Hi Susan,

I have used electronic cleaner spray from various brands.
CRC is surely available at auto spareparts shops.



Cheers
Åke

Hi Susan
The old Märklin solenoid accessories do not need ANY oil except a tiny drop in the rods and levers on semaphores.
The inside of the sonénoid is made of a metallic guide (nickelled "U"-shaped guide) in which a nylon core slides.
So any oil residue may bring friction rather than any good.
Usually, when there are operation issues on these, they are cause by previous overheating of the solenoid which causes the inside guide (the U-shaped one and the last top of the U to become narrower and bring friction.
Alas for these there is little you can do. Avoid overheating

Jean

When cleaning electrical/electronic contacts and parts with plastic, use the plastic safe Deoxit spray-lube. Available from Amazon, etc.

Hi Susan,
I'll second the reference to Martin's video; the solenoids are essentially the same on turnouts and signals so cleaning the inner parts can improve both. Both are somewhat fragile but with care can be disassembled, cleaned and reassembled (take care to not break wires' connections!). I'll also second the use of a residue-free electrical cleaner such as CRC. Avoid any that have a lubricating additive imo because it will eventually dry out and/or attract dirt. I've cleaned many of the 5202 and similar turnouts, and many of the old analog signals with great success as long as they haven't overheated and warped. I never lubricate the sliders with anything after cleaning.

Martin doesn't cover the signals, so assuring the cleanliness of the contacts on the slider for using the block controls of the signals is also critical (they're on the exposed end of the slider). After cleaning with CRC, I give them a gentle rub or scrape to remove oxidation on the contacts. I also (reluctantly) give them a gentle reshape if they don't maintain contact properly. Sometimes it takes some trial and error to get it right; a multimeter to check electrical continuity is a big help before reassembly! I use the signals for analog block control of the center rail and the catenary with great results.

I hope this helps. Good luck!
Brian

I used 'sledgehammer' approach on about 80 solenoid M switches and vintage signals (they got wet/damp). Sprayed WD40 inside solenoid sleeve instead of taking unit apart. Used paper towel to removed excess. All work well again, incl multi-solenoid (2 arm) signals. No residue issues.
I also tested silicone spray, but with limited success.
First try on one unit to test impact.
Ben

Two steps forward and one step back with the signal.
I've taken out the solenoid and cleaned the inside of the tube and also the slider.
My problem is that the slider is only going about half way either from the 'red' to the green or the other way around. (To be clear, if the slider starts on the 'red' side and the 'green' wire is energised then it travels half way to the green side and stops. If the 'red' wire is then energised the slider moves all the way back to the 'red' position. If I start in the 'green' side then energising the 'red' wire moves half way and then energising the 'green' wire the slider moves all the way back to the 'green' position.)
There is a lever that is moved by the slider that also connects the power to the red and green bulbs - see photo:

If I move that lever out of the way then the slider travels the full distance but with the lever in place the travel is restricted.
I've read that products such as WD40 are bad for these parts, and also I've not yet bought the contact cleaner suggested by @xxup, so I'm looking for suggestions about 'safe' ways to free up the movement of the lever?
Susan