Problem starting Stihl 032AV chainsaw

17 years ago

I'm trying to get a hand-me-down Stihl 032AV cleaned up and running, and have run into a bit of a problem. If I pull on the starter cord without the spark plug in place, it will turn over with a nice, smooth motion. If I put the spark plug in, even just barely hand-tight, and yank on the starter cord, it binds up within the first half-to-3/4 pull. After that the cord will not move unless I remove the spark plug again. The saw was running just yesterday. It has a fresh oil/gas mix. Any ideas as to what may be causing this to bind up? I'm at a loss when it comes to this type of stuff :-)

Thanks in advance!

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Comments (3)

canguy
17 years ago
Is the spark plug the correct one for the saw? Maybe the piston is hitting it. Also, remove the muffler and check for carbon buildup. That is a high compression saw, pull the rope slowly until you feel resistance then give it a short quick pull. Hope this helps.
anthonyg_ma
Original Author
17 years ago
Canguy, thnks for the tips! It turns out I was pulling too quickly on the starter cord, and that appears to have been causing it to bind up. If I do as you mentioned, pull the rope slowly until it starts to catch, then give a quick pull, it works fine. It just takes some getting used to I guess!
canguy
17 years ago
Sure makes the fingers sting when it kicks back doesn't it? LOL.