PLX - 1000 Pitch Issue

The pitch fader on my plx 1000 is not properly holding the right tempo. When I have the fader at zero, the tempo is not actually at zero, but much faster. When I slowly move the fader down it will bring the tempo close to +3 then jump to -3. The only way I can get my pitch to go to zero is if I hit the reset and leave that on. I basically have a dead zone in between +3 and -3 where I can't adjust the tempo fader to get in that range without it jumping. I'm having a hard time finding anyone else who has posted about this issue or any potential solutions. I know the exact bpm tempos because I have digital vinyl, but even without using digital vinyl you can clearly see the tempo jump just by looking at the dots on the side of the platter. So I know it's not a software issue, but actually a hardware one. I'm not sure what could be causing the issue and what needs replacing. Possibly the pitch fader assembly itself, but I don't really want to unsolder it from the main PCB. Or buy a $175 main PCB replacement if I don't have to. I'm thinking it could also be the optical sensor if that is what is controlling the speed of the platter.