VU meter problem

Hi all

I ask for your help in repairing my new HITACHI TRK-8200:

The Vu meter on the left is barely moving.
The balance gives no sound on the left speaker. And when the balance button turns to the middle and to the right. the sound of the right speakers doubles in intensity and nothing on left speaker.

I cleaned all the components including the REC/play, potentiometers ...
The balance knob gives 7.30 ohms on the right as well as on the left and 12.5 ohms in the middle.
the needles of the meter see move with the multimeter.

A word of advice to give me more.

Get the schematic, check components near the vu’s, left channel against right channel. I suspect potentially a blown resistor.

Thanks docs for your advice,

I focused on the integrated circuit of the meter. The D411L and D412L diodes are passing in both directions.
On the other hand, I do not know or buy two diodes 1K34ALF or find equivalents on the net.

Any advice ?
This may also explain my balance problem ?

Broken feelers inside the balance pot?
Dirty Function switch?
Dirty record bar?

Can’t be certain about diodes without testing out of circuit. If you take one out to test you might find both are ok? Test out that cap too.
Test everything in left against right to see if same/different.

Reli said:

Broken feelers inside the balance pot?
Dirty Function switch?
Dirty record bar?

Click to expand...

I had the same problem with Hitachi 8600 and record bar cleaning fixed it.

record bars are a pain in the a$$

So I’m trying to understand the issue. He claims he has no sound on left speaker and balance don’t help. Also he claims that he gets same reading on test meter. First I would test with headphones to see if both right and left work