OK, got the tank off, everything looks good (?) as far as I can tell (everything conencted, no frayed wires, etc). pulled the right hand circuit board and am heading off to get the part ($48.29). After looking at the board, it doesnt appear to have any obvious signs of stress (burns, cracks, etc.) so I dont know if this is my problem or not..stay posted! I will attempt to post a few picks of everything apart later, right now eager to get it back together..
thanks to Gas, Marv, Fibersnake and everyone else who is offering suggestions.