of the nearest higher populated city:

https://www.google.com/search?q=massage+chair+repair+near+me

Thank you so much! Now I have a path to follow and am encouraged !

 

[SMoren92307]

A question: Is the control panel sticky or greasy? The first thing I'd check for is contamination -- something spilled, wiped, sneezed, or drooled onto the control buttons. If that is the problem, it should be easy to disassemble the unit and clean it up with alcohol and distilled water.

Even if the outside appears clean, contamination remains a possibility, because some "helpful" person might have wiped off external "evidence."

Thanks.. that's something I'd never have thought of....I appreciate the help.

 

[CircutScoper]

Thanks.. that's something I'd never have thought of....I appreciate the help.

Well, I have grandsons of roughly that age too, and their mission in life seems to be to get stuff greasy and sticky and to mix poorly with electronics.

 

[73's de Edd]

Susan ? Moren in 92307 . . .Apple Valley Cal . . . . . .

You say . . . . .
4 year old "play" with the chair, repeatedly pushing buttons rapidly
I say . . .
DRATTED Rugrat denizens . . . damaging YOUR property . . . . . OFF WITH THEIR HEADS ! ! ! . . . .regardless of being your grandchild(ren).

Lets investigate, using pure simplicity . . . . .since it potentially involved involved electro-mechanical stress from those fast changing switch pushing transitions.
Consult this PDF referencing below. . . . noting its page 1 . . .therein . . . . with it signifying your 2 symptoms as being #6 and # 7..
Open 2nd PDF reference to get pages 12 and 13.
Follow the procedures below for locating and testing those two relevant fuses . . . . .hopefully finding them having popped open.
Thaaaaaaaaaasit . . . . . .

https://www.electronicspoint.com/forums/attachments/1-8-pdf.44271/

https://www.electronicspoint.com/forums/attachments/11-16-pdf.44272/


73's de Edd . . . . .

 

[CircutScoper]

Thanks.. that's something I'd never have thought of....I appreciate the help.

Another random question: Is it possible the grandkidling engaged in a contest of strength with the remote control cord -- and won?

A replacement is available at a not-completely-absurd-price. It might be a worthwhile experiment to invest in.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1340870537...MIq7-uoqrT9wIVdhvUAR2lMw0_EAQYASABEgLPNvD_BwE

 

[roughshawd]

The new devices are usually not charged circuits, but your device is a medical device so I will throw it in...(not a pro just in the know)
Some equipment uses a board that requires a pre-charge to make it work. (explanation) "When its' made, it is plugged into a battery and the boards capacitors are all charged up before it is connected to the machine." That means that if the device was hastily made by a pro to fix some(not me not me) idiots hacking, and it had a bug in the design that made it dump some of the caps when you held down the up and down button at the same time then you might lose some functions(this was a real life scenario in the 70's), usually the only way to fix it is to get a new controller that properly configured.(if it is one that has a plug in and can be swapped out) but where you have a very expensive piece of chair, and you might not want to just hack it, you might apply a small voltage to the controller and see if it realigns the controller. BUT THIS IS NOT A FIX ALL AND YOU DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. Most designers build a failsafe into their work that allows the machine to fix little stuff like button failure. Unplug it. Let it sit for a couple days, then try it again. Unplug it and plug it in 15 seconds intervals at a time 3 times through. Try 5 or 10 times on off. If it's not the buttons, the power flux should blow the bug out.
There is this hack I have used before and it worked. Usually it's just a few miliamps on the proper two pins, so I tell you what... use a dead or well spent AAA battery, and just bump it to the pins(personally at this point I am using an unplugged machine and a fresh 9v battery, but that is like a "CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO RUIN THIS MONSTER NOW AND I DONT HAVE ANY MORE TIME FOR IT" kind of a deal. If it still kind of works, its probably the buttons. Those little monsters that created the tactile carbon contacts should be taken out in quad at lunch and horsey whopped.