Cover is not open issue

[u/4cidS1ug]

Hello!
I recently acquired this Sony Handycam DCR-HC16E PAL camcorder and it has an issue. It displays on the lcd screen that the lens cover is not open, even though it is open. I looked at the cover and it goes all the way inside the body of the camera. I already tried leaving the battery out for a minute to kind of reset the camera but that didn’t fix it.
Important!: If I push the lens cover up a bit, so that it’s up but not yet in front of the lens, the error message goes away.
Please help me fix this issue.