I have used the MX-500 succesfully for many years but recently I bought a Pioneer VSX-917 HDMI receiver and my headaches with the MX-500 began.

I could not teach the MX-500 to control the volume on the receiver. I thought it was because my MX-500 had taken too many knocks over the years so I bought a sparkling new one but - alas - still no luck teaching it to control volume - the most used function of all.

I tried ALL the preset codes given for Pioneer Audio components and some of the funcions were enabled (e.g. power on, component choice etc) but no joy on volume.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

The recent pioneer oem remotes have given URC remotes fits when trying to learn from them, the remedy is to teach to a second learning remote then to the mx-500.

As for the volume keys not working via preset codes, did you erase the attempted learns from these keys? Is there a punch-through enabled?

No - I did not erase attempted learns. I assumed it would overwrite. So I should erase between each preset code?

I did not enable punch throughs until the volume was learned correctly.

Thanks for the help

Learned commands supersede preset commands, punch-throughs supersede both preset & taught commands. Many times there is punch-through enabled from the factory, just to be safe punch-though keys from that device to that device.

Rule number 1 with MX-500 problems is that is almost always the punch-throughs.

As an owner of 5 MX-500s if I had paid more attention to rule number 1 I would have saved myself an awful lot of time and aggravation!

OK So clearing punch-throughs and presets but it didn't help so I went out and bought a cheap remote control and it learned the Pioneer volume control perfectly first time and then I taught the MX-500 first time.

I must say, I like the MX-500 but I think it's a poor show that it can't learn commands that lesser remote controls can learn without hesitation.

Thanks for the help.

The mx-500 is a 7 year old remote, it learns fine pioneer remotes from 7 years ago.