If the interlocks are working properly, a lens cannot be mounted to a body unless both are cocked.
Printable View
If the interlocks are working properly, a lens cannot be mounted to a body unless both are cocked.
Remove the back and see if you can then get the body to wind.
Hold the body firmly and rotate the lens back and forth by the ribbed collar (the one that says Seiko) there will be a bit of play in there.
Sounds like the the pins in the lens are starting to stick.
Check the contacts in the battery compartment. Make sure they are clean and that they are making solid contact.
Hmm - the SQ-A will fire (at fastest shutter speed) without a battery so I'd be disinclined to suspect the battery.
The camera can normally be cocked and fired with no back installed by turning on the multi-exposure (turn lever horizontal) and cranking. Of course if it's now in some in-between state I suppose all bets are off.