I had an old home cinema amp with a finicky encoder. The only thing I did was to remove the knob, douse the encoder in contact cleaner and put the knob back. I didn't even open the case. It took a few times to get it back to fully working but in the end, it worked surprisingly well, and it seems to last.<p>Replacing the part is obviously better, but contact cleaner can do wonders if you want to try a cheap and dirty solution.<p>Note: I used the 3-in-1 (WD-40) brand because it is what they have in my local hardware store. I suppose that DeOxit and other brands work just as well if not better.