Remote headphone problem

so, I've got one of the older 8gb blue iPods, and a pair of third party, I'm not sure the brand name headphones, the headphones have a simple remote on them, skip to the next song, go back, pause/play and raise or lower the volume. They worked just fine until a few days ago when my brother plugged them into his iPhone4s, now everything works but the volume, and it will only lower or raise it by one point no matter hoe many times I click the button. I'm wonder if anyone knows a solution to this because it's a bit annoying to fight with the fading touch pad nowadays. I've tried adjusting the volume limit, but that's not it..

also, I am NOT buying a new iPod, and I am most certainly not buying Apple specific remote headphones because they're to much and a waste since any other headphone works on my old iPod, please, I want actual help, not shove a product down my throat help guys, please. I just want to know if there's anything I can do or a setting I might have overlooked, thank you.