Alex Hayes
Active Member
Hey guys, I recently picked up a Pioneer SX-450 for very cheap and am attempting to get it going. It was really dirty with nicotine stains or whatever the residue is called from cigarette smoke. I plugged it in and tested it and both channels came through but were very scratchy. I figured a deoxit bath would be a good first step to solving the issue. I sprayed all the switches and pots and worked them back and forth and let it sit for the recommended 2 minutes. I plugged it in again and hooked up a turntable and some speakers and tested it. It powered up fine and worked and sounded great for at least a good 5 minutes. After a bit a crackling sound began coming through and the lights started flickering and sound was cutting in and out. I turned it off and on several more times and the bulbs would either barely flicker or not flicker at all. I read on here that a very common problem is a dirty power switch that can be disassembled and cleaned t fix it. The symptoms sound similar but not exactly the same as what I'm experiencing. Could this fix my problem? Or could there be an issue with the power transformer or caps? It probably wouldn't hurt to clean the switch regardless but I would love to hear any suggestions you may have. While the receiver was working it sounded great so I really would like to get it going! Thanks for any help!
