On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 21:52:35 -0700 (PDT), carfreak
wrote:

My receiver hasn't been used in probably over a decade, so oxidation
is very possible. I will check it out, thanks for the advice. If I
do find oxidation, how should I clean it? snip

On wafer switches, the best first aid is simply exercising them. For
noisy switches and pots, a switch contact cleaning spray, notably
those from Caig Laboratories (Caig Pro Gold is a favorite of mine), is
best, but don't overdo it. Washing potentiometers and switches too
much will wash out all the "pot grease" and the oxidation will return
shortly, along with erratic performance.

Also of concern, if the unit has been sitting around unenergized, is
the condition of any electrolytic capacitors in the unit. Usually,
this will manifest itself in "crackling and popping" noises, if the
power supply electrolytics are bad. Most of the older Japanese
receivers of this ilk used Nichicon axial electrolytics in for stage
decoupling, and they do tend to go bad. Job 1 right now, though, is
tracking down why one channel is performing badly. Good luck with
that.