Generator pull cord hard to pull or stuck? Causes and safe fixes

Try these first

1. Don't yank harder. Forcing a stuck cord can break the starter or hurt your shoulder.
2. Unplug everything from the generator.
3. Check that it's sitting upright on flat ground.
4. Pull slowly until you feel resistance, then pull briskly. That's the normal technique.
5. If it's locked solid, stop and work through the checks below.

How hard should it be to pull?

Some resistance is built in. Honda's manual says to "pull the starter grip lightly until you feel resistance; then pull briskly." Champion's manual gives the same step: pull slowly until resistance is felt, then pull rapidly.

So a firm spot on each pull is normal. Pulling from that spot gives the engine the speed it needs to fire.

Also return the cord gently. Honda says not to let the starter grip "snap back against the generator," to avoid damaging the starter.

What isn't normal:

• The cord won't move at all, or moves only an inch or two.
• It's suddenly far harder than it used to be.
• It pulls out but won't wind back in.
• It pulls with no resistance at all and nothing turns.

Cause 1: Fuel or oil in the cylinder (hydrolock)

Symptom: The cord is locked or very hard to pull, often after the generator sat, was moved, or was tipped. You may smell gas, or see oil around the air filter or muffler.

Why it happens: An engine can squeeze air, but it can't squeeze liquid. If fuel or oil fills the cylinder, the piston can't come up, and the cord stops.

• Fuel: Briggs & Stratton says fuel can get into the engine when the fuel shut-off valve isn't closed, or when the carburetor float sticks open from gum, debris or tipping. Champion's help center says a carburetor that leaks fuel "probably has debris caught in the float needle valve area."
• Oil: Briggs says tilting an engine on its side, or overfilling the oil, can push oil where it shouldn't be. Honda says not to lay the generator on its side when moving, storing or running it.

How to check and fix it:

Before you start: engine off and cool, spark plug wire off, outdoors, and no flames or sparks nearby.

1. Turn the fuel valve OFF.
2. Remove the spark plug.
3. Point the plug hole away from you, with a rag over it, and pull the cord slowly. Briggs & Stratton's first check for a starter problem is to remove the plug and turn the engine over slowly by hand, to make sure it rotates. If liquid was trapped, it will come out of the plug hole now. Wipe up any fuel at once.
4. Check the oil. If the level is above full, or the oil smells of gas, don't run it yet. Change the oil, and fix the fuel leak first, or have a dealer do it.
5. Refit the plug and wire, and try to start it.

To stop it happening again, close the fuel valve whenever the generator isn't running, as Briggs advises. Keep it upright, too.

Cause 2: The engine has seized

Symptom: The cord is locked solid, with the plug out and no liquid in the cylinder. Often the engine ran low on oil, or it overheated.

Why it happens: Oil keeps the engine's moving parts apart. Run it low enough for long enough and they can grind and lock. Most generators have a low-oil shutdown that stops the engine before that happens, which is one reason never to defeat it.

What to do: Stop. Don't force it, and don't try to free it with tools. This needs a servicing dealer. Never disconnect or bypass the low-oil sensor. See generator low oil light.

Cause 3: The recoil starter is broken

Symptom: The cord pulls out but won't wind back in. Or it pulls out with no resistance and the engine doesn't turn. Or the rope is frayed or snapped.

Why it happens: The recoil starter has a rope, a spring that rewinds it, and small pawls that grab the engine. Any of them can wear or break. Champion's help center calls broken recoil ropes "one of the more common problems small engine owners run into."

How to fix it:

• Frayed or broken rope: Champion publishes rope replacement steps for its recoil-start engines. Use the rope size your manual lists.
• Won't rewind, or slips: The spring or pawls have failed. Most makers sell the recoil as a complete assembly for each model. Buy the exact part for your model number.
• Electric start: If your generator has a starter button, use it to get through the outage, then fix the cord.

Cause 4: Cold, thick oil

Symptom: It's much harder to pull on cold mornings than in summer.

Why it happens: Cold oil is thicker. Champion says weather "will affect engine oil and engine performance." For electric starters, Briggs & Stratton lists the wrong oil viscosity for the temperature as a cause of slow cranking. A cord pull fights the same drag.

How to fix it: Use the oil grade your manual lists for the temperature you'll run it in. Many manuals have a chart. Store the generator somewhere sheltered so it isn't stone cold when you need it.

Is something plugged in?

A load won't usually lock the cord. But Champion lists "unit loaded during start up" as a cause of no start, and says never to start the generator with devices plugged in or turned on. Unplug everything before every start. Plug things in one at a time once it's warm.

What not to do

• Don't put a wrench on the flywheel nut to free a locked engine.
• Don't spray starting fluid into a hard-starting engine. No maker manual we checked recommends it.
• Don't check for spark by holding the plug against the engine with it out. Champion says to use an approved spark tester only.
• Don't run it after a fuel leak until you've checked the oil.

When to call a pro

Have a servicing dealer look at it if:

• It's locked with the plug out and no liquid inside.
• Fuel keeps leaking into the engine after you close the valve.
• It ran low on oil before it locked up.
• It's under warranty. Call the maker before you open the recoil or the engine.

Run it outdoors only, 20+ feet from the house, away from windows and doors: generator carbon monoxide safety.