I tried using a new contact cleaner on a stubborn LRU connector and it made things worse.

3 comments

3 Comments

Yeah, "made things worse" is a classic sign. A lot of those new cleaners leave a residue if you don't scrub them off completely. That residue can actually trap more dirt or cause a slight film that KILLS the connection. You might need to go back in with a pure solvent and a stiff brush, then compressed air to really blow it out. Sometimes the old school methods are the only fix.

tara7003mo ago

Actually, compressed air can push that residue deeper into the connector or switch. I mean, if there's a film left by the cleaner, you're just blowing it around. A pure solvent on a q-tip and working it by hand is way safer. You really want to dissolve and wipe the gunk away, not just move it somewhere you can't see.

felix1551mo ago

Yeah I had that exact issue on an old guitar amp I was fixing. Used some contact cleaner and the volume knob went completely dead. @tara700 is right about the residue thing. I ended up taking the whole pot apart and using 99% isopropyl on a qtip, then let it dry for a full day before putting it back together. Worked perfect after that. The compressed air just made it worse for me too.