If you get the dashes "---" it means that the lens has hit the filter. Shut it off and gently unscrew it a bit. I have a B+H KR1.5 and it works fine most of the time, but I have had those dashes at least once. Perhaps it is close and it depends on the temperature.
The original lens cap was crap, it broke after just a couple of rolls. Either replace it with a Contax G cap or get the push-on Hexar cap which is very nice. I have a black one. I think later models were equipped with this cap.
Get to know metered manual mode. The camera goes into spot metering mode and it is very useful for tricky metering situations. Otherwise just relax and use the P or A modes and keep an eye on the aperture vs speed so that you get what you want, it is so easy to be lazy and use an aperture that was not what you intended.
This camera is a blast! Try some ISO 100 slide film in it. If you go B&W 400 or faster, consider one or two ND filters to cope with the 1/250 max shutter speed.
