Problems with Crackling radio volume?

Changing the volume created a nasty crackling sound and even drop outs in the right channel. So I pulled out the radio and removed the top cover (couple of screws).

Once you get the radio out, you simply need to try to clean the potentiometer for the volume knob using rubbing alcohol.

danw » I have just bought an 850 t5 wagon. The radio on/off volume switch seems to be dirty (internally) I think, causing the right hand speakers to intermittently crackle and die. I am wondering how to remove the system so as to clean the switch or is there an easier way? any help would be much appreciated.

sibir » I had the same problem: Changing the volume created a nasty crackling sound and even drop outs in the right channel. So I pulled out the radio (push in the 2 vertical “bars” on the lower left and right of the faceplate, handles will pop out, then just pull) and removed the top cover (couple of screws).

Look inside and you see the potentiometer.

It has little openings through which you can see the slider move when you turn the knob. The crackle is caused by dirt under the slider. That’s where you should try to clean.

I successfully used tweezers with a little piece of strong paper soaked with IPA (alcohol). (Just squirting IPA in there and moving the slider did not do much.)

I slid in the paper under the slider and was able to remove some dirt. I repeated this until the paper looked clean. But be carefull not to damage the slider. If it breaks you need a new potentiometer at which point you might look for a replacemnet radio as well.

crackling radio volume switch

Bonus! 10 Interesting Volvo Facts

• In Latin, the word Volvo means: I spin. Today however the nearest meaning is “I roll”.
• Volvo was founded in 1924. The two founders were Gustav Larsson and Assar Gabrielsson.
• The ÖV 4 is the first Volvo car. The first car was sell-ready in 1927. The 2-Liter, 4-cilinder car got the nickname: Jakob.
• Volvo’s very first commercial vehicle was the Type-1 truck. The release year was 1928. In the same year, Volvo released the second car, the Volvo PV 651. Volvo manufactured a total of 1383 of both vehicles in the first year; of which automaker exported 27.
• This trend saw a sharp rise in 1932 when Volvo released a good amount of 10,000 vehicles, both trucks and cars.
• The company, however, started making a large-scale profit from the year 1935. The first luxurious car by Volvo was the PV36, which could carry six passengers at a time. The design of this iconic car paved the path for future Volvo cars to come. I came in the market with a price tag of 8,500 Swedish kronor.
• Volvo touched a landmark in 1941, with the sale of its 50,000th vehicle; this is a unique achievement considering the time when WWII was in full swing.

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Last Updated on June 22, 2026