Tips and Hints on the repair of Hi Fi Equipment


Aiwa

Fisher

General Faults & Info

Harman Kardon

Hitachi

JVC Amplifiers

JVC Tuners

Kenwood Amplifiers

Kenwood (TRIO) Tuners

Onkyo

Panasonic/Technics

Pioneer

RCA

Sonic Frontiers

Sony

Technics Equalizer


Aiwa

AD-M200 e,k,g. (Stereo cassette)

No audio output on one channel and no indication on VU meter

Replace LM1011 on Dolby Sub Unit

Tip kindly supplied by "George M. Azzopardi" MALTA

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Sonic Frontiers

SFL-1 and SFL-1 Signature

White noise or crackling in one or both channels.

Replace valve first. Check for 3.3VDC drop across gate and source of Q2, IRF730 MOSFET (may also be MTP4N40E). Replace if necessary. Replace 47k, 2 Watt plate load resistors with metal oxide type. Lastly, replace Q1, J271 FET if above fails to rectify problem.

Tip kindly supplied by "Edward Stepanic" Stoney Creek, Ontario

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Sony Amplifiers

All A/V Receivers

Goes into protection, cuts off, acts funny

Tighten all ground screws, better yet weld grounding pads to chassis, use a solder gun, file to metal finish first

Tip kindly supplied by "PA ELECTRONICS"

Sony TA-V7

No Power

This could be caused by the 180K resistor inside the DC-DC converter can, R901 which is a 180K 1/2W. If it isn't this resistor, I have found that replacing Q901 & Q902 will usually cure the fault (You must always use the original parts i.e. 2SA1026 & 2SC1364 respectively, because equivalents do NOT work, even the ones supplied by Sony did not work for me). Also check the capacitor C909 (68pF), I have found that one leg deteriorates and eventually breaks.

CDP-32

Door won't stay closed with or without CD in it.

1 of 2 reasons

#1 the loading belt is slipping and needs to be replaced

#2 the open close sensor (micro switch) is defective or missaligned.

Tip kindly supplied by "Mike" Warner Robins GA

CDP32 or Any

Problems with door opening or closing

It's always the drive belt on Sony Players it streches and causes all sorts of problems, including the symptoms described.

Tip kindly supplied by "A Davies" North Wales

Sony CD Player - Any

Draw won't stay closed with or without a CD inserted.

Most probably the loading belt is stretched and needs replacing. I have repaired a few of these in the past and have all had the same problem.

Hint:- I have found that a suitable sized elastic band works perfectly well as a temporary measure.

Tip kindly supplied by "Robert Seaton" The Open University
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Harmon Kardon

430

Crackling noise/heavy static at speaker output with zero volume setting and no input signal.

Replace transistor C1345 pre-amps on output stage board near test pins 2L and 3 on right and C16V/47uF both sides.

Tip kindly supplied by "Tom Oliver"

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Hitachi

HTA-3F

No audio at output

Replace dual output amplifier.

Tip kindly supplied by "Tom Oliver"

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JVC Amplifiers

JVC MX-90

No Power, standby LED off

This can be caused by the 4.7 ohm fuseable resistor at location R834 being open circuit. Check the 5v line at pin 1 of IC900 (Front panel board, ENB-114-1), if it is about 2.7v then it is likely to be this resistor. It can be found at the bottom of the first daughter board that is mounted on the heat sink (ENB-132-6).

PA3700F

Display erratic, shuts down after a few seconds

Check fuses on surround sound amplifier board probably opened after an abusive playing session.

Tip kindly supplied by "JAMES BAILEY" LINK-WATSON CORP.

RX517TN

Blows Fuse, no power

Check and replace main audio output driver transistors attached to heat sink, generally you will find a BASE-EMITTER dead short.

Tip kindly supplied by "Rick Saffle" Kansas
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JVC Tuners

JVC FX-311L

No Power

If the power supply appears to be running correctly, check that the two display bulbs haven't blown. The display is a backlit LCD and when the bulbs are blown the unit will appear completely dead.

All below RX515

Intermittant relay clicking, no sound, no relay activation.

Check grounds on main pcb. Run new wire grounds to all ground bus lines and then secure to chassis.

Tip kindly supplied by "Henry Hobart" Homercity,Pa.
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Kenwood Amplifiers

Kenwood SU-X990D Amplifier

Powers on but no output

Check or replace the main amplifier IC (IC501), and also check R547 & R548 (6.8 ohms), one or other of these always seem to blow when the amp dies.

