Pro finish 700

Sunbeam Model: gcsbcs-212
The outlet cord was bad (pinched from falling off the ironing board) inside where the cord goes into the iron.
1. Remove Bottom Sticker
2.Remove 2 Screws
3. Pry off Sunbeam Back Cover
4. Remove 2 screws
5. Pry off Cover
6. Remove Cord Clip (2 Scews)
7. Cut Cord and Strip off ends ( do I cable at a time) Red Circle
8. Crimp back and Test.

There are no user serviceable parts but if you grandma's diamond is inside, try to find snap-together locations between plastic parts and remove any screws you can at the back end. Most irons have screws only at the stand/rear end and can then access cord connections, etc. Once you get started it will be easier to see what the next step is.

We have a Euro Pro GI472, which kept going off and on, and the problem seemed to be an intermittent connection in the power circuit. If we "fiddled" with the cord, the power light would go off and on. To get the back off, I removed the two screws below the rubber feet, near the identification tag. Then I had to pop the red plastic light lens off the top of the iron. The lens is held by two plastic "claws" one at the top and at the bottom of the lens. Once the lens is out, there is a small Phillips-head screw visible between two light sources. I removed the screw, and that freed the cover, and made it possible to access the wiring. Testing continuity from the wall plug to the two wires inside the iron, and flexing the cord, quickly led to a spot in the cord that was slightly kinked, and that was the location of the fault. Both wires under the insulation were broken. In fact there were small balls of melted copper near the breaks. Then it is a matter of making sure you know which wire of the power cord goes to which spot in the iron (a photo or a sketch will save mistakes when reassembling) cutting out the faulty wire, getting a suitable crimp connector and a wire nut and rewiring the iron.

The warranty on an iron is usually one year, but that may not cover the cord, which seems to be your trouble. If the cord is intact, both wires, at least one of the lights should come on - even if the iron still refuses to get hot. Remove the rear cover and check for continuity from the socket to the connections in the iron.

Sounds like a loose connection from the screws inside the housing of the iron. It is a wee bit of a bugger to get INTO this iron, but with a little patience, and a screwdriver (phillips, the + one) you should be able to get to where the power cord connects to the terminals inside the iron. Loosen, and retighten the connection. If the wire seems 'worn', you may have to cut it back a bit and score off some of the plastic, and re-wire.

There should be screws in the back where the cord is inserted, remove these screws. Now you should see the cord, check to make sure the wires are connected, both the ground and hot wire. If all wires are ok, then check the on/safety shutoff switch for damage with a voltmeter.

pry off the rubber feet on bottom of the plate there two screw hiding under rubber feet

six screws on bottom plate two hidden under rubber feet on bottom under lower screw holes

first, i'll apologize for not posting pictures with this, but i didn't have a camera handy when i "fixed" it. i'll do my best to explain the sitch.

i also have a sunbeam 4124 whose retractor was jammed...the cord would not release more than two feet or so, nor would it retract. i was able to disassemble it, but broke some internal retaining clips meant to hold the retractor housing to the iron. WARNING!! do not attempt this if you do not want to void your warranty. i can only assume that the manufacturer did not want you to disassemble the cord return housing and as such, hid the retaining clips where it would be impossible to disengage them. i got lucky and only broke one set of the retaining clips....if you carry on, you stand a chance of breaking both sets, which will not allow you to reattach the retractor housing to your iron securely. best thing to do is call sunbeam and have them send you a new iron, but if you're bent on fixing it yourself, here's how i did it (you'll need one medium philips head screwdriver):

1) remove the rubber feet from the bottom of the iron. this will expose two screw holes (the third foot under the retractor button has no screw; this is the side where the reaining clips are buried).
2) remove the two screws
3) WARNING! this is where you have a good chance of breaking your iron. pull the base of the iron really hard, rocking it from side to side. there are two sets of retaining clips recessed in the housing of the iron. the button will come with the base of the iron, the entire cord retraction assembly is self-contained. you can carefully use a screwdriver to pry the two halves apart. also, be careful not to pull too hard as the electrical connections between the iron and the retractor assembly has only about 2 inches of slack, though the connections are just wire-nut'd together and could be reassembled in a pinch.
4) after the retractor housing is separated from the iron, remove the housing cap by unscrewing the four screws.
5) carefully separate the two halves of the housing; the spring may be loose inside and could snap out at you.

here's where my iron was broken....the coil spring is contained by a plastic tray that had snapped, probably due to somebody pulling the cord out too hard. a section of the tray had jammed itself into the inside of the housing, immobilizing the winding mechanism. my only recourse was to completely remove the spring and permanently extend the cord all the way (not one of the features i bought the iron for anyway, so what the heck). PLEASE be careful unwinding the spring if you have to do it....wouldn't want anybody poking out an eye inadvertantly.

6) reassemble the retractor housing by screwing the cap back on with the four screws
7) if you're lucky enough to keep one set of retainer clips, snap the base of the iron back on and reattach the two screws located under the feet.
8) rubber pads back in and voila!

hope this helps!

first, i'll apologize for not posting pictures with this, but i didn't have a camera handy when i "fixed" it. i'll do my best to explain the sitch.

i also have a sunbeam 4124 whose retractor was jammed...the cord would not release more than two feet or so, nor would it retract. i was able to disassemble it, but broke some internal retaining clips meant to hold the retractor housing to the iron. WARNING!! do not attempt this if you do not want to void your warranty. i can only assume that the manufacturer did not want you to disassemble the cord return housing and as such, hid the retaining clips where it would be impossible to disengage them. i got lucky and only broke one set of the retaining clips....if you carry on, you stand a chance of breaking both sets, which will not allow you to reattach the retractor housing to your iron securely. best thing to do is call sunbeam and have them send you a new iron, but if you're bent on fixing it yourself, here's how i did it (you'll need one medium philips head screwdriver):

1) remove the rubber feet from the bottom of the iron. this will expose two screw holes (the third foot under the retractor button has no screw; this is the side where the reaining clips are buried).
2) remove the two screws
3) WARNING! this is where you have a good chance of breaking your iron. pull the base of the iron really hard, rocking it from side to side. there are two sets of retaining clips recessed in the housing of the iron. the button will come with the base of the iron, the entire cord retraction assembly is self-contained. you can carefully use a screwdriver to pry the two halves apart. also, be careful not to pull too hard as the electrical connections between the iron and the retractor assembly has only about 2 inches of slack, though the connections are just wire-nut'd together and could be reassembled in a pinch.
4) after the retractor housing is separated from the iron, remove the housing cap by unscrewing the four screws.
5) carefully separate the two halves of the housing; the spring may be loose inside and could snap out at you.

here's where my iron was broken....the coil spring is contained by a plastic tray that had snapped, probably due to somebody pulling the cord out too hard. a section of the tray had jammed itself into the inside of the housing, immobilizing the winding mechanism. my only recourse was to completely remove the spring and permanently extend the cord all the way (not one of the features i bought the iron for anyway, so what the heck). PLEASE be careful unwinding the spring if you have to do it....wouldn't want anybody poking out an eye inadvertantly.

6) reassemble the retractor housing by screwing the cap back on with the four screws
7) if you're lucky enough to keep one set of retainer clips, snap the base of the iron back on and reattach the two screws located under the feet.
8) rubber pads back in and voila!

hope this helps!