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Is it worth taking a 1984 gm radio apart to clean volume tuning knobs? read.905.ew

I've taken apart portable radios and cleaned the slide controls for volume and tone. I'm tempted to try it on a car radio. I've got one in a 1985 Pontiac that works when it wants to. I'd like to keep the same radio as it matches the trim on the dash. I heard that putting rubbing alcohol on a matchbook striking strip and using that like sand paper can clean the coil resistors pretty good. But I have no idea on the mechanics of the volume and station tuning dash pots, until I take them apart. Anyone tried this before?

Reply to
21trumpets
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They can be cleaned, sort of. But not with a water base substance. Since you cannot get into the pot without nearly destroying it, just spray lighter fluid into the pot itself and move the control back and forth. Odds are the carbon strip has worn away and a new pot is needed.

The only coil resistor (pot) that I know of may be the one for the dash dimmer. They disappeared when solid state pulsed dimming circuits became universal about 1990.

I don't remember the tuning control in that radio anymore. Ny 1992 GM was using a pot to change to voltage of an LC oscillator but I don't know when they started that.

Reply to
Paul in Houston TX

Do NOT do that with your radio! You'll ruin it. They make spray cleaner for controls, available from electronics suppliers. However, if the control is really bad, even cleaning it may not be successful: the resistance element is thin, and could easily be worn completely away.

Reply to
PeterD

Thanks, I try the spray cleaner method.

Reply to
21trumpets

Don't use anything but a proper cleaner or it will soon be just the way it was or permanently ruined.

The best cleaner/preservative is made by Caig laboratory. Its called ProGold. IT will run you 15/20 bucks for a small can

spray it into the pot openings with the radio apart, then work the control back and forth for a minute or so.

bob

Reply to
bob urz

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