[NewellCrazy]

The power reel has a cut out switch built into the guide rollers that cuts it off when the rollers are spread. The nylon limit sleeves on the cord spread these rollers when they contact them, thus shutting off the power when near the end of the cord. They should be wired to work only one direction, meaning that when the full extension sleeve contacts the roller the extension circuit is shut off. When the full retraction sleeve contacts the roller the retraction circuit cuts off.

My guess is that yours is miss-wired and your extension sleeve is cutting off both the extension and retraction circuit. I would first try pushing firmly on the cord near the rollers to attempt to manually retract a few inches of it, thus moving the sleeve out of the way and releasing the roller switches.

The long term fix is to check all of the circuits for proper operation and rewire as needed. There is a terminal block in the reel that has all of the circuits terminated on it with screws. It is simple to change if you understand basic electrical circuits. You can also over-ride these switches with jumpers on the same terminal block. I doubt that any of us switch the reel on and walk away so the limit switches really serve little useful purpose and can be a source of problem and frustration. I disabled mine.