Yashica Electro 35 GSN Film Advance Lever won't move Unless

Hello trooperal and Welcome to the forum!

It still might be a PoD issue. The pad has more than one function, and it's not just a matter of there being 'something' present in that space - it also has to be within a certain size range in height. Primarily it isn't there to be a cushion or to diminish noise or wear damage to components, as it's main function is to dynamically adjust the 'gap' between the actuator pieces. It can't be too tall, or too short, and the gap size will fluctuate based on everything from temperature differences that expand/contract the physical parts distance, to the variation in part size differences from the manufacturing and/or assembly process, to the tolerance issues of parts as they wear down over time. There's a lot going on in that 3-5mm of vertical travel space.

Here's a video showing what happens when the pad is missing, and it also exhibits some of the multiple-press  issues you're describing.



If the pad isn't the right thickness, it won't fill the gap enough to force a full length of travel of the vertical actuator rod to the point where it can set and reset the shutter and the winder. Pulling off just the bottom cover should give you a good look at  those secondary assemblies, and whether the rod is working correctly. It's also possible that there's some debris 'floating around' under the rod that's occasionally blocking the full travel, or that some adjacent part has worn enough that it needs replacing, but checking under the plate should give a good starting point.

If the pad does need replacing to get it sized correctly, consider using something that has some flexibility and compresses in height under pressure.