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Starter engaging while car running??? Help!

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JDEstill

Turboliscious!
Joined
May 26, 2001
Messages
1,044
Newly rebuilt engine, about 125 miles or so on it, trying to get it inspected. Car is up on the dyno for the sniffer test, idling, guy walks off to do something, then all of a sudden a horrible grinding noise. Sounds like they started a car next to mine and the starter was grinding real bad, but there *is* no car next to mine! It's my car making the racket! Reach in, turn the key to off, and the car just sits there, starter spinning the engine over continuously. We watched it for a little while, not sure what to do, it's getting a little weaker as time goes on, finally I get some pliers from the tech and take the positive wire off the battery. Rolled it out of the bay, had to call a frickin tow truck to get me 3 or 4 blocks back to my house. Just a little too far, and a little too busy, to push it home. So, it's cooled off, but any time I touch the positive cable back to the battery, the starter cranks over.

I've never heard of this. Anyone got the answer for me? What the heck went wrong this time? Brand new mini-starter (with the aforementioned 125 miles on it), 130k mile alternator and fusible links. Still too hot to get under there and look at it. But if someone knows what would cause this, I'm all ears!

Thanks

John
 
John, there's a heat shield that protects the battery lead to the starter from the header. The solenoid wire must be making contact with that shield. Climb under and take a look.
 
John, next time pull the negative cable - much safer since if you hit anything with the tools you can't cause a short since it's already grounded. Sorry, no good idea on where your short is.
 
All gm wiring is the same for the starter. Large terminal from the battery to the large lug on the starter. Small (purple?) wire from key switch to the small lug (S terminal?) on the starter. The large wire is hot ALL the time. The small wire causes the cylinoid(sp?) to pull in and send batt voltage and current to the starter motor to engauge. It sounds like the two have melted together. That will cause the starter to run whenever the battery is connected. I ALWAYS install a (gulp!) ford starter cylinoid on my gm automobiles. It takes a little time but well worth it. If you would like I will list the directions to do it. Good luck Jon Hanson
 
thanks for the thoughts. I won't have a chance to get under there until tomorrow to check it out, but I'll let you guys know what I find. It's weird, no doubt about it.

John
 
Maybe the main switch mounted 2/3 down the column is shorting out. I'm not talking about the key switch.
 
well, I got under the car today. As I feared, all the wires at the starter look great. So the problem isn't as simple as I hoped it would be.

RRT, thanks for the tip on the main switch. Is that inside the column or outside? I've got a bad feeling that I'm going to end up exploring the inside of the column... and I really don't want to do that!!!

Someone educate me to help with the diagnosis - if I disconnect the purple wire that hooks up to the small post of the starter solenoid, and hook the battery back up, what should I see at the purple wire? I assume it should be dead until the key is turned to "Start", at which time it should show 12V?

Thanks

John
 
yup. there should only be power to that wire when they key is in the "crank" position.
the ignition switch is mounted on top of the column under the dash. you can get to it without dropping the column, but it's easier to drop the column down a few inches to get in there.
i'd bet that the bolts that hold the switch to the column worked loose, and the switch moved a bit, making it engage the starter. either that, or the switch is bad. a new one is around $20 at NAPA.
 
If you pull the purple wire off and the starter still goes then there must be a short inside the starter solenoid. Otherwise check for 12V on the purple only with key in start position as derrik said. You don't have to go inside the column at all for the ignition switch, it is on top of the column down at the base of the column. The linkage to it runs inside the column but that should be fine.
 
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