[gary rabbitt]

Hi Steve.
I have not tried any of the resistive paints, and the mix of graphite and glue didn't work well for me on a different volume control. You can check this page out talking about resistive paint.
http://www.kobakant.at/DIY/?p=634

I have heard of using the paint to repair rear window defroster grids. Again, I have not used it myself.
http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-15067-Win...B000HBI9YQ


I was thinking, if the wiper could be carefully bent, and the contacts touch a section of the element that's not worn, you might be able to get more life from the control. It shouldn't take more than a few mm to bend in te good area.

In bending the wiper, you might want to remove the shaft and wiper from the housing. Remove the little C clip by the shaft, and it should slide out the back.
Bend the contacts ever so gently, then slide the shaft in again to check it's position.

By sliding the wiper and shaft out, you can then add a little pressure to the wiper so it makes good contact. If you bend the wiper without removing it, you may run into the wiper not having good contact pressure on the element... if that makes sense.

Try this, using the Ohmmeter, connect to one lug, then use the other probe tip as a wiper, moving it around the arc. That way, you can see if the 'good' area of the element is capable of givning you the right resistance. Don't scratch the element with the probe.

That's the ideas I have, if I had the same issue.
Good luck!
Gary.