Yamaha CR 2040 receiver scratchiness when turning some knobs - what's best to fix it?

pglbook

I just picked up a very nice Yamaha CR 2040 today, about an hour from where i live. I already have a Yamaha CR 2020 receiver but the CR 2040 was too sweet of a deal to pass up and it was in excellent shape. I hooked it up today to my Polk Monitor 7As and it works and sounds great and is quite powerful (125 watts @ OHMs) but it has a scratchy sound when I turn up some of the knobs (the volume knob or balance knob, for instance). It plays perfectly when I do not adjust the knobs. Does this mean it may just need a cleaning? The prior owner told me he had it in storage for the past year. If so, what is the best way to clean it? Or should I just take it to a tech to clean it for me? I do not have any electronics experience and am somewhat mechanically challenged but should be able to do a simple fix if that is all it might be. It is a great sounding receiver and I am ecstatic to add it to my collection.
Now I just want to get it working perfectly. I'd appreciate suggestions on how to do ao. Thanks.

F1nut

DeOxit

pglbook

Thnaks, F1. That was what I was thinking myself but, to be honest, I do not know how to use DeOxit. What is the right way to do it?
Do I use it outside or do I need to open up the unit and use it inside? Sorry for the naive question but I've never done that before and need to learn how use DeOxit correctly. Also, where can I buy it? Thanks again.

F1nut

Remove the top cover and spray it into the pots via any hole/slot, then work the control back and forth, repeat. Do this while the item is unplugged. Let the DeOxit dry out a bit before powering up. If the problem is still present, treat it again. You can buy it from all kinds of places online, do a Google.

pglbook

Thanks. I appreciate it. Sounds easy enough!

cnh

F1nut is spot on an here is a HOW TO video that I found useful a while back!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njwi-GwJBzc

Have fun, that's a nice piece!

cnh

pglbook

Thanks for the video link, cnh. It was very helpful!

DracoAmericanus

DeOxit is the best, don't use other stuff that may be cheaper or claim to be better, deoxit goes a long way so don't use to much, use the tube that comes with the can to spray inside the control of possible. this stuff leaves a little lube behind so if you over do it you will have red oil all over the place lol, I have never seen it damage plastic like other cleaners some times do

mhardy6647

I am not 100.00% sure about the CR-2040, but the bigger/better Yamahas have one other dirty control trouble spot that is not found in most other brands - there is a rear-panel switch to connect or disconnect the pre-amp and power-amp sections on the higher-end vintage Yamahas (most other brands used little jumpers between the "pre out" and "main in" jacks. That switch on the Yamahas gets dirty, and when it does, the audible symptoms (channel dropout, often presaged by some audible distortion) sounds like something really bad has happened. I thought fo' sho' I had bad driver or power transistors on a CR-2020 when it happened to me! :-O But, no, a quick squizzle of DeOxit on the coupling switch and a little workout of same cured it.

EDIT: In case you don't have it already, the CR-2040 manuals (owners and service) are available at: http://sportsbil.com/yamaha/
The CR-2040 does not have the coupler switch I invoked above; sorry about that! :-P (it does have preamp output jacks, though, and also a "processor loop" for an EQ, dynamic range expander, or other such gizmo).

Be prepared to reclean pots and switches every 5 years or so (based on my very long term experience with a Yamaha CA-610II).

cnh

Those monster class Yamahas sure do look "nice". But I happy with my smaller CR-800 (over 30 pounds of decent 50 watt x 2 power; and it's making my ADS L-520s "sing", at the moment--very very nice).

Again great info from Mhardy!

Enjoy!


cnh

mhardy6647

I won't rest 'til I snag a CR-3020...