Sounds like a flat inetrnal battery . . . not sure about the button being stiff,
though.

--- In k5synth@yahoogroups.com, "Emil" <educabilia@...> wrote:
>
> Hello, I've been a member of this group for a while, hoping that I would have
my own K5 again someday. When I was in my mid teens in the late 80's I had an
absolute fascination with the Kawai K5. It wasn't everywhere, but I idolized it
as a super-synthesizer from what I read about it, how it sounded in the store,
how "realistic" the piano was on the soundpage from my keyboard magazine and the
fact that my piano instructor played out on one once. He told me all about it
and I got jealous.
>
> So when they were being discounted towards the end of their product run, I
bought one mail ordered from Sam Ash Music. I had it for nearly a month and
really had some awesome time programming it. I especially liked messing around
with it's filters. It did this weird thing with them linked to the lfo that I
would like to hear again someday.
>
> Anyways I was about 15 or 16 at the time and the new K1 line caught my eyes
and ears. I returned the K5 for a K1m and then later sold that for a K1II. I
wound up selling that for a new K4(of course). Then I ditched digital
altogether for many years to focus on real pianos, B3's and many other heavy
keyboards, but alas I still have a place in my mind that tells me that the K5 is
magical. So I've wanted one to replace the one I returned 19-20 years ago. I
no longer get to do much with the heavy keyboards anymore anyways. In fact I
mainly play a Kawai MP8 stage piano and that's it.
>
> So I found a K5 on ebay that was advertised as fully functional. I paid $175
for it. It turns on and the lcd is not too dim. It even came with a ram card,
but the thing has zero presets or stored patches. It makes a noise, but I'd
have to program every thing anew just to have some useful sounds. Also, most of
the buttons don't function unless I press them hard. What do I need to do with
this to restore it? I don't want it to wind up in the basement collecting dust
with my collection of vintage keyboards that have issues that cost too much to
fix. Am I going to be able to play this thing? What do I need to do?
>