Aerus Lux 5500 Chord will ONLY retract (no stops)

[beatrice]

I have the opposite problem of every post and video I can find — my chord is not stuck, rather it won’t ever stop retracting. The action to pause it isn’t working. I have not taken it apart yet…. Looking for adivce about whether it’s a fix for a skilled DIYer like me, or if I ought to take it to a shop.

Thanks for any help.

 

[justjunque]

Hi Beatrice,

I actually posted recently that I have the same problem with a Hoover Celebrity.
And, unlike you, I'm not a DIYer.
I'm hoping there's better news for your Aerus. Maybe being a newer machine than my Hoover, there might be a replacement part available.
I wish you luck. I like Electrolux/Areus, and own a few; including an Epic 6500 with the opposite problem from yours! (Cord won't retract)

Barry

 

[electrolux137]

 


 


Is that a C-Major chord, or a G-Minor Chord??

 

[blackheart]

Cord winder.

The cord winders on most lux machines are quite simple. The mechanism that locks the winder is a little L shaped metal piece. it falls into a gap around a track which locks it. I'm guessing that your piece is either not falling into the gap or perhaps broke off the winder. It may just need a little lubrication. Unfortunately i'm better at doing these tasks than I am describing it.

 

[kirbylux77]

Beatrice, Blackheart is probably correct in his assessment as to why your cord rewinder has failed. It most likely will require complete replacement - repairing cord rewinders, in general, is a very tricky task to do, and easy to injure yourself.

Take it into your local Aerus Electrolux dealer and have them change it. One caution I will give though - DO NOT take it to just any ordinary vac shop that does repairs! Aerus Electrolux canisters are easy enough to repair, but the aftermarket parts most shops can obtain are NOT the same quality as the genuine parts that Aerus Electrolux uses. It's especially noticeable in things like the quality of aftermarket electric hoses vs genuine electric hoses. Better to have the repair done right the first time .

Rob

 

[kloveland]

You probably already know this. The cord winder won’t lock in the vertical position (tank sitting on its butt) . Only in the horizontal position.

 

[beatrice]

Thanks All. It seems annoying that I can’t open this thing and try to fix it but I did order a new one. Decidedly aftermarket though much cheaper than the Electrolux ones. I figured it was worth a try. Since I’m doing the work myself and I’ve already got the old one out it’s not that big an investment if it doesn’t last that long. But I am curious is it really prohibited to open this thing? Because I could at least salvage the cord but not if the spring is going to fly in my face

 

[kirbylux77]

If you are going to cut off the cord, just pull out the cord from the cord rewinder as far as you can and cut it off. Yes, those springs can indeed be rather tricky to deal with - hence the reason many shops won't even bother trying to repair a cord rewinder anymore.

Good luck with the repairs, and hopefully the aftermarket cord rewinder will last for you if you're careful. Just note, the plastic body can be a pain to get everything lined up perfectly when reassembling, so give yourself lots of time and be patient.

Rob

 

[gabowenjr]

Aftermarket cord rewinders

I can tell you its better to spend the 100 bucks to get the genuine one. The aftermarket ones have a different cord and the metal rings inside. The after market one WILL fail quickly and short it out. I have seen it many times. How you can tell that the copper rings are coming apart is it willnstart making a scratching sound when you pull it out or retract it. Also I have noticed that the cords can be easily pulled out of the whole assembly. Good luck. If you want the easy way to remove the sides first get a puddy knife, place at the back of each bumper and with a hammer hit them they should budge them free forward. Also you need to have the bag door open for them to move. If you use a flat head all you will do is make holes in the bumper and your job harder. Sometime I soak the actual bumper with foaming bathroom cleaner to loosen the dirt or carbon dust.

 

[kloveland]

Beatrice,

Here is a Youtube video if you need with disassembly.