Originally posted by Pentax Jon I took a cloth to the chamber but the magic eraser is probably more effective. Needless to say the attic isn't very insulated, its hot and humid in the summer but in the winter the air is cold and thin.
You didn't mention is there were batteries in the chamber when it was in the attic, but it is not too critical.
If you have checked and cleaned the battery chamber as much as possible, try the following.
Hold down the selector dial when positioned on the Manual mode and look through the viewfinder and wiggle the button and selector. Any glimmer?
Select auto and do the same. Anything?
Select auto and set the self-timer lever located frontward under the name ME super. Push it down and press the release to see if any life. The press arm inside pushes a little deeper than the release button.
A quick check list...based on common issues I've run across.
Condition of selector: The dial should be level and tight against the top deck of the camera and turn positively from LOCK-AUTO-Manual-125X-B and back with not wobble or hang ups. In some samples the spanner ring that holds the selector assembly will become loose to the point where it is not operating the contacts underneath.
Winding/Advance Lever: The ability to cycle, to have it do a full stroke and then not allow another until the shutter is tripped. Can it also be left in the sticking out or ready position without it being loose. There is a spring arm that allows it to hang out like that. If it flops around, then the spring arm is broken and a piece of metal is flopping around inside.
Mirror foam: Standing out from the rim of the focusing window within and above the mirror is a lip of black foam that acts as a light seal and shock cushion for the mirrors travel. It should be a springy soft foam and not a mushy gooey mess. Easy to note if it leaves bits of itself on the mirror or observable from the viewfinder. The worse the decay of foam, the greater the chance of things getting jammed inside.