Problem with old Pioneer HT receiver.

[Mighty Favog]

I have a Pioneer VSX49TXi receiver and the volume knob is not steadily increasing/decreasing the volume. Rather than the display reading -20,-21,-22,-23, etc. It will read and play at random levels such as -21,-35,-17,-12,-23, etc. This will happen until the unit warms after about an hour or so. The volume commands from the remote control work fine but it's sometimes all the way across the room when I'm standing right next to the receiver.

 

I'd like to save this thing as it's a real beast and weights a ton.

 

Could it just need to have the pot cleaned. Is it an optical pot with dirt on the pick ups? Need a new pot all together? Chances of a new pot being available?

[CWOReilly]

I’d try cleaning it for sure. 

[OO1]

you wont know until you shoot it with DeoXit ,    clean it  over several days ,let it work   when the pot is stable , stop  .

[wuzzzer]

First thing I would try (with the receiver off) is turn the volume knob back and forth rapidly 50-100 times.