starter wont disengage

[Anonymous]

Hey Guys,

Went out and started my car, just to warm it up....shut it off ..Went back out later to go somewhere. Turned the key and it didnt quite start right away so I turned the key all the way to the off position and the started stayed engaged, trying to start the car. I had to actually pop the hood and yank the battery cables off before they smoked the battery all the way... Let the cables cool, hoping the pinion disengaged...put the cables on the battery, and the car started turning over, trying to start, the keys were in my pocket...Whats going on here ?

 

[65coupei6]

It is time to change the starter solonoid.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, thats what i thought too, but I just went and got a new one and it still does the same thing...could the actual starter be bad ?...it's got a new solenoid (today), new battery(pulling 12.5v), and new alternator (pulling a full load also)...., or, could it be something in my actual ignition switch in the car?

 

[ludwig]

If you have a remote starter, like for tune-ups, hook it up to the solenoid and try to start it without turning the key to start. -- Assuming the starter has disengaged by now. It is possible that the start peg of the key mechanism is not disconnecting when the motor actually starts. Of course, you will get much better advice from everyone else, of this I am sure, but the starter switch is not all that hard to replace, if you are a contortionist.

 

[ksugita]

Hi, 66inlinestang, are you able to fix the 'starter not disengaging problem' yet?
Because I also have the problem once in a while.
Although I have changed solenoid twice, and also changed ignition swich(pain in my neck), the problem still consists once in a while.

After all I gave up tring to fix it, but I found a solution: I made a manual cut off switch between the solenoid and the starter. This way, when starter dose not disengage, I can simply cut off electricity to starter and still drive away. The funny thing is that after I had made cut off switch, the problem has not happened yet. Still, when time comes, I am prepared!!!

Katsuo

 

[Anonymous]

whack it with a hammer....

 

[61Futura]

If the 2 small wires to the top posts of the starter solenoid short out together, It will latch the solenoid to remain on until the battery is disconnected. Those 2 wires get taped side by side in the wiring harness, so cracked insulation of the wires could create this kind of problem. I think it would be very rare, but possible.

 

[Anonymous]

Actually.....I'm stillll working out this evil little problem. I have changed the wiring harness,.. the firewall to ground,.. the ignition switch (that sucked!!)...Now, my battery just sparks at the positive post and/or the solenoid still growls/buzzes, but the starter hasnt hung up in a while...I have replace the battery (bad cell), solenoid (2 of them to be sure), and checked the alternator and starter.....Being married with twins and an older child doesnt always allow for total concentration to finding the problem, IM relegated to getting out a wiring diagram and tracing everything to make sure something isnt crossed up....

 

[Anonymous]

whack it with a hammer....

 

[61Futura]

When you hook the battery up & the solenoid starts buzzing, remove the small wire from the top post of solenoid nearest the battery side. If the growling stops, you somehow are getting some voltage from another circuit shorting to this start control wire.

 

[Lazy JW]

When you hook the battery up & the solenoid starts buzzing, remove the small wire from the top post of solenoid nearest the battery side. If the growling stops, you somehow are getting some voltage from another circuit shorting to this start control wire.

Yup, I think something is energizing the relay.
Joe

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Joe and 61Futura,or anybody

I thought pretty much the same thing...But, where do I start troubleshooting..Ive got a multimeter, but very limited experience with it..what circuits/grounds/or shorts do I check for. Any tips on how to eliminate problems with the multimeter, or other means is greatly appreciated...I know I can do this, I just have novice level experience

 

[61Futura]

Mostly, you'll use the voltmeter for 15 volts or less. The ohmmeter can be burnt out by reading across a circuit with voltage. Always check for lack of voltage before reading for ohms. In the starter circuit, you'll have either full battery voltage or no voltage. Anything in between is most likely a problem. Full battery voltage depends on if the engine is running or not. But below 11 volts should not happen unless your battery needs a charge.

 

[MercuryMarc]

I had the same thing happen to my 69 200 six. I thought it was a short in the starter so I had that replaced, and when I started the car in the mechanic's lot the starter would not stop cranking even without the key in the car. The mechanics all hovered over the car and the figured it had to be an intermittant problem with the starter solenoid. I replaced that and I have had no problems since. The mechanic told me that if happened again I should disconnect the ignition leads into the solenoid (two little wires)- if that stopped the problem then the problem is a short beyond those wires from there to the igniton switch or the switch itself. Since my problem is only intermittant, probing with a meter won't help until the problem recurrs.
Hope that helps.
Marc in SF
63 Comet Ragtop
69 200 six/C4 Tranny
http://mercurycomet.net

 

[Lazy JW]

Actually.....I'm stillll working out this evil little problem. I have changed the wiring harness,.. the firewall to ground,.. the ignition switch (that sucked!!)...Now, my battery just sparks at the positive post and/or the solenoid still growls/buzzes, but the starter hasnt hung up in a while...I have replace the battery (bad cell), solenoid (2 of them to be sure), and checked the alternator and starter.....Being married with twins and an older child doesnt always allow for total concentration to finding the problem, IM relegated to getting out a wiring diagram and tracing everything to make sure something isnt crossed up....

Did this problem start before you changed the wiring harness, or after? Don't get too frustrated, these things happen all the time and can be somewhat elusive, but it can be fixed. I will be happy to help as much as I can, but I don't have a schematic for your car. They are all pretty basic in that vintage though. The first thing, as 61Futura wrote, is to detirmine if the solenoid is bad or if it is actually being energized. You said that you have replaced the solenoid twice, but it could still be faulty. Unhooking the small wire will tell you if it is being energized or not. If that makes it stop cranking, then you will need to find out why it is being energized when it shouldn't be. Good luck.
Joe