Where to find or how to repair Onkyo speaker switch?

[deniss77]

I have an oldie but goodie - Onkyo A-RV401 amp, rated at 100 Wpc. I had a problem with the right channel not coming on, especially when the amp is cold, and some crackle in that same channel from time to time.

I traced the problem to a speaker switch (OFF - A - B - A+B). My speakers are hooked up to A, and the problem persists in both A and A+B modes. However, if I move the switch slowly from A to B, the right channel lights up and plays perfectly. In fact, keeping the switch between A and B positions has been working consistently, though it's not really a long-term solution, since it's one of those snap switches, and it's not designed to straddle the middle.

The schematic tells me the speaker switch is part of a small PC Board, not a separate part. The part number for the PC board is 1A252548-5. I tried to get it from EncompassParts.com, but they same it's NLA (no longer available). J&R PartsExpress has it in their catalog, but I have a feeling they won't be able to get it either (they said they don't know until they place the order, plus it's kind of expensive... $28 with shipping!)

What are my options? Can I rig up a generic replacement switch on the existing PC board, or is there some way to fix the existing switch?

[Scott594]

I'd try a good contact degreaser. Sometimes, especially after not being used for a long time, the factory grease will harden up and cause problems. I like Chemtronics DPL, a lot of guys are sold on Deoxit (I think it's a bit agressive myself). I was a service tech for many years and found that the light oils like the DPL usually clean better than the straight degreasers. Back in the good old days we'd clean really bad tuners with the DPL (or 10-4 back then) which would clean but de-tune them, then remove the DPL with Tun-O-Wash or other degreaser. No coils to worry about here, so DPL or even WD-40 in a pinch will be ok. Just wrap paper towels around the switch to keep it from running into the rest of the unit. Spray into the switch and move it through it's full travel repeatedly and rapidly.

If cleaning doesn't work, I'd take it out, and disassemble it. They're really quite simple and usually repairable. Most are held together with bend tabs. Be warned, they can be a tad annoying if they use detent balls, but a dab of vaseline will hold things together while you get it all back together.

You can use another switch, but getting it to fit up halfway decent is usually pretty tough.