Canon AE-1 Power Winder A not working

[BaronDamien]

Good evening!

I recently inherited a Canon AE-1 from my aunt, and had quite some fun with it and its lenses taking photos. Recently I decided to buy on eBay a power winder model A from Canon, which was marked as working by the seller. Upon arrival it looked in very good conditions, and I installed a new set of AA alkaline batteries to try it out, but when connected to the camera, the red warning light immediately lights up and won't rewind any film.

1. I checked for any damage or dust on the contacts but they seem clean.
2. I figured the batteries might be defective, but they are correctly installed and it wont work even if changed.
3. I thought maybe the reason is that there was no film loaded in the camera, but from a quick search on youtube, there are plenty of videos that show the winder work with an empty camera. A photographer friend of mine advised me to not waste a film to try to figure it out, since it should still work without film.
4. I looked up the issue on several forums but I couldn't seem to find any similar issues with the same camera and winder.
5. I checked the contacts inside my AE-1 and they look ok, not dirty or damaged.
6. Edit: I also checked the shutter speed, I'm always trying to use the power winder at 1/125 minimum.

I don't really know what I should do, as soon as the winder pins make contact with the camera receivers, the red light appears. Something I did notice is that if i attach the winder and manually charge the lever, the light disappears. I can then shoot once like normal and then the light appears again.

If someone knows how to help or can give me some advice, I'd really appreciate it! Thank you in advance.

[normadel]

Where did you buy it from? Sounds like Amazon, where you didn't buy it from Canon, but a private party who lists on Amazon's Canon Store. 

If it is defective, return it.

Film camera winders, being old, are very prone to failure, and the A is the older generation to the newer Power Winder A2.

Look for an A2 at a used equipment dealer like UsedPhotoPro.com or KEH.com. Also eBay. I have bought several of them to go with my A-1s and AE-1 Programs, knowing that one can fail at any time.

Just make sure that wherever you get one from, it is returnable. Even eBay will authorize a return if a device is advertised as working but it doesn't when you get it. A seller saying "Non-returnable" isn't off the hook if they misrepresent the product.

[BaronDamien]

Hi normadel. Thank you for your answer.

I bought it on ebay from a private seller. He claimed, on the item description, that it was perfectly working, but before I'll send it back, I might try to attach it to a friend's AT-1 which should have the same attachments. If there's anything else I should try before refunding it, let me know, thank you.

[normadel]

Oh, I missed the eBay mention, only saw you say you bought it from Canon.

You also said the camera won't REwind. The A-Power Winders DO NOT rewind. They only wind.

The red light is the indicator that you've reached the end of the film roll. You then REwind with the rewind crank.

IF the winder is actually not working properly, beware of using it on another camera. I have had bad winders do damage to cameras.

I'm always suspicious when an eBay seller gives a refund and doesn't want the item back. Makes me wonder if they even KNEW whether it was good to begin with.

I see used A2 winders selling for $29.00 or less from the good used equipment dealers, and they have guarantees. You can certainly open your bad A winder for enjoyment, but if it's really not working, trying to repair it is questionable.

[BaronDamien]

A little update! I managed to get a refund for the Power Winder, and the seller did not request for it to be returned. I'll still try to fix it so if someone has any idea of how to do so, let me know. Worst case scenario, Ill keep it as paper holder or sell it for someone else to repair.

[MikeSowsun]

Since you now have a free Power Winder A, you can try to fix it yourself.

 The red light goes on when the Winder's circuit detects that the motor cannot wind the film any more. (when you finish a roll) It might just be a lubrication problem. To disassemble the winder you need to remove the leather and the "ON-OFF" plate. Try lubricating the sprockets or checking the circuitry that senses the load on the motor.