Will cleaning help?

[jaygon02]

Firstly...no electronics knowledge at all here!

I have a Lexicon Jamman which is an old (no longer manufactured) digital delay/looper, used back in the day mostly by guitarists.
It has 4 separate funtions, one of which is playing up; when choosing, it doesn't always stick. That is, it flicks back to an adjacent function and then back again....kind of flickering between them.

I'm wondering if I open up and attempt to clean whether that might help? If so what product would be good for this? I assume an air spray would be good but is there any other product that is good for this?

(I have asked a few local electronics repair and they thought that it wasn't worth their time or my money to attempt a fix so any advice welcome)

 

[ivak245]

Is it a mechanical switch that operates the different modes? If it is, you can get some switch cleaner in a spray can, get to the back of the switch and give it a good blast (no power applied), then while the cleaner is still wet, rotate the switch through it's range a few times. Let it dry out (evaporates quickly), then try it out.

 

[Bluejets]

General electrical contact cleaner form electronics stores........ that or (some may grumble) crc or wd40.

 

[Bluejets]

when choosing,

As above, assume a mechanical selector switch............

 

[jaygon02]

Thanks for the reply's. Yes a mechanical switch (round knob)

 

[danadak]

General electrical contact cleaner form electronics stores........ that or (some may grumble) crc or wd40.

WD40 Contact cleaner, not the spray general lubricant......

Since there seems to be disagreement among the troops I thought I'd put in my 2 cents. WD40 will certainly work on low voltage/current switch contacts and Pots in the short run but in the long term it's very, very bad. WD40 contains silcone. Over time, especially if not used, a pot could freeze to the point of breaking it before it will turn. I've also experienced it morph into a tacky goo! From a field expedience point of view, I would certainly use it in an emergency though.

As a side note and just to give some perspective of what WD40 morphs into over time.. I have a wood/machine shop. One of my lathes is a 1952 Logan 920. When Hurricane Wilma blew through here my shop had roof leaks popping up every where. While running around in a panic, with no lighting from power outages, I sprayed her down with WD40. After that, life and work got in the way, so she sat for over 5 years unused. There is no rust on her but the tailstock is absolutely fused to the ways. I'll be using some Krell on her or whatever to free it but that's not the point. Over time WD40 will turn into a hard varnish.

Regards, Dana.

 

[Harald Kapp]

it doesn't always stick. That is, it flicks back to an adjacent function and then back again

Does it physically flick back and forth? Or does it physically stick in one of the positions but the function changes anyway?

 

[jaygon02]

Does it physically flick back and forth? Or does it physically stick in one of the positions but the function changes anyway?

No. The digital display flicks back and forth between the functions. The knob stays in position