Method for starting a combustion engine having a pull-rope starter, • wherein a fuel/air mixture is supplied to the combustion engine via an intake channel with a Venturi section, • and the fuel/air mixture is compressed by a piston in a combustion chamber of the combustion engine and ignited by a spark plug, and the piston drives a crankshaft in rotation, • and having a fuel system which has a fuel channel which issues into the intake channel and has an electric fuel valve, • and the fuel system, when the combustion engine is started, is configured such that combustion air is sucked in via the intake channel and a quantity of fuel flows to the intake channel via the fuel channel on account of the resulting vacuum pressure, • wherein the electric fuel valve is open in its deenergized state and releases the fuel channel for a flow of fuel, and the electric fuel valve closes the fuel channel when an operating voltage is applied, so that the fuel channel is blocked and no further fuel flows to the intake channel, • and having an electronic control unit for actuating the electric fuel valve and for triggering an ignition spark at the spark plug, • and having an ignition generator, which is driven by the crankshaft, for supplying energy to the electric loads such as the control unit, the electric fuel valve and the ignition device, characterized • in that the electrical energy of the ignition generator, which electrical energy is generated as the crankshaft begins to rotate, is initially used to close the electric fuel valve before the control unit triggers an ignition spark at the spark plug, so that the fuel valve is kept closed over several crankshaft revolutions, • wherein the rotation speed (n) of the crankshaft of the combustion engine is detected in the starting process, • wherein the drop in rotation speed (dn/dt) is evaluated after an unsuccessful start attempt, and • wherein, if the drop in rotation speed (dn/dt) exceeds a prespecified limit value (a), the fuel valve is kept open for one or more crankshaft revolutions during the starting process. • wherein a fuel/air mixture is supplied to the combustion engine via an intake channel with a Venturi section, • and the fuel/air mixture is compressed by a piston in a combustion chamber of the combustion engine and ignited by a spark plug, and the piston drives a crankshaft in rotation, • and having a fuel system which has a fuel channel which issues into the intake channel and has an electric fuel valve, • and the fuel system, when the combustion engine is started, is configured such that combustion air is sucked in via the intake channel and a quantity of fuel flows to the intake channel via the fuel channel on account of the resulting vacuum pressure, • wherein the electric fuel valve is open in its deenergized state and releases the fuel channel for a flow of fuel, and the electric fuel valve closes the fuel channel when an operating voltage is applied, so that the fuel channel is blocked and no further fuel flows to the intake channel, • and having an electronic control unit for actuating the electric fuel valve and for triggering an ignition spark at the spark plug, • and having an ignition generator, which is driven by the crankshaft, for supplying energy to the electric loads such as the control unit, the electric fuel valve and the ignition device, characterized • in that the electrical energy of the ignition generator, which electrical energy is generated as the crankshaft begins to rotate, is initially used to close the electric fuel valve before the control unit triggers an ignition spark at the spark plug, so that the fuel valve is kept closed over several crankshaft revolutions, • wherein the rotation speed (n) of the crankshaft of the combustion engine is detected in the starting process, • wherein the drop in rotation speed (dn/dt) is evaluated after an unsuccessful start attempt, and • wherein, if the drop in rotation speed (dn/dt) exceeds a prespecified limit value (a), the fuel valve is kept open for one or more crankshaft revolutions during the starting process.