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Kenwood Tuners

Kenwood (TRIO) T-7LX

Unit runs for a short while then mutes, relay drops out

Replace leaky Q38, (p/n 2SA999)

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Onkyo

M-5160

Protection stays on

Check for shorted outputs

Tip kindly supplied by "janos" Canada
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JVC Amplifiers

JVC MX-90

No Power, standby LED off

This can be caused by the 4.7 ohm fuseable resistor at location R834 being open circuit. Check the 5v line at pin 1 of IC900 (Front panel board, ENB-114-1), if it is about 2.7v then it is likely to be this resistor. It can be found at the bottom of the first daughter board that is mounted on the heat sink (ENB-132-6).

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Panasonic

Any

Intermittant audio, Unstable B+,or Arcing sounds

Replace power switch (Tv-3 or Tv-4 Type switch Arcs internally)

Tip kindly supplied by "J&J Electronics Repair" Keyport New Jersey

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Pioneer

A 105

After 3 hours working on high power unit was dead (no light, no output)

Check that the prim. coil of the transformer (type ATS 1540). If destroyed replace it.

Tip kindly supplied by "Ciao Stefan"

CTF1250

No function or intermittent function

Check for good logic ground connection to control board and switch pcb. Follow brown wire from switch pcb thru control pcb & chassis mounted micro switch to chassis ground. Solder chassis ground connection.

Tip kindly supplied by "Gary Striebel" Hawk Point Repair

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RCA

Old console stereos "Showcase Series"

Automatic record changer won't "reject" or shut off at end

Large "cast metal" unit under turntable below tone arm stuck, free up with penetrating oil.

Tip kindly supplied by "Marvin Brown, John Eye Service" Beckley WV.


Technics Equalizer

Technics SH-E85 Stereo Sound Processor

Won't power on

Check 5v power supply (emitter of Q705), if present, check that pin 24 of IC801, on the front board, is high (4v), if it's low then Q703 is probably leaking, change it (2SC3311).

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Fisher Amplifiers

Fisher CA series component power amp

Dead, you replace power outputs & related defective components, only to see it return after a short time with the same components out again.

Replace BOTH bias potentiometers & adjust accordingly.

Tip kindly supplied by "John R. Wallace"

CA-270

Left side speaker cuts out at low volume

Clean volume control pot & Resolder all connections associated. If no cure replace pot. Also clean speaker select and all rotary switches

Tip kindly supplied by "John Barber" Mooresville, Indiana

RS-280

Shuts off at low output power

C488 a 220uf capacitor is bad

TAD-9415, 9465

1. Blows Fuse or

2. No Audio but power and display work

Replace Audio Amp IC STK401-130 on main amp board

Tip kindly supplied by "Rick Saffle" Kansas
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General Faults & Info

CD Players

The main thing to remember about CD's is when they age dust accumulates on the laser lens. If you feel confident enough you may like to try cleaning your own (this will apply to CD-ROMs as well, especially taking the higher speeds involved). Remove the case, if you can see the lens from above dampen a cotton bud with isopropanol\isopropyl alchohol (all chemists have this) and twist the bud on the lens pressing LIGHTLY. Turn the bud over and use the dry end to finish. Be careful lens assemblies are expensive so don't press too hard. If you can't see the lens (as in some SONY models) you'll have to take the CD clamp off. This hould sort out the following problems, Skipping when playing, sticking on particular tracks, not reading disks, etc. If you hear the disk spinning wildly in the tray then it's probable that the lens is dirty. Another very common fault on CD's is failure of the tray to close properly (even if it seems to). Nearly all front loading CD's use a loading belt, as this ages it slips and the mechanism fails to clamp the disk correctly.

The above jobs should fix most intermittent problems with CD's.

Tip kindly supplied by "John Andrews"

It's skipping like an old record player at the lightest touch.

Try to find a group of variable resistors, sometimes named on the print. Mostly you will find 3 or 5 of them. These are for focus, beam tracking and stepping tracking. Be carefull to adjust the focus: Too much focus will burn out the laser. Try to adjust the beam tracking first. Check it every little twist by hitting your player gently.

Tip kindly supplied by "tpoint" The Netherlands

Any CD Player

Unit finds focus, but disc wont spin or spins erraticly and won't find T.O.C. -OR- Disc skips excessivly, especially when searching from first track to last track.

Spindle motor failing, possibly salvageable by spraying CAIG DeOXIT into motor and on shaft bearing. Run unit for several minutes to work into bearings.

Tip kindly supplied by "Gary Striebel" Hawk Point Repair
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