Grumpy_Mike:
If you miss wired it by mistaking the wiper for one of the ends, then if the slider approaches the wrong end it will burn out the track and it will no longer work.but even so as you adjust it, you would see voltage fluctuations .
No you wouldn't.
Why not? Have you not had potentiometers when adjusting the resistance value goes mental? I had a couple of lm317's fry a few things because of a bad pot... (eg 1v.. 2v... 12v .. 4v ... while adjusting the pot) .