Winder 2 intermittently failing

[BetterSense]

I have an OM2n and a Winder 2. The Winder works at least 95% of the time, but usually once or twice per roll, it will fail to fire. Then I have to press the proper shutter release anyway, and hopefully the picture wasn't missed. When it fails to work, it really fails, and mashing the button down repeatedly doesn't do anything. But then later it will start working and work fine from then on....for a few dozen shots. The way I see it can either be internal., or it could be the contacts on the bottom of the camera, or the button itself. The contacts on the bottom of the camera appear clean. Is there something special I could use on them?

 

[rjbuzzclick]

Get yourself a can of Caig Deoxit. It should be available at electronic supply stores (I don't know if Radio Shack would have it though). Don't spray it directly on the contacts, but spray it on a q-tip and wipe both contacts (winder and camera), then wipe the contacts again with a clean q-tip. You could also use Radio Shack's TV tuner cleaner or alcohol used for tape head cleaning (not isopropyl, it contains water), again putting it on a q-tip first.

 

[Andrew K]

The problerm is often a dirty power/selector switch on the bottom of the winder......you need to dismantle the winder and clean this switch, along with the battery contacts (use a typewriter rubber - it's a pencil with a eraser in the middle) to clean all the contacts - these clean all gunk from the contacts (a trick I learn't when I first started repairing cameras for a living 20 years ago...)

 

[BetterSense]

As far as disassembly, any tips, other than just start carefully taking screws out?

 

[John Koehrer]

1)carefully take the screws out.
2)Don't lose or misplace them.

 

[John Hermanson]

Also remove battery holder and check all contacts for battery corrosion. That is a common problem, along with what everyone else suggested. John