leaf blower cord is loose - any quick fixes?

[unwashed potato!]

going to call into my local guy if i can't sort this tomorrow, but hoping maybe someone on here knows a possible fault and then fix for this.

we have a stihl petrol powered leaf blower. was working fine, turned off the device to do some more work, then went to pull the cord and it was totally loose. the cord still retracts, but it's as though it's pulling nothing, it's totally free from resistance as usual.

thinking the pin may be pinged off so will open and take a look, but any other thoughts?

 

[Monkeynut]

I work at a STIHL dealership. Recoil has a few parts - what is usually a white plastic circle which doesn't tend to need replacing, a plastic pawl which pulls out against what looks like an R clip (these can fail) however yours sounds like the spring has gone. On some of the STIHL blowers with "C" or "CE" suffix they have a second spring - what looks like a fat short spring on top of the recoil set up. These are known to fail after the machine is left unused. The main spring that pulls the cord back is like a flat wrapped band and these break and stretch.

 

[Monkeynut]

https://www.diyspareparts.com/parts/stihl/diagrams/bg-56-c-e/034667d1-79cb-42f9-9ec5/
Item number 3 is the main spring, item 5 is the "ErgoStart" spring that helps you turn it over (you may or may not have this) but check your model before ordering or give the serial to the STIHL dealer and they can check on STIHL SSC

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Funnily enough I pulled one of these apart once and cannabilised bits from a dead one because of exactly this problem

As the others said theres a spring or two best take it apart and have a look or take it to a dealer they'll know what to do