Have a pre 1991 hot springs classic, it comes on by its self and then the jets power on and off, and the buttons will not shut it off, only way to shut it off is to unplug it. what can it be?

sounds like the jet pump relay contacts are welded closed. Replace the relay.

My guess is the 10 minute timer board is shot... but a stuck relay is a good guess too

Thanks for the information. I wonder where the stuck relay is at? maybe in the black metal box with the timer on the outside of it? It does not look easy to get into, because it is so tight in there.

It's in the box. There's a specific procedure to "dropping" a hotspring box. It all comes apart and goes back together relatively easily.Shut off power. Remove the control panel, remove the equip door(tap/slide out brass hinge pins), unplug all cord to box and bonding wires. Unscrew lamp/bulb from socket. with control panel removed, there's four screws holding the black box to a bracket, remove. The box will now-drop& turn to the left or right and come out of the compartment. I can help with locating the relay and testing.

I took the 6 small screws in the fron of the box out, to no avail. I got out the front two big scrws, and am working on trying to gte out the rear big screws. Then does the control panel come out. Then do I remove all of the wires, and hope I get them back in correct?

Thanks
Lew

Once the control panel is off, there's four screws that hold the black box to the bracket. All the wires/plugs that plug into the control box only fit in their respective female sockets. You can't screw it up. The copper bonding wires can attach to any of the lugs. Remove the bonding wires and plugs prior to taking out the last screw, it's just easier that way. There's two white extenders on the thermostat and the light dimmer. It's best to turn the thermostat and dimmer all the way to the left(off position) before taking off the extenders. Set those with the control panel. Also locate the thermostat and High Limit capilary tubes( they go into a dry well). Don't kink them because fluid flows through them. Once you locate where they go into the dry well you can pull on the capilary tube and they'll come out of the drywell.

I got the plate off. The box has screws holding it on to the plywood on the spa side, I can't tell if they are are a hex nut or what. The inside stuff is loose, so do I have to remove the whole black box, or just some of the insides? Thanks, Lew

The srews are normal phillips- if you're unscrewing any hex- you don't need to.

Just remove the faceplate to reveal the screws that hold the control box in place. There are 4 phillips head screws that run through a metal plate into the control box. Once these four screws are unscrewed, you can drop the cpntrol box into the equip compatment, and manuever the control box from the equip compt. into your lap. You probably want to unscrew the light, unplug a few receptacles, and disconnect a few ground wires.
This will give you full access to the control box. Loosen the four screws that hold the cover on the control box, slide and remove the cover- viola- all the goodies.

I finally figured out that the screws are behind the temperture/jet control panel, and I have the box out as far as laying on the heater. What do i do next?

Thanks