Einhell GE-BC 43 AS

Einhell GE-BC 43 AS Petrol Brushcutter Won't Start

The petrol engine won't start at all, even after repeated pulls on the starter cord

Line-art illustration of the Einhell GE-BC 43 AS petrol brushcutter showing the twin bike handle, the split shaft, the knife protection cover over the three-tooth blade, and the primer bulb and choke lever on the engine housing

Quick Facts

Brand

Einhell

Model

GE-BC 43 AS

Category

Motor & Drive

Symptom

The petrol engine won't start at all, even after repeated pulls on the starter cord

Likely cause

Einhell's own troubleshooting table gives three causes for exactly this fault, in this order: the cold/warm-start procedure wasn't followed correctly, the spark plug is sooted or damp, or the carburettor needs adjusting — only the last of those needs a service centre

Diagnostic steps

Confirm which start sequence applies first: a cold engine needs the primer bulb pressed 10 times, the choke lever set, the decompression lever actuated and the starter cord pulled in short, sharp tugs — not long slow pulls — per Einhell's own numbered cold-start procedure; a warm engine (idle under 15–20 minutes) uses a shorter sequence with the choke left off
If it still won't start after that, pull the spark boot plug off the spark plug first — Einhell's manual says to do this before any cleaning work — then remove the plug with the supplied multifunction tool and check it for dirt, grime or dampness
Check the spark plug's electrode gap is 0.6mm and that it's a Champion RCJ7Y or equivalent; Einhell's own maintenance section gives this exact gap and specifies cleaning with a copper wire brush, or fitting a new plug if it's sooted or damp per the fault table
Refit the spark plug to Einhell's stated torque of 12–15 Nm, reconnect the spark boot plug, and retry the correct start sequence from the first step rather than just pulling the cord again
If the engine still won't start with a known-good, correctly-gapped spark plug and the start sequence followed exactly, the remaining cause on Einhell's table is the carburettor setting — the manual states plainly that carburettor settings 'may only be made by authorized customer service personnel,' so this is the point to stop and book it in rather than adjust it yourself

Fix / verdict

Work through Einhell's own order before assuming the engine is faulty: a missed step in the cold/warm-start sequence and a sooted spark plug account for two of the three listed causes, and both are a five-minute, no-cost or low-cost fix. A correctly-gapped, clean spark plug that still won't fire the engine points at the carburettor, and Einhell's manual is explicit that adjusting it yourself isn't a supported repair — that's a service-centre job on this machine, not a DIY one.

Sources

Einhell GE-BC 43 AS Original Operating Instructions (Art.-Nr. 34.046.10, I.-Nr. 11013) — Section 12, Troubleshooting guide, 'The equipment does not start'
Einhell GE-BC 43 AS Original Operating Instructions — Section 7 (starting procedure) and Section 9.4 (spark plug maintenance)

Published

27 October 2026

⚠ Work safe, at your own risk. Unplug before opening anything; capacitors can hold charge after power-off. This is general information, not professional advice — if you're not competent with mains-powered equipment, use a qualified technician. Full terms & liability disclaimer.

The symptom pattern

The primer’s been pressed, the choke’s set, and the starter cord has been pulled again and again — nothing. On a petrol brushcutter that reads like a dead engine, but Einhell’s own troubleshooting table for the GE-BC 43 AS lists only three possible causes for “the equipment does not start,” and two of them are things anyone can check in the garden with no tools beyond the multifunction key supplied with the machine.

What Einhell’s own table says

Section 12 of the manual gives these causes for the equipment not starting, in the order Einhell lists them: the correct starting procedure wasn’t followed, a sooted or damp spark plug, or an incorrect carburettor setting. The first two have free, immediate remedies in the manual’s own words — “follow the instructions for starting” and “clean the spark plug or replace it with a new one.” The third is routed straight to a service centre: Einhell’s carburettor-settings section states plainly that adjustments “may only be made by authorized customer service personnel.”

The starting procedure itself is easy to get slightly wrong. Einhell’s cold-start sequence is a specific order — prime the carburettor by pressing the primer bulb 10 times, set the choke, actuate the decompression lever, then pull the starter cord in short sharp tugs rather than one long pull — and a warm engine (idle for under 15–20 minutes) uses a shorter sequence with the choke left off. Running the wrong sequence, or the right sequence out of order, is enough on its own to make a perfectly sound engine refuse to start.

The spark plug is the second most common cause, and Einhell gives an exact spec for checking it: a sparking gap of 0.6mm, refitted to a torque of 12–15 Nm, cleaned with a copper wire brush if it’s dirty rather than replaced outright unless it’s actually damaged. The manual’s own instruction before touching it is to pull the spark boot plug off first.

Working through it

Start with the procedure, not the hardware: run through the correct cold-start or warm-start sequence exactly as Einhell lays it out, since a missed step is the cheapest explanation and needs nothing removed. If that genuinely doesn’t fix it, pull the spark boot plug, remove the spark plug with the supplied tool, and check it’s clean, dry and gapped to 0.6mm — clean it with a wire brush first and only fit a new Champion RCJ7Y (or equivalent) if it’s actually sooted, damp or damaged. Refit it to the stated torque before trying to start the engine again. If a confirmed-good plug and the correct start sequence still don’t get it running, that’s the carburettor, and Einhell’s own manual says not to adjust it yourself.

Verdict

This is a cheap fault to diagnose because Einhell’s own list is short and two of the three causes are free. Most “won’t start” reports trace to the starting sequence or the spark plug rather than anything mechanically wrong with the engine. If both check out clean and it still won’t fire, the carburettor is the manufacturer’s own answer — book it in rather than start adjusting screws on the strength of a guess, since Einhell doesn’t publish a user-level setting procedure for it.

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Parts You May Need

Spark plug (Champion RCJ7Y or equivalent, 0.6mm gap)Only worth fitting new if the existing plug is confirmed sooted, damp or damaged when checked — Einhell's table lists cleaning it first as the free option.

Check the part against your own tool's model and serial before ordering — ranges get revised and the same model name can cover more than one part.

Consumables & Accessories

Not fixes for this fault — just what a Einhell GE-BC 43 AS gets through in normal use, in case you're restocking while you're in here.

2-stroke engine oilThis engine runs on a 40:1 petrol-to-oil mix, not straight petrol — not a fix for a won't-start fault, but worth having the correct oil on hand for every refuel.

Sizes and fitments vary within a model range — check yours before ordering.

Comments & Corrections

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The symptom pattern

What Einhell’s own table says

Working through it

Verdict

Parts You May Need

Consumables & Accessories

Related Faults

Comments & Corrections